Late Mutiny Rally Hold Off Battery

May 1, 2000
CHARLESTON, SC – Tampa Bay Mutiny Forward Mamadou Diallo scored two goals in the final twelve minutes of regulation time to defeat the Charleston Battery two goals to one before a stunned Blackbaud Stadium crowd of four thousand, four hundred and eight in an exhibition match for both teams.

The Charleston Battery came out strong in the first twenty minutes of the match before a strong supporting crowd at Blackbaud Stadium. The Battery had a great chance to quickly put one past their MLS affiliate in the third minute when starting Bulgarian forward Ivailo Ilarinov, the hero in last week’s A-League match versus Atlanta, misfired on a shot eight yards out from a Battery corner kick by Temoc Suarez, as the ball fluttered briefly inside the box. The Battery kept their pressure on the Mutiny at the twenty-third minute mark when Suarez delivered a high corner kick from left to right which was headed by Defender Alan Woods as Tampa Bay goalkeeper Andy Kirk quickly punches the ball away from any further danger. Meanwhile, the visiting Mutiny, who lost to the Battery 1-0 on June 17, 1998 at Stoney Field, started to intensify their offense in the mid portion of the first half. Tampa Bay’s greatest chance came with twenty-five minutes gone by when Defender Rich Kotchav delivered a rapid shot but amazingly Battery goalkeeper Dusty Hudock made a twisting body save inside the six yard box to keep the match scoreless. As time ended in the first half, Battery Forward Ivalio Ilarionov raced into the Mutiny right side of the 18 yard box on a clear breakaway but his right footed shot bristled wide of the Mutiny goal post thereby ending a scoreless but frantic first half.

The Battery continued their offensive game plan at the start of the second half with only three minutes played in the second stanza, Battery Forward Jon Akin, who has impressed Team officials this year with his hard work in the pre-season, received a ball from Defender Gilbert Jean-Baptiste, which drifted to his right leg as Akin calmly puts the ball past a diving Andy Kirk into the left side of the open net to give Charleston a 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, the visiting Mutiny were finally able to get on the scoreboard at the seventy-eighth minute when replacement Midfielder Daniel Alvarez was tackled inside the 18 yard box by Battery rookie goalkeeper Josh Campbell, resulting in a Tampa Bay penalty kick by Forward Mamadou Diallo who ties the match by slipping the ball past a diving Campbell. Ten minutes later, the Mutiny shock the Battery fateful when Diallo, racing untouched down the left flank, heads a beautiful cross from right to left by fellow striker Amos Magee past the stretched arms of Battery keeper Josh Campbell with two minutes left in regulation time to give the visiting Tampa Bay Mutiny an improbable two goals to one victory here at Blackbaud Stadium.

With the exhibition loss, the Battery are now 2-2 lifetime against MLS foes. Charleston will resume their A-League schedule this Friday May 5th when the Richmond Kickers visit Blackbaud Stadium at 7:30pm. The Battery swept the two game season series last year and outscored Richmond five goals to two in 1999.

Game Report by Herman Howard

                    1st 2nd Final
Tampa Bay Mutiny     0   2    2
Charleston Battery   0   1    1

Scoring Summary:

CHARLESTON BATTERY – Hudock, (Campbell 65), Scott (Brownell 64), Baptiste, Woods, Warham, Sewell, Spooner, Alvero (Thelen 57), Suarez, Akin (Suite 84) Ilarinov
SHOTS:9 ; FOULS :12 ; SAVES:Hudock 2; (Campbell 0) CORNER KICKS:4 ; OFFSIDE:9 ; CAUTIONS: Alvero 47; Scott 58; Campbell 77; EJECTIONS: None

TAMPA BAY MUTINY –Kirk, Bankov, Houser (Trittshuh 45), Kotchav (Addo 71), Kinnear, Anderson, Quill (Keller 64), Ralston (Alvarez 57), Valderama (Lagos 45), Magee, Diallo
SHOTS:11 ; FOULS :13 ; SAVES:1 ; CORNER KICKS:4 ; OFFSIDE:3 ; CAUTIONS: Ralston 12; Trittschuh 68; EJECTIONS:Garlick 60;

Referee: Kermit Quisenberry; Reggie Rutty; Referee’s Assistants: Roni Canales, Chris Sculthorpe

