0-1 MON Mauricio Vincello, 4th minute
1-1 PR Alexis Rivera, 21st minute
BAYAMON, PR - Ties in soccer can at times be as good as a win, and such was the case for the Puerto Rico Islanders in their inaugural 2005 match.
The Islanders started off their season with a 1-1 tie against defending USL-1 champion Montreal Impact, in front of 8,874 fans at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón last Friday night.
As soon as the game started the Montreal Impact showed why they are the defending champion and a candidate to repeat this year. Just four minutes into the game the Impact took the 1-0 lead thanks to Mauricio Vincello who calmly finished a remarkable attacking sequence by his team. The Islanders not only stayed cool but actually reacted and slowly but surely began to match Montreal's play. Antonio Ribeiro of Montreal had anoth scoring chance in the first quarter hour of play but new Islander goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made an easy save.
In the 21st minute, Islander Alexis Rivera won a high ball in the penalty area and found himself with only Greg Sutton, the Imapct goalkeeper, to beat. Alexis would not miss his chance and with a decisive strike tied th score at 1-1. That prompted a thunderous reaction from the crowd as Puerto Rico completed its reaction, and Alexis entered the books as the first Puerto Rican native to score a goal for the Islanders since their 2004 debut.
The first half saw various approaches from both teams in a surprisingly even match. Eduardo Sebrango tried giving the lead back to Montreal in the 24th minute but Kennedy responded. In the 38th minute Kennedy made a beautiful save on a Mauro Biello shot, as the new Islander was beginning to get into a zone.
Meanwhile, Isaac Nieves played an active role for the Islander attack. Both defenses withstood the other team's advances and the score would remain knotted at 1-1 when halftime arrived.
The second half saw pretty much the same script from the first half. Pat Leduc and Sebrango again tried to get past Kennedy, but by now the young keeper was unbeatable. Puerto Rico responded and nearly gave the Impact a true scare. Johanes Maliza almost caught Sutton by surprise on a shot from about 30 yards out in the 65th minute. Five minutes later Edivaldo "Juninho" Da Silva, in true Brazilian style, finished a remarkable individual play with a shot barely missing the right side of the Canadian goal.
Newly incorporated Noah Delgado got into the action too. Just signed at the 11th hour, he managed a cross from the left corner that Corey Woolfolk headed out. Kevin Wilson of Montreal had the last scoring chance but Kennedy preserved the tie.
Overall the Islanders couldn't ask for more: a very good result against a team to whom they lost all three games in 2004, good play overall, and a big, supportive crowd coming back this year.
The Islanders held various activities before this the inaugural 2005 match. The team announced they had dedicated this 2005 season to the memory of Dr. Roberto Monroig, who during his life worked day and night for the development of soccer in Puerto Rico. He was the President of the Puerto Rican Soccer Federation for 30 years, and also was named Vice-president of CONCACAF; and in 2004 was given the FIFA's Centrenary Order of Merit in recognition of his commitment to soccer in the island and beyond. Dr. Roberto Monroig is considered by many in the Puerto Rican soccer community as the father of Puerto Rican soccer and was responsible for making the Puerto Rico Islanders a reality.
Those Islanders will be back on Sunday, May 1st to face the Montreal Impact again at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium at 5:00pm local time. (5:00 EST)
