By TRAVIS CLARK
Soccer was supposed to make a triumphant return to St. Louis t his year. Steve Ralston had been brought in, and exciting crowds early in the season gave more reason for excitement.
Instead, it's been a rather calamitous two months for A.C. St. Louis, who slumped to another defeat at home, this time a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of fellow expansion team FC Tampa Bay Rowdies. The result sees the club drop to a 1-6-1 record and the lowest point total in the league.
St. Louis found themselves down a goal and a man at halftime, conceding a goal in the 37th minute, and having defender Tim Velten sent off for a foul outside the penalty area. From there, A.C. St. Louis couldn't keep up with the Rowdies, who added two more in the second half from Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe and Long Tan. Steve Ralston's debut in the 57th minute was the only good news of the evening for the home side.
Here's a look at the rest of the USSF D-2 action from this weekend:
BALTIMORE BEATS TIMBERS AGAIN
A few weeks ago, USSF D-2 play was a cakewalk for the Portland Timbers. One of the league's most talented sides, a hot start to 2010 led to an abundance of enthusiasm for the soon-to-be MLS team. However, after a second loss to Crystal Palace Baltimore in ten days, this time a 2-1 defeat in Maryland, Portland has been taken down a notch. Baltimore, winners for the third time in four matches, earned a win in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, and continue to dig themselves out of a poor start to the season.
MIAMI SQUEAKS PAST NSC MINNESOTA
It only took six tries, but Miami FC finally managed three points in a USSF D-2 league match. A Paulo Araujo, Jr. goal in the 71st minute was all the Blues needed in a 1-0 win over Minnesota Saturday evening. Christian Gomez engineered the game's lone goal, and Caleb Patterson-Sewell was on form once again as Miami finally broke through for a victory.
VANCOUVER SNAPS SCORELESS STREAK, STYMIES ROCHESTER 2-0
For the Vancouver Whitecaps, the defense hadn't been the problem. Through six games, they'd only conceded two goals. However, the lack of goal-scoring — just four games in that same stretch — meant wins were hard to come by. Saturday night, the Whitecaps were able to take a step to correct that, scoring twice and posting a clean sheet en route to a 2-0 win over the Rochester Rhinos. Goals from Cornelius Stewart and Greg Janicki made up the difference as Vancouver vaulted to top spot in the NASL Conference, two points behind idle leaders Austin Aztex.
Look I love to see the passion from all of the fans that support their local teams in lower division soccer. There is some quality soccer being played by many of the D2 sides and as fans you should enjoy that. But have a little perspective.
The fact is that MLS is a huge step up from the USL teams. I agree that some times the quality of soccer is not tremendous in MLS but there are a lot of good players in MLS that contribute on the international stage. When USL teams do make the jump to MLS they have completely overhauled their rosters, like Seattle, and still struggled a little bit to compete.
When MLS teams do meet USL sides in competitions such as Open Cup or Champions league, the MLS sides are almost always playing their second string guys and still win most of the time.
So again all the props in the world for supporting your teams but that doesn’t mean that you have to put down the MLS. For the most part, I think their is very high quality soccer played in MLS and some very exciting players to watch. Teams like RSL, LAG, Columbus, and Seattle play very creative and entertaining soccer. I agree that from a fans perspective their are some MLS teams that play ugly soccer but don’t confuse that with lack of talent or poor quality.
Open Cup results say otherwise.
I saw the Rowdies play pre-season v. FC Dallas and the Philadelphia Union (tied Dallas 2:2. won v. Union 1:0). The teams were very evenly matched and you couldn’t tell which team is in the higher division. Granted, it was pre-season, but those games were the Rowdies’ 2nd and 3rd ever games as an expansion team…(I am aware that the Union are also a new side)
That being said, I want to point ou that unlike major v. minor league baseball(or, Premier League v. Championship in England), there is not much (if any) difference between the 2nd tier of professional soccer in the US and MLS. The quality of play in MLS is still fairly mediocre and I am pretty sure that promotion/relegation is ever instituted, the newly promoted teams will do just fine in MLS…
ACSTL vs. Tampa a thrashing? Despite the scoreline, AC actually played a decent game, even being a man down for the entire second half. Not to take anything away from TB because they do have a good team, and we knew that going into this game. Being an optimist and a lifelong fan of soccer, I gotta say being last with 4 points isn’t that big of a deal when only 8 points seperate you from the top with 22 games left in the season. 6 Points to 3rd Spot even.
Speaking of Baltimore: The progression continues. I would rank Saturday night’s win as the second biggest in the history of the franchise (second only to the ’08 upset of the Red Bulls in the USOC).
The boys got their heads recovered over the penalty (that I don’t think should have been a penalty). They came back and got two goals to take the three points over an established club that they had recently played.
Even with all of the off the field issues, Cherneski has the boys going in the right direction.
That’s ok. The Timbers only have to play Baltimore two more times this season.
TB is a good team and it is an exciting (still unfolding) story but Bro, I gotta call you on the “could easily be a mid-table MLS team this season”. C’mon, man. back away from the Kool-Aid. They are playing well for a second division expansion side. No doubt about it but let’s not get “crazy’.
Let the bleeding stop Timbers! (I guess everyone found out we don’t have creative central midfielders)
On the bright side for St. Louis, they still have one point more than DC United…
Cornelius Stewart is going to be a significant player eventually. Remember the name.
Agreed; Fear the Rowdies; they are a very balanced team, they never quit and have established quite a nice style of play in the short time they have played together. Looking at the MLS teams this season, the Rowdies could easily be a mid-table MLS team this season.
I am hoping for at least 4-5,000 for both the Thursday and Saturday’s home games. I am bringing 3 people who couldn’t come to the home opener.
Go Rowdies!
Meant ‘With that opening crowd’.
With an opening crowd, I’d be disappointed if y’all did less than 5k this weekend, and 4k Thursday. But that’s more a wild guess based on what I’ve seen from other first year teams over the past couple years.
This Railhawks fan would love to see the resurgence of the Rowdies. I lived in St. Pete during the late 70s and cheered them on then.
Fear the Green & Gold of Tampa Bay.
Ralston needs to let go of his little dream of playing back at home and play for his second home(or 3rd home) in Tampa, where he was a star as a rookie for the Mutiny.
All we need is Ralston back and then when Heydude’s ready to step down a notch, he’s welcome back here too.
Two game homestand coming up for hte Rowdies. Thirsty Thursday and then this weekend. If we can average 3k for those games, i’ll be impressed. Following up on the 8k home-opener will be tough.