segunda-feira, 5 de outubro de 2015

USL - UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES - USA



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Newton's Two Saves Lead OKC in Shootout
Three preceding games in the 2015 USL Playoffs had featured a winner by the end of their respective overtime sessions.
On Sunday night, this season’s first penalty shootout was in the books as OKC Energy FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC fought to a 2-2 tie through regulation and overtime. They then had the daunting task of deciding a Western Conference Semifinal winner through a shootout.
OKC goalkeeper Evan Newton rose up, with two saves among Colorado Springs’ five attempts. The final stop against Switchbacks forward Miguel Gonzalez set off an on-field rush by the fans at Taft Stadium as Energy FC earned a 4-3 shootout victory and moved on to face the LA Galaxy II in next Sunday’s Western Conference Final at Taft Stadium.
“He pulled out two great saves,” OKC head coach Jimmy Nielsen said. “He’s feeling amazing right now. He was calm in the goal. We talked a little bit about what to do in those situations, and I think he was absolutely brilliant.”
The shootout began with the teams’ top scorers converting with ease – Luke Vercollone for the Switchbacks and Danni König for OKC. The shootout then swung in OKC’s favor.
The Switchbacks’ Martin Maybin shot toward the left post and Newton read it perfectly, diving to his right and parrying the ball away to keep the shootout at 1-1 at the time.
Gareth Evans, Michael Thomas and Kalen Ryden each converted for OKC, with the Switchbacks’ Nate Robinson and Chandler Hoffman also finding the back of the net among to keep their side in touch, and Energy FC held a 4-3 advantage heading into the final round.
Gonzalez stepped up for OKC and fired toward the right of the frame. Newton dove correctly to his left side to make the save, and a frenzy ensued around the goal line as the second-year organization enjoyed its first postseason victory.
For Newton, it felt like a moment of redemption to make up for the Switchbacks’ game-tying goal by Aaron King in overtime.
“I just wanted to try and come up big for us,” Newton said. “I take a lot of blame for the second goal we let up tonight, just mishit the punt. We were overloading one side and mishit it to where we had nobody, and they countered us down the line and ended up scoring. I just wanted to get it back for our team, and I was fortunate to do that.”
“The only time during the whole game I got a little nervous was when they tied the game 2-2,” Nielsen said. “How would we come back? How would we respond? Were we mentally strong enough to pull it off? The guys did a tremendous job. In PKs, they kept their calmness and Evan had two amazing saves.”
Nielsen said the club spent the past week and a half prepping for this type of moment.
“We tried to create the best PK environment during practice that we could,” Nielsen said. “For the last 10 days we’ve been practicing penalties every day and the guys stepped up and did a fantastic job.”
OKC improved to 11-1-3 at home this season and will stay on the home front when it hosts the Galaxy II at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday in the Western Conference Final at Taft Stadium.
As Sunday’s game and the entire season has shown, Taft has been a beneficial backdrop throughout the course of its home matches as Energy FC continues its postseason stretch.
“It just shows how much it can help us out with all the fans here,” Evans said. “As loud as they were, the atmosphere, the last few corners toward the end of overtime and the PKs as well, it was unbelievable.”

Switchbacks' Inaugural Season Ends In Heartbreak

When the final reckoning came, no one in the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC locker room could believe the season was over.
“I’m a little speechless,” said Switchbacks FC Goalkeeper Devala Gorrick. “I thought we were going to win it, but that’s how football goes sometimes.”
Gorrick came up on the losing end of his duel with OKC Energy FC goalkeeper Evan Newton, who made a pair of saves to earn his side a 4-3 victory in a penalty shootout on Sunday night in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2015 USL Playoffs.
The two teams had played to a 2-2 draw through regulation and overtime, as the Switchbacks took an early lead and then found an equalizer after falling behind in overtime, but Colorado Springs’ season ended in cruel fashion at Taft Stadium.
“It’s hard to believe this first season is over,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Steve Trittschuh. “From where we have come when we started in February, it has been a pleasure coaching these players. We battled until the end tonight and I couldn’t have asked for more. These guys have great character and are great players.”
Captain Luke Vercollone, the first signing in club history, got the Switchbacks off to a flying start when he got on the end of a clever passing move to score from what appeared to be an impossible angle from the right side of the penalty area in the fifth minute. The side had other chances, too, but a late defensive letdown in the first half allowed OKC to level the score.
After going behind in overtime, though, the side fought back and got an outstanding finish from Aaron King to level the game with 15 minutes to go. A scoreless second period saw the game go to the shootout, and while Vercollone converted with the opening shot, after a miss in the second and fifth rounds, the Switchbacks were sent home.
“Our heads are held high,” said Vercollone. “I’m really proud of what these guys have done all season. This team showed a lot of heart. It was a tough result tonight, and anything can happen in PKs. I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
“Our team played with so much heart and passion and I’m proud to be a part of something so special,” added Gorrick. “We put Switchbacks on the map as a top-tier team.”
The Switchbacks were one of four clubs to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season and had much success throughout the season, particularly at Sand Creek Stadium. After a dramatic conclusion to 2015, the club certainly has much to look forward to in its second season.
“No one can deny the heart and dedication that this group showed this season,” said King. “It was an absolute honor writing history this season. Hats off to the front office staff, coaching staff, and fans for making it such an awesome year. This is only the beginning. Great things are to come.”

