Islanders Top Stars 1-0, End Team’s Home Unbeaten Streak
Substitute forward Jarad Van Schaik tapped in a David Foley cross in the 75th minute to give the Puerto Rico Islanders a 1-0 win over the NSC Minnesota Stars Sunday night. With the win, the Islanders put an end to an unbeaten streak at NSC Stadium that dated back to August 2010.
In heat and humidity, the game had a slow pace with few chances in the first half. Midfielder Geison, making his first start of the season for the Stars, nearly put the Stars ahead accidentally in the second minute when Puerto Rico goalkeeper Ray Burse cleared a back pass off the Brazilian that nearly deflected into the goal but was cleared off the line. In the 29th minute, Tino Nunez pushed a shot just wide after Devin Del Do had played him through.
The Islanders came close, too. In the 27th minute, Bouraee ran onto a low cross at the near post and beat Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren with his shot, but it deflected off the post. Warren had his defense to thank shortly before halftime as Peter Villegas squared the ball for Noah Delgado near the penalty spot. Delgado’s first-time shot beat Warren, but Stars captain Kyle Altman covered well to head the ball clear.
Stars head coach Manny Lagos brought Jeff Cosgriff in for Ryan Woods to start the second half, and the home side started the second half with more intent than the first. Del Do had a great chance to put the Stars ahead on a corner in the 48th minute, but his header from a Neil Hlavaty corner went wide. The Stars continued to dictate the pace early in the half, but couldn’t make any more inroads toward a go-ahead goal.
Islanders head coach Colin Clarke made the game’s impact substitution in the 58th minute, replacing Bouraee with Van Schaik. Minutes after Nunez dragged another chance wide, Van Schaik tallied the game winner, charging through the middle of the penalty area to get on the end of Foley’s low cross at the top of the six-yard box. His low shot beat Warren and nestled just inside the far post in the 75th minute.
The Stars went for broke in the last 15 minutes, with Nunez and substitutes Amani Walker and Simone Bracalello leading the charge. Bracalello had two shots late, one bravely headed clear by Jay Needham and one over the bar from a free kick. Despite the home side’s pressure, it was Puerto Rico that came closest to scoring the game’s second goal on a counterattack. Foley was at the heart of it again, playing a cross back for Delgado, who controlled well and volleyed from 10 yards, but Warren dove well to make a kick save.
Nonetheless, time ran out on the Stars, dropping their season record to 5-4-7 and leaving them in fourth place in the North American Soccer League with 22 points. The Islanders improved their record to 7-4-5 and moved into second place in the league with 26 points. The Stars are back in action at NSC Stadium on Friday against the Major League Soccer bound Montreal Impact. Friday’s game rounds out a four-game homestand for the Stars.
