2014 Week Eleven Report

Lots to report from last week.  So much so that it’s taken a couple extra days for me to compile everything.  Here’s how it all went down for our guys:

COLUMBUS CREW  D 3-3  @ PORTLAND TIMBERS,  W 2-0  @ DAYTON DUTCH LIONS  •  It was the match that had the potential to bring together more Clevelanders than any other, and in the end, three guys played a part.  Out in Portland on Saturday night, the Crew fell behind early and then fought back with a couple goals from Federico Higuaín to take a 2-1 lead into the lockerroom at half.  The first of those goals broke a 334-minute scoreless drought for the Black & Gold.  After the break, the scoreline went to 2-2, then 3-2 for the visitors before the hosts got the final goal with ten minutes to go.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] started at right back for the Crew and played all 90.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not make the trip.  For the Timbers, Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] and  Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] both started as midfielders, with Nagbe playing all 90 and Zemanski getting subbed off in the 75th minute.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub for the Timbers.  In the friendly match with Dayton this past Tuesday, Speas started and played all 90, while Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] played the second half in goal for the Lions.  Up next for CLB:  v Chicago Fire, Saturday, 24 May, 730pm    Up next for PDX:  @ New York Red Bulls, Saturday, 24 May, 7pm

DC UNITED  D 1-1  v MONTREAL IMPACT  •  These two Eastern Conference rivals shared the points on Saturday night in a statistically very even match thanks to two second-half goals.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] started at right back and played all 90 for the home side.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was an unused sub for the Impact.  Up next for DC:  v Houston Dynamo, Wednesday, 21 May, 830pm;  @ New England Revolution, Saturday, 24 May, 730pm    Up next for Montreal:  @ Colorado Rapids, Saturday, 24 May, 9pm

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 4-2  v Edmonton FC, Amway Canadian Championship Semifinal, 2nd Leg  •  Last Wednesday, the Impact took full advantage of having the second leg of the series at home, winning in convincing fashion to advance on aggregate (5-4) to next week’s ACC Final.  Bush started in goal and played all 90.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  L 0-1  @ Houston Dynamo  •  The Galaxy just couldn’t find a way through the Dynamo to create the decisive chances they needed/wanted, and ended up dropping the points at BBVA Compass Stadium.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was an unused sub.  Up next:  v FC Dallas, Wednesday, 21 May, 1030pm; v Philadelphia Union, Sunday, 25 May, 8pm

TORONTO FC  W 2-1  @ Vancouver Whitecaps, Amway Canadian Championship Semifina, 2nd Leg;  W 2-0  v New York Red Bulls  •  After being down 2-1 to the Whitecaps after their home leg of the semifinal round of the ACC, Toronto FC turned the tables on Vancouver and beat them by the same scoreline last Wednesday, which tied the two teams on aggregate goals 3-3.  That led to 30 minutes of scoreless extra time before the visitors won the ensuing penalty kick shootout 5-4, with the difference being a save TFC goalkeeper Joe Bendik made on Vancouver’s Kekuta Manneh.  Justin Morrow [Cleveland/St. Ignatius] sat out the match to earn some deserved rest.  On Saturday, Morrow started and played 90 at left back, as TFC improved to 4-4 in league games on days that end in ‘-y.’  The Reds got their goals in the first half and then did the rest of the work on defense to earn the three points.  Up next:  @ Sporting Kansas City, Friday, 23 May, 830pm – NBC Sports Network

And now for the not-so-MLS guys news…

INDY ELEVEN  L 2-4  v OTTAWA FURY  •  In the first-ever matchup between two brand-new teams containing players from the Cleveland area in the latest incarnation of the North American Soccer League in the 2014 season, it was the visitors that came out in front, and Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s [Mentor/Mentor] Fury getting the road win – the Fury’s first – over Kyle Hyland’s [Bay Village/Bay] Eleven.  Both players started and played 90 minutes, but Ubiparipovic got subbed out just before the full time whistle.  BTW, I just noticed that after the Fury’s previous match – a 1-1 draw with Tampa Bay on 10 May, Ubiparipovic was voted Player of the Match.  Up next for Indy: @ New York Cosmos, Saturday, 24 May, 7pm; US Open Cup 3rd Round @ Dayton Dutch Lions, Tuesday, 27 May, 7pm  (The winner of this match will play the Columbus Crew in the 4th round!!)     Up next for Ottawa: v San Antonio Scorpions, Saturday, 24 May, 7pm

DAYTON DUTCH LIONS  W 2-0  @ Schwaben AC, Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2nd Round; L 3-5  @ Harrisburg Islanders  •  Last Wednesday, the Lions advanced to the 3rd round with this victory.  Stuver played all 90 in goal.  Incidentally, Clevelander Mark Blades [Lakewood/St. Ignatius] captained the USASA side and played all 90 in the center of the park.  Last Saturday in Harrisburg, Stuver was the backup goalie.  Next up:  v Sacramento Republic FC, Sunday, 25 May, 5pm;  US Open Cup 3rd Round v Indy Eleven, Tuesday, 27 May, 7pm

PHOTO CREDIT: Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers