Minnesota (1-2-1) came into Cincinnati (2-0-0) hungry for a win after a hard fought 2-1 loss against the Indiana Blast in Indianapolis on Friday evening. The game being played at the Hawks temporary nest at Landmark Baptist Academy in Glendale in front of 562 vocal supporters turned into a test of which team could outlast the other. The field inundated with water from all the recent rain made for a very heavy field testing the limits of the players legs. The Hawks lined up in a 3-5-2 formation while the Thunder started with a 4-4-2.
With both teams showing some good runs at goal the Hawks midfielder Dan Alvarez made an ill timed tackle at the ball bringing down John Menyonger in the box giving the Thunder a penalty kick in the 16th minute. Menyonger then promptly paced the ball in the back of the net to take the Thunder on top 1-0. The Thunder continued the 1st half playing a very physical game throwing the Hawks out of their mindset thus disrupting the Hawks play. The 1st half ended with the score 1-0. The physical play of the Thunder showed has well with the Thunder collecting 8 fouls to the Hawks 2.
The 2nd half began with one change to the lineup for Minnesota. Johnny Torres came in replacing goal scorer John Menyongar. Torres being a forward would provide more of an attacking formation for the Thunder with 3 forwards in the lineup. In the early part of the 2nd half the Hawks were showing some good stuff with the ball making several attempts at goal through the use of good wing play. The Hawks were unable to capitalize however and only succeeded in getting themselves frustrated. In the 58th minute the Thunder made a crucial substitution bring into the game Jacob Fenger for fellow forward Thiago Martins. With the fresh legs of Fenger now on the field the Thunder started taking control of the game. Taking advantage of the freshness of Fenger and Torres the Thunder scored when Torres fed the ball to Fenger and from about 15 yards out Fenger shot the ball past Chris Wanamaker giving the visiting Thunder a 2-0 lead. The Hawks counted by bringing on Steve Armas for a weathered Marcel Matis who played hard to try and get the Hawks back into the game. It was to be to late however for the Hawks to recapture the play that they showed earlier. In the waning minutes of the game the Thunder wanting the bonus point for a 3rd goal got it with a short pass from Fenger to Matt Schmidt who came in at the 70th minute. The shot went in past a diving Wanamaker giving the Thunder their 3rd goal and the win.
LINEUPS
Cincinnati Minnesota
GK 1 C Wanamaker GK 19 J Warren
D 3 F Degand D 20 C Gores
D 21 B Fisher D 12 A Eyre
D 14 J Pickup D 4 E Otto
M 15 S Rockey D 21 D Gramenz (13 M Schulte, 73')
M 17 W Schulte (8 C Edozien, 61') M 14 A Biddle
M 6 D Alvarez M 17 H Llamas
M 11 C Lindenmayer M 5 M Gentile (3 J Clark, 79')
M 10 M Matis (4 S Armas, 73') M 10 J Menyonger (8 F Torres, 45')
F 9 R Lucas (5 P Byaruhanga, 70') F 27 T Martins (11 J Fenger, 58')
F 7 S Lowey F 9 O Pendergast (6 M Schmidt, 70')
STATS Cincinnati Minnesota
Shots 13 13
Saves 5 5
Offside 1 5
Corner Kicks 3 3
Fouls 9 13
CAUTIONS and EJECTIONS
Cincinnati - Matis 70' (Caution)
Cincinnati - Degand 88' (Caution)
GOALS
Minnesota - Menyonger 16' (penalty kick)
Minnesota - Fenger 76'
Minnesota - Schmidt 88'
Mike Senger
A-League.com match reporter
