NSC Minnesota Stars Salvage Best Game of Season with Draw
NSC Minnesota Stars 1-1 Carolina RailHawks
The Minnesota Stars came from behind on Saturday evening’s home opener against the Carolina RailHawks to earn themselves a 1-1 draw. A goal in the 66th minute by Simone Bracalello tied the game for the Stars despite dominating play through most of the first half. After outshooting the RailHawks 8-0 in the first half and squandering too many chances, the draw felt a bit more like a victory for the team.
That’s the best performance from Simone (Bracalello) since he’s been here. It was tremendous.
Stars Assistant Coach Carl Craig
The Stars went down a goal in the 59th minute after a penalty kick was called against Minnesota’s Kyle Altman. The central defender stepped up to knock the ball away from Carolina’s Nick Zimmerman who dribbled into the box. Altman said he “pulled back” from the tackle and Zimmerman went flying anyway. Altman, who wagged a finger in disgust at a prone Zimmerman, was booked for dissent after the play. In a post game interview Altman claimed he hadn’t touched Zimmerman and said that his drop to the deck was “the nature of soccer these days.”
Simone Bracelello was the IMSoccer News Man of the Match. Photo by Jeremy Olson-Digitalgopher.net
Etienne Barbara, one of the hottest goal scorers in the NASL and who had scored 3 goals in 3 games, made it 4-for-4 after he unleashed a deadly penalty kick into the upper right corner of Minnesota’s net, a laser shot that Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren still managed to get a hand on. But the pace of the ball was too much even for big Joe Warren and the Minnesota keeper was only able to redirect the path of the ball as it slammed into the inside netting of the goal.
After a well played 60 minutes with nothing to show for it but a 0-1 scoreline, the Stars confidence seemed to sag. But just 7 minutes later Stars midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov forced a Carolina turnover which quickly changed Minnesota’s fortunes. He played the ball forward to Tino Nunez who had missed several chances himself in the first half. Nunez dribbled down field and held the ball as long as possible until Bracalello made a diagonal run from left to right. He slid the ball through with the perfect pace and weight to spring Bracalello who took a touch and then slammed the ball into the upper right side of the goal from 10 yards out.
“That’s one of my best qualities,” said Bracalello after the game as he spoke about his ability to pull the trigger quickly and often unexpectedly. “Because if you don’t shoot, you don’t score. That’s how I think. I’m glad because my teammates support me and give me lots of balls that allow me to take shots.”
Bracalello had not seen much playing time up until Saturday evening. He had sustained a back injury early in preseason.
“My back for sure is one hundred percent back to normal,” declared IMSoccer News Minnesota Stars Man of the Match Bracalello. “I need a little more fitness because when you come from an injury it’s tough. But it’s getting better — getting better.”
Any of the 1,431 fans who braved the cold and blustery winds in Blaine, Minnesota would have had a hard time believing Bracalello had a fitness problem. He was one of the most active players on the field along with his strike partner Nunez. The two forwards may have been a big reason that the Stars played their best game of the season.
Minnesota had struggled with their transition game in the first 3 matches this year. After the Minnesota defense would win the ball back, the forwards were struggling to track back to receive balls and even if they did they were losing possession and putting additional pressure on the defense.
“We have to do that job,” continued the Italian Bracalello. “The team needs to breathe. We don’t have to lose the ball in the middle of the field and that’s really important. Because if they always have to recover for us, it makes it really tough for them.”
Assistant Minnesota Stars coach Carl Craig also felt this was the team’s best game of the season and for the exact reasons Bracalello spoke of.
“That’s the best performance from Simone (Bracalello) since he’s been here,” said Craig. “It was tremendous.”
Craig also liked the play of Nunez. “It’s important to come in a play with confidence and that lad has certainly got it. It’s taken him a while to get in (to the line-up) but as the season got closer and games started he was ready. What he offers us is the ability to hold the ball. He’s only a little fellow but he’s strong as an ox. The thing is that allows us chances to get bodies beyond him.”
Pablo Campos received a second yellow card and therefore a red card ejection in the 81st minute after he collided with Lucas Rodriguez. With the man advantage Bracalello had one more chance at goal as he dribbled square across the field from atop of the box looking for a slot to shoot. Eventually he found the space and uncorked a dipping missile that looked to be going in if not for the heroics of RailHawks keeper Brad Knighton who got his finger tips on the ball to deflect it every so slightly back into the crossbar.