Attendance: 4,408; Weather: Warm and Hazy

Blackbaud Players of the Game: Dusty Hudock and Jon Akin

GOVERNOR, MAJORITY LEADER, SPEAKER: $15 MILLION FOR ROCHESTER

Funding Will Help City Secure A Major League Soccer Franchise

GOVERNOR, MAJORITY LEADER, SPEAKER: $15 MILLION FOR ROCHESTER

Funding Will Help City Secure A Major League Soccer Franchise

Complete text of Governor Pataki's Press Release !
Pae-Tec Park...From Dream To Reality
Rochester secures $15 million from state for stadium construction

Preseason Match: Skagit Valley Marlins 0-5 Seattle Sounders

April 16, 2000
The Seattle Sounders beat the Skagit Valley Marlins 5-0 in a preseason match in Mt. Vernon. Goals came from Greg Howes, Andrew Gregor, Rashid Utush (a pair) and Nick Kalafatich.  continue....

Blast Team News

April 11, 2000
Goals by Brandon Tauber and Colin Rogers lifted the two-time defending NCAA champion Indiana University Hoosiers to a 2-0 exhibition win over the Indiana Blast Monday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington.

Tauber headed home a cross from two yards out in the 34th minute for the only goal of the first half, and Rogers put back a rebound 13 minutes from time for the final result.

"The positives outweighed the negatives," allowed Blast Head Coach Jimmy McDonald. "On the first goal, nobody challenged the guy in the box, and on the second, they had three shots and nobody cleared the two rebounds."

"But it was our first time playing together in a match situation, and we'll tweak some things before Wednesday night (when the Blast faces IUPUI in Indianapolis)."

The Blast had chances to score in the first half, but Steve Pugh hit the post and Mark Phillips the crossbar. Overall, the Blast outshot the Hoosiers 18-12 and had a 12-3 edge in corner kicks.

Battery Team News

April 10, 2000
The Battery start the 2000 A-League regular season this Saturday April 15 with a vital road game versus Atlantic Division rival Atlanta Silverbacks. The game takes on double importance for both teams as it counts as a US Open Cup qualifying match. Charleston, Atlanta and the Raleigh Capital Express make up the South Atlantic Open Cup sub group, playing a home and away series with each other (6 games) with the winner based on point standings advancing to the second round of the Open Cup tournament in June. In 1999 the Battery qualified for the first time in team history and shocked the soccer world with a 4-3 overtime third round victory over three-time MLS Champ DC United. The Battery eventually fell to the Colorado Rapids (MLS) in the semi finals. Kickoff for the game in Atlanta is scheduled for 7:30 pm on Saturday and will be broadcast live on the Charleston Battery Skatells Radio Network that can be heard on 910am WTMZ in Charleston. The Three Lions Pub at Blackbaud Stadium will be open to the public at 6:30pm on Saturday night for the broadcast of the Atlanta game.The Battery return to Charleston for the home opener on Saturday April 22 versus Atlanta at Blackbaud Stadium.

Thunder tie Chicago in exhibition opener

April 9, 2000
The defending A-League national champion Minnesota Thunder professional soccer team opened its exhibition schedule Sunday with a hard-fought 1-1 tie against the Chicago Sockers at Academy of the Holy Angels in Richfield.   continue....

VANCOUVER 86ERS 2 - UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND 0

April 9, 2000
Around 2000 fans came out on a beautiful sunny afternoon to see Alfredo Valente score two second half goals to pace the 86ers to a 2-0 preseason win over the University of Portland Pilots, a nationally ranked NCAA Division I side. Vancouver dominated play throughout, but had trouble generating scoring chances in a very physical match which saw Portland’s Isaac Vanderburg ejected in the 73rd minute for his second yellow card, and five 86ers leave the field with various minor injuries.  continue....

Sounders 13-0 Liga Latino All-Stars

April 9, 2000
The Seattle Sounders scored at will against the Liga Latino All-Stars. Typical of all-star teams, there was not a lot of defense played by Liga Latino. The match was ended 5 minutes early to end the rout. Trialist Josh Houle had a hat trick in each half, and Nick Kalafatich had a hat trick within 17 minutes after entering at halftime. A year earlier at the same stadium, the Sounders had beaten the Liga Latino All-Stars 4-0.  continue....

