It was the best game so far for the ever improving Puerto Rico Islanders, but the Syracuse Salty Dogs knew how to strike back.
The Islanders and Salty Dogs played for a 2-2 tie on Saturday in front of more than 4,000 screaming fans at JRL Stadium. The Islanders achieved their first lead, going 2-0 in front at halftime before two quick Syracuse strikes in the second half spoiled the party for the locals.
Puerto Rico came out in full attacking mode while Syracuse held back and cautiously waited for their chances. The scenario was the same as last Thursday, only the Islanders had much more success in the first half of this game.
No significant scoring chances occurred for either team for most of the first half. However, Juninho of the Islanders broke away towards goal in the 28th minute and, with only Syracuse goalie Paul Nagy to beat, got tackled from behind by Jason Perry inside the penalty box. Referee Bryan Poeschel immediately called the penalty kick and showed Perry the red card.
Mauricio would execute the ensuing kick perfectly to put up the 1-0 score on the board.
With one man down, things got complicated for Syracuse. Then the bad went to worse in the 42nd minute. Islander Martin Zapata was fouled, unnecessarily, by a Salty Dog defender. On the set piece Mauricio passed back to teammate Diego Deering, who lofted the ball into the box. Zapata beat Nagy to the ball and headed in the second goal.
Puerto Rico seemed to have control of the game at this stage. However, the second half saw a whole different landscape.
The Islanders looked rather lackadaisical in the second half, despite halftime instructions by coach Vitor Hugo Barros to keep up the pressure. “Because we were now in our fourth game I saw fit that the guys increase the intensity, the pressure and attack,” said Barros after the game. “In the first half we played great and we had two goals to show for it. At halftime, we planned to maintain the strategy, because that’s what you do with the man advantage, but for some reason we seemed to fall asleep a bit. Maybe the changes we had to make at halftime (due to injuries) had something to do with it”
Regardless, the whole team did not keep moving forward like in the first half. Syracuse was against the ropes, but they did not give up and eventually struck back thanks to the long ball.
In the 48th minute, Ryan Mack of Syracuse was near midfield when he blasted a long pass to Mechel Milwood, who headed the ball in to the shock of Islander goalie Andrew Nucifora. With a quick, long strike, Syracuse was back in the fold. Then in the 55th minute, Chris Dore took off a perfect foul kick from near the left corner and the charging Lars Lyssand headed in the tiemaker for Syracuse before Nucifora could react. Two defensive lapses by the Puerto Rican defense allowed the Salties to tie the match.
After this, Puerto Rico tried to retake the lead but could not generate the danger of the first half. Zapata and Mauricio tried to amplify the local attack to no avail. Syracuse meanwhile seemed content with the tie, although Lyssand almost scored in the 76th minute when Nucifora denied him with a spectacular save.
The rest of regulation and the overtime periods came and went without much action, as Puerto Rico looked to be out of gas and the Salties held on to the tie. Only Christopher Gores of the Islanders had a clear chance in the second overtime when his teammate Carlos Astondoa shot towards goal; Gores could not deflect the ball in and it passed by and out of bounds… and he was three feet from the left post of Nagy’s goal.
It was a heartbreaking result for the Islanders, despite getting their first point of the season. Their lack of experience showed again.
Now the Puerto Rico Islanders travel to New York State for their first road games this season against the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the Salty Dogs in back-to-back games.
Vitor Hugo Barros is confident the Islanders will perform well despite playing a road game to, of all people, the Rhinos. “We will be alright.” said Barros on the prospect of playing on the road, in the continental US and in front of about 10,000 fans. “We will come out and play well because we are prepared to face this challenge… and who knows we may get our first win there, on the road. Soccer is crazy like that sometimes… you never know.”
Lineups:
SD: Nagy, Rivas, Kemble, Perry, Kirmse, Woan (Almeida 45’), Low (Mack 27’), Dore (Kerekes 92’). Lyssand, O’Neill and Maher (Millwood 45’)
PR: Nucifora, Gores, Zuleta, Novarini, Ortiz, Deering, Garay (H. Rivera 45’), A. Rivera (Mussenden 86’), Juninho (Astondoa 45’), Zapata and Mauricio
Goals:
PR 1 SD 0: Mauricio (PK, 28’)
PR 2 SD 0: Zapata (42’)
PR 2 SD 1: Millwood (48’)
PR 2 SD 2: Lyssand (55’)
Yellow cards:
PR: Juninho, Zapata, Deering
SD: Dore, Kirmse
Red cards: Perry (SD)