Carolina coach Martin Rennie was not happy with much of anything after the game: The weather, pitch conditions, refereeing nor the final outcome of the game.
“I mean the wind does make a difference,” said a visibly frustrated Rennie. “Neither team could really pass the ball the way they would like to because of that and the field was quite bumpy as well. It didn’t make for a great game to watch most likely. Going against the wind in the first half we defended pretty well and then going one-nil up — it’s really pretty disappointing that we didn’t hang on.”
Rennie said he thought the referee got the penalty call in the first half right but disagreed with both Campos yellow cards.
“Lucas Rodriguez collided with Pablo (Campos). So it wasn’t actually a free kick. So he not only gave a free kick but a yellow that turned out to be a red. And the yellow card before that was dubious as well. It was disappointing but that didn’t cost us the game. We cost ourselves the game tonight.”
When asked about the team’s 7 points they’ve achieved this season and a their 2nd place standing in the league, Rennie made it very clear he was not satisfied. “We should have won the game tonight and we didn’t. It should be 9 points. I’m not going to pretend we’re happy about it.”
After nearly a month of games on the road the Stars will now remain at home for their next three matches. They will play the Fort Lauderdale Strikers next Saturday, May 7 at the NSC Stadium with a 7:30 kickoff.
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Those woud be some really lame excuses from Rennie!
Hie team need more gas and a little more motivation to win games, is what I saw. They were getting beat to the ball all night by a harder working team, that’s all there was too it, plain and simple.
The field was in very good condition, it was not a bumpy field and the field handles water really well. It was dry I could have had a picnic out there it was so dry. I went out to look at it just to see what the conditions were and I even played in the one goal area for about 15 minuets… There were no major problems with the field, and I don’t remember any missed plays because of the surface.
The Stars played in the same wind and on the same surface. Rennie is just whining because his team was not coached as well as ours and did not adjust to a cool (cold if you’re from Carolina) conditions. Anyone that has played in the NW, Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver would have had no problems at all. His teams have played outside Carolina in April before and should have been ready for normal spring conditions up north. Our team has to start the season going to play down south and many times face conditions we have not trained in all season also.
I hope Carolina have fun up in Edmonton. Maybe they should buy some long sleeve shirts!
Gotta watch triggering those penalty kicks. So far, PK’s have lead to 2 ties, costing us 4 points in the standings.
Anyway, a great rally in the 2nd half, and a lot of fun watching the Stars take their shots in the 1st half. I agree it was best game to date, even with the raw weather. I wish we had a different result but it was fun soccer.
Wasn’t able to be there, but I streamed the game. I appreciate the stream tremendously. Just a friendly tip: camera angle it suggested there was about 64 people at the game, including the players. If possible, a mic on the crowd would be nice. Some cut aways to show fans in the stands (rather than a wall of empty seats) would make those NSC Mn fans watching at home feel a bit less lonely.
Tremendously happy with the what I saw from the team at the game and hoping this progress in the first four games continues, if it does who knows how far this team can go.
In addition to Bracelello playing hard, it has been fun to watch Lucas Rodriguez. Lucas played hard down in PR and did a great job Saturday night. The backline was also stronger from what I saw and it was good that it was mixed up a little bit. While slighty cold, I thought it was an entertaining soccer match. I am looking forward to Saturday night.
@ Darren L I agree that the Live feed made the stadium look completely empty. I think it was just showing the supporters groups on the one side.
Are their any concerns among the NSC fans that the home opener attendance was so low with the huge promotion and free tickets offered for the game?
I hope the hard work the FO is putting in on raising attendance starts working soon.
@BQ – Was this about what you expected in the way of attendance for the home opener? According to wikipedia, laast year’s average was 1,374. So it seems this game pretty much left off where last year ended as far as butts in seats. Do you see a chance for some growth as the year progresses? Was the cold weather a factor? I’m glad the FO is working on growing the fanbase, and I hope it continues and finds success for you guys. Can’t wait for what should be another close and exciting game between the Strikers and Stars on Saturday!
I have passed your comments about the shots of the crowd and the mic’ing of the crowd on to the NSC Staff who do the production of the games for the Stars.
Crowd shots they can do something about. The crowd was mic’d last season but there were a couple of technical snafus in this first game that should be fixed for next game. The crowd will be mic’ed next game.
Strikers return,
According to my figures ( http://is.gd/Qx5eKw ) the average was 1,289 average. I never trust that Wiki thing.
