(SUN BOWL STADIUM, El Paso, TX) - Chalk one up to better offense, fresher legs and maybe the slowing effects of the congealed cheese in the enchiladas.
It was the El Paso Patriots 2, the Minnesota Thunder 1, and Conventional Coaching in El Paso 0, for the first Patriots' win in their new home, the Sun Bowl.
No sooner did we write in this space that Buzz Lagos was the master of close, low-scoring matches than Patriots' coach Fernando Gutierrez stole Buzz's, um…Thunder. And he did it by making moves that usually take a new Patriots coach - especially one new to America - more than a match to make.
It certainly didn't take long for Gutierrez, a veteran assistant coach in the Mexican First Division, to notice that the difference between the Mexican game and the A-League game is the subtle difference between Ricky Martin and Metallica.
With Ricky you'll find syncopation, gyration and titillation. Movement everywhere. Now you see it, now you see even more of it.
With Metallica, the movement is in only one body part and on only one track: The head, up and down.
What might be novel in El Paso is that it took Gutierrez just that one match to change the Patriots so completely and at the same time bolster the philosophical hold on his Latin-style team.
Gutierrez reshuffled his deck in a big way, dealing out gutsy but ineffective midfielder Arturo Villa, among others, and dealing one player already in the game a new hand by bringing perhaps his most gifted athlete, Brazilian middle defender Sidnei dos Santos, into the midfield playmaker's role to stir the Patriots' creative juices.
There were also a few new players who anted up for this Patriots game of stud, notably a new left winger by the name of Junro Narita and wily, physical defender Guillermo McFarlane.
Make no mistake, taking his best defender out of the middle "D" and thrusting him (and trusting him) to provide the pace for an offense that relies on controlling the ball was a gamble. But it paid off.
In Friday's 1-0 Minnesota win, the Thunder was able to shut the Patriots down cold, especially after scoring the first goal then packing the back.
On Sunday, the defense held even without the services of The Shadow, dos Santos, who has always known what evil lurks in the heart of forwards. McFarlane, though in his 30's, is still as solid as a rock, and his physicality matched Minnesota's mettle.
Friday, with the midfield rendered useless against a stacked defense already up a goal, the Patriots tried to set up offense with their speed on the wings. But El Paso's crossing passes were as crisp as wilted lettuce with the same velocity and height as a helium-filled balloon.
Sunday, the midfield was under control with dos Santos pointing his ESP toward the other team's net and defensive midfielder Freddy Juárez pointing his foot at virtually everything the Thunder tried to bring up the gut. And Narita on the wing appears to be a real find.
Arriving in El Paso with his University of New Mexico teammate, Anthony, NM, native Javier Carrasco, Narita, was a blur of feet, legs and hair, all seemingly moving in 20 different directions at once.
And, yes, we said hair. Narita's mane could give Carlos Valderrama's a run for its money. It seems almost as large as he is.
But the diminutive Japanese national kept his footing, even when pushed by the comically larger Thunder defenders, and his crossing passes were on target. An Honorable Mention All-America this past season for the Lobos, Narita seems to be just what the doctor ordered for a team that needs effective passing to bring off its game.
The difference was noticeable from the kickoff. Minnesota's attack was virtually non-existent as Lagos, with a victory under his belt, appeared to be satisfied playing for a draw.
On the other side El Paso was putting together runs, challenging the Thunder defense and keeping the ball moving.
And finally, after three halves of soccer, the Patriots scored on the Thunder.
In the 47th minute, a big pass from the back sprung Juárez up the right wing. All alone with Michael Griego sprinting up the left side, Juárez made it look easy, zipping the ball past Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren in passing back to Griego for the easy one-touch shot and goal. (Strike one for Napster!)
For Griego it was a particularly sweet score. A five-year veteran, Griego scored in only his second game in over a year after returning from a severe knee injury that kept him out all of 2002.
His goal opened a gaping hole in the Thunder's defensive shell, and opened up the match. The few Patriots fans who returned for Sunday's contest got to see the more entertaining of the two.
Minnesota began to flash its speed and execution after the El Paso wake up call and it would take the Patriots' bench to finish off Buzz's boys.
Jose Abarca came in for forward Omar Millan, relieving dos Santos, who returned to defense, as playmaking midfielder in the 66th minute. The playmaker for the Patriots last season, Abarca did well in limited minutes in his first game back from First Division Unión Española in Chile.
The key combo, though, was made up of a couple of recently-graduated college boys: UCLA's Tim Pierce, who relieved Griego in the 77th, and UNM's Carrasco, who spelled Ahmed Figueroa in the 81st.