Gonzaga University Bulldogs 2 - 2 Seattle Sounders

April 8, 2000
The Gonzaga University Bulldogs gave the Seattle Sounders a good match, ending in a 2-2 draw. Gonzaga gave the Sounders the early lead with an own goal, then soon leveled the score when Alika Cosner scored from a misplay by a Seattle defender. Seattle took the early in the second half from Erik Storkson's goal, but Gonzaga answered 3 minutes later when Brian Ching scored on a free kick play. The match was played on a sunny spring day on grass at the Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Association complex, with the fans sitting on a grass bank that surrounded the field.  continue....

WOLVES IMPROVE TO 3-0 IN PRESEASON

April 8, 2000
Fernando Fernandes and Erik Barbieri each scored twice as the Connecticut Wolves cruised to a 7-1 pre-season win over Ramapo College on Saturday afternoon. Arnaldo Macedo, Marcio deLima and Kevin Wilson also scored for the Wolves, who improve to 3-0 in their pre-season schedule.

TWO SCRIMMAGES NEXT WEEKEND
Next weekend, Connecticut will play two scrimmages. The first one is Saturday, April 15, 2:00pm vs NCAA Div-II Champion Southern Conn. State. The match will be played at the Wolves' regular practice site, on the back fields of Willowbrook Park. Then on Sunday, April 16 at 2:00pm, the Wolves will face the University of Hartford, at Curtis Park in Simsbury. Both scrimmages are free for all spectators.

http://www.ct-wolves.com

Blackbaud Stadium Open House
Battery to Debut New Look

April 7, 2000
Charleston, SC. On Saturday April 8 fans will get an opportunity to get their first look at the off-season improvements made to Blackbaud Stadium at the Charleston Battery "open house". Fans in attendance will also get a first look at the 2000 Battery squad in a pre-season exhibition game versus USL Pro D3 powerhouse Charlotte Eagles. The Battery will debut their new look, a custom made uniform designed exclusively for the team by Italian sports design company, Lotto. The new look uniform features the clubs traditional Black and yellow stripes, complimented with the red trim of title sponsor Blackbaud. The Battery signed a three-year contract with Lotto, distributed in North America by Priva Sport from Montreal, Canada. The new strip represents the first time in club history that a major soccer apparel company has developed a unique look exclusively for the Battery. Official replica home jerseys will be available for purchase in the Battery Pro Shop at Blackbaud Stadium.  continue....

WOLVES BEAT MAJOR LEAGUE'S REVS

April 6, 2000
The CONNECTICUT WOLVES improved to 2-0 in the pre-season, after defeating MLS affiliate New England Revolution, 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon in Taunton, Mass. Jamaican National Team striker Kevin Wilson scored his second goal of the pre-season in an evenly played, 1-1 first half. In the second half, the Wolves showed the better run of play against the Revolution's substitutes, with Erik Barbieri notching the game winning goal.

Earlier in the week, Connecticut won their first scrimmage of the new season, defeating the D-3 League Rhode Island StingRays, 3-1 on Sunday at Stanley Quarter Park. Goals by Pedro-Paulo, Kevin Wilson and Richard Palmer gave the Wolves enough of a cushion before a Jon Sogbie PK spoiled the shutout for Goalkeeper David Winner.

This Saturday, April 8th at 1:00pm, the Wolves will be scrimmaging against Ramapo College, at Stanley Quarter Park. This scrimmage is free for all fans who wish to attend.

www.ct-wolves.com

WOLVES BEAT MAJOR LEAGUE'S REVS

April 6, 2000
The CONNECTICUT WOLVES improved to 2-0 in the pre-season, after defeating MLS affiliate New England Revolution, 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon in Taunton, Mass. Jamaican National Team striker Kevin Wilson scored his second goal of the pre-season in an evenly played, 1-1 first half. In the second half, the Wolves showed the better run of play against the Revolution's substitutes, with Erik Barbieri notching the game winning goal.

Earlier in the week, Connecticut won their first scrimmage of the new season, defeating the D-3 League Rhode Island StingRays, 3-1 on Sunday at Stanley Quarter Park. Goals by Pedro-Paulo, Kevin Wilson and Richard Palmer gave the Wolves enough of a cushion before a Jon Sogbie PK spoiled the shutout for Goalkeeper David Winner.