OK, folks. Here was the deal. It was 45° and raining pretty hard from Friday evening (there was actually snow flakes at times Friday night) all the way up until about 3 on Saturday afternoon. The sky starting clearing when a cold front came though. It warmed up slightly but got really windy. I mean really windy and in MN with temps in the high 40′s that means windchill of something like around 35 degrees. It was nice to have clear skies and no rain, but it was cold, a lot of people left aft half even though it was an entertaining game. It was very cold. Some never showed up that they had expected.
For instance, they had sold something like 500 youth tickets (Flex) to a soccer club and had tried to get those in the Blaine Breakout Tournament to come as well. But these poor kids were sopped and cold after a day playing in the cold and rain and many never showed up.
I’m disappointed more didn’t show but the scarf thing created a great buzz in the Twin Cities. Will that translate into more ticket sales. Yes, but probably not a great deal. It will take constant pounding on the doors to get people to realize that the Thunder is no longer around and that the Stars play entertaining football for a pretty cheap evening of entertainment.
I spoke to CEO Buchholz, and Commissioner David Downs and while of course everyone would have loved a full house it was what it was. A cold, windy evening that had poured most of the day. The real test will come over the next couple of months to see if they can get something going.
As noted previously, the weather played a large part in attendance. I stayed from start until finish and it was an entertaining game. I thought Gotsmanov played well in the middle, I like the fact that he is a little more physical this season (re: smashing slide tackle in the first 15 mins against Puerto Rico). I think that his ability to stay healthy will be crucial to the Stars success this season. It was unfortunate we didn’t bury the bone in the first half, it was certainly a very dominant half for the Stars. It looked like the PK was deserved from my angle. Whether or not Altman is pulling out of the tackle he needs to realize his positioning on the field and not consider that type of challenge in the first place.
Comments on attendance: first, I believe the figure to be accurate (I’ve become somewhat proficient at estimating figures and I came up with 1500 while at the game) compared to last years inflated figures. Compared to the games I attended last year I was pleased, considering everything. I think too much emphasis is being placed on the fact that it was opening night and some how that should have meant a larger attendance. In fact it was a cold April night and a team that has to grow it’s fan base after the last couple of years. What I do expect, as we get into summer will be growing attentance figures. Come the 4th of July game, I will be very disappointed if the crowd isn’t a lot closer to 4-5000 (of course even then weather can be a big influence). I can’t wait for Saturday night to come and it appears that the weather might be a big improvement (emphasis on might).
I enjoyed the game a great deal. Play by Stars was outstanding and deserving of a better result.
I’m certain Brad Knighton the Carolina Keeper and I became close friends. I thought there was a connection there of sort.
Have to say I preferred the Tavern Grill to the Brick ( sorry Stars) – a little pricier on some appetizers but no bottle beer at the Brick should be priced $12.50 no matter if it was a large bottle or not. The eye candy and service level was vastly superior to the Brick. my 2 cents IMO
Have to try to clear the calendar for next Saturday
I am hearing from a lot of people, and MM confirms it, that Glassjawmanov is more like Ol’ Man Gotsmanov more and more everyday. This is great to here.
Sounds like he is now shaking of the comparisons to Rod Dyanchenko!
This was not a night to look at attendance and make any conclusions about marketing effectiveness. The Twins have also started the season with pissy weather and have recied a lot of press on the bad nasty days. Everybody knows we are still waiting for spring to start up here in MN. The winter was a long and cold one up north we still have parking lots with huge piles of unmelted snow (St Paul Sears). Few people up here have made the spring/summer switched into going outdoors. Most casual fans I know would not go out on a night following a day of consistently strong rain like that. I really expected the field to be almost unplayable like all the other 30+ fields were that day at the NSC.
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?region=Upper_Midwest&year=2011&month=5&day=1&units=e
Detailed weather history
Go to Non-Snow Precipitation and run the one day animation. The time is Zulu Greenwich Mean time we are -6 from GMT so 05Z is 11:00 PM Friday the 29 in CT zone, and 16Z is noon CT…
The weather did not just come up quickly and move through quickly it has been cycling back around and hitting us again and again all week long (Do the two week animation).
*Use the start and stop it will not start on its own.