Firing two of the Patriots' four total shots in Friday's loss despite playing only 22 minutes, Carrasco is showing his worth on the wing. Figueroa had more room Sunday, thanks in part to Narita, and played a much better second match, but it is Carrasco that has left his footprint on both matches in just 31 minutes of playing time.
As Carrasco shakes out an off-season full of cobwebs, Gutierrez might just tab him to be the starter, especially if Figueroa continues to lose his head against more physical A-League opposition. The fiery Figueroa has picked up cautions in both of his first matches and needs to calm down.
Speaking of fiery, however, it was the team captain and Las Crucen Juárez who got the match-winner started, again with a run down Minnesota's left flank in the 83rd minute.
As that sinking déjà vu feeling crept over the Thunder defense, Juárez again found himself all alone on the right wing. This time, though, he found Carrasco even deeper than he was.
Carrasco drew defenders low near the goal line, stepped away and fired a cross to Pierce, who had broken from the defense hungry for his first professional shot.
The ex-Bruin made it count, receiving the ball with his back to the net fifteen yards out, turning and firing a low blast left post past a diving Warren for a 2-0 Patriots lead, whipping off his shirt in celebration and taking a well-deserved victory lap with Carrasco.
One shot, one goal. Not bad, and you may consider Patriots fans' appetites sufficiently whetted.
Not to be denied, though, Lagos had brought out his gunslinger, John Menyongar, in the 64th minute. And it was the ball-handling wizard from Liberia who ended the scoring with an amazing run a minute into added time.
Taking the ball deep on the right wing, Menyongar was pushed all the way to the goal line near the right corner. Carlos Martinez got a piece of Menyongar's crossing attempt, but the ball fell motionless in an open space five yards downfield. Menyongar retrieved the loose ball, sidestepped two defenders and from an incredibly hard angle ripped a left-footed rocket past a surprised Fred Estrada in goal for El Paso.
Minnesota unleashed the hounds at that point, and with a full four minutes of added time remaining, the Thunder thought it had a chance.
But referee Jason Anno blew the final whistle a little sooner than Minnesota had anticipated, drawing immediate protests from Lagos who marched straight to the midfield circle to give Anno his thoughts on where the little hand ought to have been located.
Regardless, the Patriots have their win and a split in the first weekend at home. They also have their first win in the Sun Bowl, ever. The two forwards who perhaps wanted and needed their goals the most went out and got them. El Paso has some solid wing play and the defense appears to be picking up where it left off. And a new coach has his first win in a new country.
If the sun hadn't already set, it would have been the perfect ending - the team and its coach riding off into a horizon filled with the orange glow of sunshine, maybe even a little Ricky Martin "Allez! Allez!" from France '98 blaring as the credits roll.
But it's springtime in El Paso. There should be plenty more sunsets to choose from.
EL PASO 2, MINNESOTA 1
MINNESOTA (0-1 - 1): GK Joe Warren, D Carlos Parra, D Steve Shak, D Mark Schulte, D Adam Eyre, M Jason Willan (85, F Melvin Tarley), M Amos Magee (75, M Zafer Kilickan), M Marco Ferruzzi, M Kevin Anderson (70, M Hugo Llamas), F Marshall Morehead (64, F John Menyongar), F Johnny Torres.
EL PASO (0-2 - 2): GK Freddy Estrada, D Joel Rios, D Guillermo McFarlane, D Carlos Martinez, D Pablo Cabrera, M Sidnei dos Santos, M Freddy Juárez, M Ahmed Figueroa (81, M Javier Carrasco), M Junro Narita (71, M Victor Arreola), F Omar Millan (66, Jose Abarca), F Michael Griego (77, F Tim Pierce).
Scoring: ELP, Griego (Juárez, 47). ELP, Pierce (Carrasco, 83). MIN, Menyongar (90). Shots: MIN 4-6 - 10, ELP 8-2 - 10. Saves: MIN 3-0 - 3, ELP 1-3 - 4. Fouls: MIN 11-10 - 21, ELP 8-10 - 18. Offsides: MIN 1-1 - 2, ELP 1-1 - 2. Corner Kicks: MIN 1-5 - 6, ELP 2-0 - 2. Cautions: MIN, Anderson (68, UB); ELP, Figueroa (70, UB); MIN, Kilickan (82, UB); ELP, dos Santos (90, DR). Referee: Jason Anno. Linesmen: Troy Travis, Muhammed Marwan. Attendance: 565.