This Saturday, April 8th at 1:00pm, the Wolves will be scrimmaging against Ramapo College, at Stanley Quarter Park. This scrimmage is free for all fans who wish to attend.

www.ct-wolves.com

ROCHESTER RAGING RHINOS ANNOUNCE FRIENDLY, DON NEW UNIFORMS FOR 2000 SEASON

April 3, 2000
The Rochester Raging Rhinos held a press conference on Friday, March 31, 2000 at 5 PM at Frontier Field. The televised press conference was held to announce a friendly between the Rhinos and an Italian Serie 'A' club and to show off the team's new uniforms for the upcoming 2000 A-League season.

Chris Economides, General Manager of the Raging Rhinos, announced that, in addition to a friendly with Stade Rennais of the French First Division on Wednesday, July 19, 2000, the Rhinos will be hosting a friendly with Reggina Calcio of the Italian Serie 'A'. The game is scheduled for Sunday, June 4, 2000 at Frontier Field. Kickoff is at 6:05 PM.

Also on the agenda was the display of the Rhinos' new uniforms. This year, the 1999 US Open Cup Champions will don green jerseys and trunks that have a more "international" look. The yellow jersey and black trunks, introduced during Rochester's run to the US Open Cup Championship last season, will remain the team's second uniform. The newest of the uniforms, displayed by midfielder Yari Allnutt at the press conference, are black-and-white striped jerseys with black trunks. The colors resemble those of Italian Serie 'A' club Juventus and English Premiere League club Newcastle. The striped jerseys will be the team's primary "away" uniforms.

With these announcements, and some comments from Rhinos head coach Pat Ercoli, the Rhinos and their fans are gearing up for another run at the US Open Cup Championship and an A-League crown!

-- J-P Altieri
Rochester, New York
"Soccertown, USA"

Wolves new owners and new business plan

March 25, 2000
Connecticut Wolves are the only a-league team owned by a town- New Britain, Connecticut. Their budget is part of the town budget and therefore a public document, which is available to the tax payers. The projected budget for this year is $600,000. Low in comparison to Rochester's $2,000,000 but still ok because they own the stadium.

New Coach Dan Gaspar is recruiting in Miami at the Copa Latina and signing new players to bolster the team, but the real story is the season ticket package for all youth players in Conn Junior Soccer Association. The regular season ticket is $40, a great price, but all CJSA player members can buy a season ticket for $10. The goal is 10,000 season ticket pass holders. We will keep you posted on how many they sell.

Richard Groff,
a-league.com Correspondent

2 Brazillians & Jamaican National Player Signed

Connecticut Wolves News
March 22, 2000
The Wolves continued their busiest week of the pre-season by signing three international impact players.

Kevin Wilson is an explosive forward, and a member of the Jamaican National Team. The 23-year old from Kingston, Jamaica was the 3rd leading scorer for Staten Island in the 1999 season with 6 goals and 3 assists. Prior to the Vipers, the 5'9", 160-pound striker played for the Montreal Impact.

Brazillians Marcio deLima (28) and Arnaldo Macedo (30) are coming off strong 1999 seasons, with deLima leading Honduras' 1st Division League in goal scoring (12), and Macedo widely regarded as one of the league's Top Midfielders. The pair have also played in some for some of the top clubs in Brazil over the last 10 years, including Palmetto. DeLima's most productive season was in 1997, when he scored 16 goals for YKK in Japan's top league, the J-League.

To make room for these signings, the Wolves released forwards Sammy Faris and BoBo, midfielder Blas Cardozo and defender Brendan Reidy. Official pre-season begins this Saturday, March 25th, Until then, many of the players in the area are participating in informal training and fitness sessions throughout this week.

http://www.ct-wolves.com

Rhythm sweep defending PDL champions, Chicago Sockers

Monday, March 20, 2000
The Rhythm swept the defending PDL champions, Chicago Sockers in two games on March 18 and 19. The first match was played on a small, bumpy field at the Williamson County Soccer Complex.   continue....

FLASH NEED LATE GOAL TO TIE RIVERSIDE COUNTY

HEMET, CA (Saturday, March 18, 2000 - MR1)
Newcomer Mark Baena's 88th minute goal helped the A-League San Diego Flash tie its D-3 Pro League affiliate Riverside County Elite 1-1, in a preseason match at West Valley High School Stadium in Hemet, California.  continue....