As a Carolina fan, I can’t really share Rennie’s attitude, but he’s right on the nose about where the responsibility belongs. I think it’s a match-up that the RailHawks ought to be able to win, but the way both teams played Saturday they definitely earned that draw. I don’t blame the wind, or the lumps in the field, or the officials – I think the RailHawks weren’t at their best, and I think the Stars were in good form. Looking forward to the next one.
“We cost ourselves the game tonight.” Yes. That. Wish he wouldn’t preface it with things that sound like he’s making excuses.
I’ll echo most other fans’ thoughts on the attendance. I was cold and shivering and wind kept blowing beer all over me. I was still disappointed with the numbers, but what can you do when we apparently got rid of Spring entirely.
As for the play of the game, I was amazed with how big the Carolina players are. Seriously, does Rennie have them on a strict carbs-only diet? Their Captain Mr. Frosty Tips (apparently this is not his real name) makes Kenny Cooper look like a child.
The game was far better than it should have been considering the weather. Both teams did well to keep the ball on the deck, but Stars were beating the Railhawks to every long pass.
A good, cold time was had by all.
I know people want to make excuses, but 1,431 is still embarrassing for a home opener. It is a terrible draw. Even worse considering that they gave away tickets. It’s a huge negative.
Traditionally, home openers are one of the biggest crowds in minor league soccer. They are the games with the greatest media interest and marketing blitz. Crowds usually drop off after that with a few blips like a summer game with fireworks.
Overall I am beginning to wonder about the NASL. It hasn’t been good.
FC Edmonton, which has a number of problems, only drew 2,651 for their opener which saw them get crushed by the MLS bound Impact 5-0. How many will bother to show up again? I know the weather can be blamed again, but the Railhawks attendance has been putrid. Tampa FC seems like they will settle in at 3,000, but could go lower. Atlanta has been okay by their standards with around 3,000. But they will probably also drop. PR Islanders are around 2,500. The Strikers had a big home opener(6,000) and then were down to 4,000. I wonder what they will draw from now on.
Not good.
Dave… perhaps you missed the part about gale-force winds and bitter cold.
Yeah, the attendance is disappointing. No one has said they were happy with it. But was it surprising? No.
Dave, its not about the numbers, its about the numbers. Meaning, the teams only need to draw what they need to draw to break even or better. That depends on each teams cost of course. I was told for MN that was around 2,000. Come and live here in MN and then tell me the openers are supposed to be big. I’ve been around for a while now and when the weather is beautiful I’ve seen crowds in and around 4,000. When it’s cold they have been putrid.
It still doesn’t surprise me that we drew so poorly between the weather and the fact (I know others are getting tired of me saying this so many times on this blog but I also know not everyone reads everything at IMS) that the team has gone through three owners in three years with no real marketing the last two years. People still think the Thunder play here. It’s going to take time and I was able to sit with the new Commissioner David Downs this weekend and it seems the league is patient and knows this is not going to happen with any team over night.
No need to panic…..yet.
Lastly, we need people like you and American Outlaws to start calling on those to support lower level soccer. Whether that be NASL, USL PRO, NPSL, or PDL. What ever you have in your town, it needs to be supported. That support will grow the game, widen the base of the pyramid and allow the US the chance of having more quality players that will eventually funnel upward to the top. Making us a bigger and better soccer nation.
Stepping down from pulpit now.
@Dave – It’s easy to see you were writing strictly to be critical. It’s very easy to be dismissive about factors the team has no control over that DO, regardless of what you might think, DO affect attendance. Do you know why MLS goes against the rest of the FIFA soccer playing world when it comes to scheduling? Because Americans aren’t willing to sit out in the cold for 90+ minutes for soccer at this point in it’s existence, that’s why. And rain? That affects EVERY outdoor sport’s attendance, so don’t be imbecilic about it, it just goes to show even more you weren’t looking to do anything but be negative and denegrading.
Anyone who can just brush off the transformation of pro soccer in South Florida the way you did needs their head examined too. After their third game on May 14th, the Strikers will already have surpassed the total attendance of Miami FC last year. But, eh, who cares, that happens all the time in lower division pro soccer in North America right? Averaging more than a 400% increase in attendance? Yawn material at best.
Just as one of your arguments is that it is early and we’ll see what happens, I’ll tell you the exact same thing – it’s early, let’s see what happens. You know what’s going to happen at Lockhart on May 14th? The Strikers average is going to go up. If the Stars have some decent weather this weekend, I’d bet there’s a good chance they can put up a higher number as well. The Railhawks couldn’t have had a more difficult series of events leading up to and into their season so far. They’ll bounce back as well. You’re actaully criticizing the Silverbacks? They are in the top half of the league in attendance so far after a two year hiatus.
