The Thunder rode their luck and the posts in their 1-0 win over The Virginia Beach Mariners tonight in front of nearly 4,000 at James Griffin Stadium in Saint Paul. Former Thunder player Jakob Fenger and the Mariners were hard done by in the loss, but the Thunder will gratefully accept the three points to stay tied for second place in the Western Conference with the Portland Timbers.
The game started with a couple of chances on each end. In just the first minute, Marco Ferruzzi played a great one-touch ball through to Kevin Friedland, but his cross was blocked by Virginia Beach keeper Matt Pickens. Two minutes later, Friedland would put Melvin Tarley through on goal, but his good low shot was saved by Pickens and cleared by Stephen Danbusky.
Jakob Fenger would threaten at the other end in the eighth minute as he turned both Dustin Brannan and Kevin Friedland inside out with a single move before spinning and shooting the ball past Joe Warren, his shot coming back off the post.
The Thunder would go on the attack again and David Castellanos would take advantage of good work by Friedland and Jeff Matteo to put in a cross for Tarley, but his shot was saved and then he was called for a foul looking for the rebound.
Castellanos would then miss the Thunder’s best chance of the half, as in alone, his weak shot was kicked away by Matt Pickens.
Another missed chance by the Thunder came two minutes later as Friedland’s cross was headed wide by Melvin Tarley despite being under little or no pressure from the Virginia Beach defense.
Castellanos would be forced to leave the field in the 34th minute, aggravating an ankle injury he had sustained in the training. He was replaced by Johnny Menyongar. The rest of the half would pass without much incident.
After half-time, Virginia Beach looked to take it to the Thunder. After a missed chance by Kevin Friedland, Carlos Garcia would rush in on Joe Warren, but his weak left-footed shot was blocked by the Minnesota keeper.
In the fifty-third minute, a Freddy Juarez was harshly penalized for a challenge on Garcia. The Virginia Beach dynamo would pick himself up and take the free kick, which would end with the ball in the net, but the ‘goal’ would be chalked off for offside.
Fenger would threaten again on the break in the fifty-seventh minute, as Virginia Beach controlled the play for much of the half, but his shot was blocked by Minnesota’s Kiwi, Mike Wilson. Virginia Beach would have three consecutive corners, but despite some dicey moments, the Mariners couldn't find a way through the Minnesota defense.
Virginia Beach really were controlling the play and Garcia would find himself through on Joe Warren again in the sixty-fourth minute, but again, his left-footed shot was weak and Warren saved.
But in the sixty-seventh minute, A poor backpass from Danbusky was chased down by Melvin Tarley, who spun around the keeper and fired Minnesota into the lead. Three minutes later, Danbusky would be replaced by former MLS Allstar Dante Washington.
But the Thunder were energized by Tarley’s strike and began to try to take back control of the match. Jay Alberts was having a great match, being involved in several great interplays by the team. But after a ten minute spell of good possessions, the Mariners would go on the attack again, searching for the elusive road goal.
In the 81st minute, Garcia played a great one-two with Dante Washington to get into the box, but Joe Warren came up huge, punching it wide. Two minutes later, later, he would shoot again, but Warren would hold the shot headed for his right upper 90.
Washington would show his experience in the 85th minute, turning Brannan inside out, but his shot was right at Warren. The Minneapolis native could only block his shot out over the endline, however, and Anthony McManus’ header from the corner came off the bar and was cleared for another corner. On the second corner, Russell Hutchison would have his header tipped onto the bar by Joe Warren.
The win keeps the Thunder on pace with Portland one point behind division leading Vancouver. Joe Warren recorded his tenth shut out of the season, and man of the match Melvin Tarley scored his fifth of the season.
LINEUPS:
Minnesota: Warren, Branan, Roberts, Wilson, Juarez, Matteo (81, Vorenkamp), Friedland (89, Jacquette), Alberts, Ferruzzi (45, Tenoff), Tarley, Castellanos (35, Menyongar)
VA Beach: Pickins, Danbusky (73, Washington), Hutchison, Aldrich, Kirmse (84, Shak), Bilyk, Jonas (63, McManus), Fenger-Larsen, Alvarez, Garcia (87, Amanij-Dove), Winkel (79, Gomez)