From everything I’ve seen, witnessed, heard, and read, the league is moving in the right direction. They’re doing the right things. They’re getting the right people on board. Will all of it equate to success in the end? We don’t know. No one knows. But they’re out there working, giving it their best, trying to be better then the decades of 75% failure of the past. BQ gives it to us straight, as he always does. WE have to all get out to support our local teams. PDL, NPSL, USL Pro, NASL, MLS, and the national teams. Nothing shows your commitment matches theirs better then putting down your hard-earned dollars for tickets for you and your family, maybe a t-shirt and a couple of sodas (pops for you midwesterners LOL) or beers. You can stay home and just post negative comments on blogs and forums, that’s your choice. The rest of us will be out enjoying OUR teams.
@Strikers Return
Wow, I thought you only reserved the massive negativity for little ole lonesome me……
Dave is technically correct regarding the home opener statements. Bad weather or not, the money should have been spent to make this a top attendance factor. The Strikers, for example DID do it right at their home opener. Sky divers, and lot’s of trinkets go a long way with PR on an opening day.
Of course, MN still does have winter, and maybe their home opener celebration should be better reserved for the latter part of June.
You know Bart, that’s not actually a bad idea if you think about saving the money normally spent on the opener and making that big push a bit later in the season. Of course that also means you’re then not getting the word out as early. As always up here in the frozen tundra, you’re damed if you do and damed if you don’t.
I thought that the beer was especially cold and refreshing Saturday evening, and the the Hot Nuts were nice and warm. Why complain about the cold weather. Don’t drink so much beer and start eating Hot Nuts!
@Strikers Return – Life isn’t rainbows, unicorns, and candy. There is no guarantee the NASL is going to work. As an impartial observer, I worry about what I am seeing in the early going. First impressions are huge in minor league sports. Maybe I am wrong? Sorry if that offends you. Sorry if you just want to hear positives and sunshine. You are not going to get that from me. Hopefully things will turn around.
It’s not my job or anyone else’s to invest in NASL, MLS, or USL-Pro in order to comment on it. As an American soccer fan, I do care how things are going. I want the NASL to survive. But I admit I am a little concerned. Maybe I am off, but I am not exactly impressed with the attendance or promotion of the league outside of the Strikers(I am not counting Montreal). That’s my opinion.
Good for you that enjoy your team. You are doing great as a fan. But just as MLS and the USSF deserves a critical eye, so does NASL and USL-Pro. The coverage should be balanced or we enter into propaganda and pom-pom waving.
@Dave – Every team and every league in North America deserve a critical eye. I agree 1000% That’s why I’m unbelievably happy MY team broke away from the failure that has been the USL for well over a decade. Failure that is continuing again this year with their International division, and even some other teams like Dayton where the jump up from PDL doesn’t seem to be going too well so far.
Sometimes I get a little trigger happy when it comes to defending the NASL, but no one can say I’m not totally invested in my team and its league. Everything certainly isn’t rainbows and unicorns (thank God for that LOL) anywhere, not even in MLS. But I do know that the sport is not going to continue growing, especially below MLS, if fans don’t try and keep a positive outlook and do what they can to support their local teams. Everything in life is choices. Anyone with a team reasonably close to their home can choose whether or not to go out and watch the games, invest their hard-earned dollars, and help that team, and by proxy the league it plays in, to try and capture some stability which is essential to long term growth.
I realize it’s easy for me to sound the optimism horn considering the success the return of the Strikers has been, and how that compares to what a lot of other teams are doing and seeing. We are fortunate here in South Florida that Traffic has made the decisions they’ve made, and spent the money they’ve spent both here, and in Atlanta and Cary. But to me it shows that if you have the right market, and do the right things, this can work. And I’ll disagree with you slightly on one point. If we are truly fans and want to see the game not only survive, but continue to grow like it has since 1994, then yes, it is our job to be part of it. Not everyone will do this in the same way, and it doesn’t even have to be about money. Even as inexpensive as lower division soccer tickets can sometimes be from promotions, or even free at times, you can still follow your team and root for them by watching the games online, by telling your family and friends about them. Lower division soccer in this region hasn’t fully grown beyond grass roots methods yet.
Anyway, I’m rambling again, and some of you are tired of that I’m sure. LOL