Energy FC Takes Shootout Win Against Switchbacks

OKLAHOMA CITY – OKC Energy FC goalkeeper Evan Newton made a pair of saves in a penalty shootout to send his side to a victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2015 USL Playoffs on Sunday night at Taft Stadium. Energy FC won the shootout 4-3 after the teams had played to a 2-2 draw through regulation and overtime.
With the victory, Energy FC will host the LA Galaxy II in the Western Conference Final next Sunday at 7 p.m. ET at Taft Stadium.
Both teams held the lead during regulation and overtime. Colorado Springs took an early lead through Luke Vercollone, but OKC leveled just before halftime as Chuy Sanchez found the net. Energy FC then took the lead midway through the first overtime period as Peabo Doue struck, but Aaron King replied for Colorado Springs to send the game to a shootout
The Switchbacks shot first, but Newton appeared on his game from the first shot when he almost got to Vercollone’s shot to the left corner. After Danni König converted Energy FC’s first shot, Newton denied Martin Maybin, and Gareth Evans scored to give OKC a 2-1 lead.
The two teams traded goals in the third and fourth rounds, but Energy FC clinched the victory when Newton dove to stop Miguel Gonzalez’s shot to the right corner to lead off the fifth round, sparking massive celebrations from the players and The Grid behind the goal.
The win was Energy FC’s first postseason victory, as the club continued its outstanding home form this season, having gone 10-1-3 at Taft Stadium in the regular season. OKC got the first big chance in overtime when Christian Duke’s angled cross from the left was put on goal by Kyle Greig, only for Switchbacks goalkeeper Devala Gorrick to block the header. König tried to follow up, but his effort was blocked and the Switchbacks’ defense was able to clear.
OKC took the lead two minutes later, however, when Energy FC was able to hold possession in the Colorado Springs end following a corner. A pass from Michael Byskov from the right found Greig inside the penalty area, and the forward pulled a pass back to the top the penalty area where Doue curled home a first-time finish into the top-right corner.
The Switchbacks came close to an equalizer four minutes later when a ball to the top of the penalty area was met by Davy Armstrong with a fierce shot, but it flashed just wide of the right post. Miguel Gonzalez had another effort from distance a minute later, but Newton made the save.
Newton could do nothing to deny King in the 105th minute, however, when the veteran forward turned his defender on the left side, broke into the penalty area and send an inch-perfect finish into the right corner of the net to make it 2-2.
The Switchbacks had a big chance to take the victory late in the second period as a clever combination in the penalty area sent Saeed Robinson in on the right side, but his finish went just wide of the left post. OKC also had a pair of late chances in stoppage time, but both were blocked behind by the Switchbacks’ defense as the game went to a penalty shootout.
Colorado Springs had scored a late equalizer from the penalty spot in its last visit to Taft Stadium, which saw the teams play to a 3-3 draw. In that contest, OKC had taken an early lead, but on Sunday it was the Switchbacks who struck first in the sixth minute when Mike Seth flicked on a throw-in from the right to Chandler Hoffman in the penalty area. The forward’s first-time pass found Vercollone on the right side of the penalty area, and the standout midfielder’s finish from a narrow angle found the inside of the left post, and caromed into the back of the net for a brilliant opening goal.
Energy FC gradually got into the game, and came close to an equalizer in the 15th minute. After a free kick from the left was only half-cleared, the ball came to Casey Townsend, who broke into space in the left side of the penalty area, only to have his shot parried away for a corner kick at the near post by Gorrick.
Both sides forced saves with shots from distance, as Colorado Springs’ Vercollone sent a shot toward the near post from the left side that Newton collected, and OKC’s Sebastian Dalgaard had an effort smothered by Gorrick.
As the half progressed, though, Energy FC began to gain the upper hand, and in stoppage time OKC got back on level terms as Sanchez found space in the center of the penalty area to head home an angled cross by Daniel Gonzalez into the left corner of the net.
The Switchbacks almost regained the lead early in the second half when a corner from the left was met by Mike Seth, but the forward put his finish over the crossbar. OKC’s Dalgaard also snapped a first-time shot well over the crossbar from 20 yards just before the hour-mark, but for the most part both sides kept their defensive shape well and didn’t offer much in the way of scoring chances.
The Switchbacks put together a brief spell of pressure with 15 minutes to go, as they forced three consecutive corner kicks, but Miguel Gonzalez’s shot from the last of them sliced well wide of the right post from the left side of the penalty area. Saeed Robinson also had a good effort for the Switchbacks that Newton got down well to save at the left post.
Energy FC’s König, who finished second in the USL with 21 goals in the regular season, was kept quiet for much of the game, but got his first good chance with six minutes as his snap-shot from 15 yards found its way through traffic, only to be saved by Gorrick, as the game went to overtime.
There, the game would open up more, as the sides exchanged goals, but in the end it was Newton who proved the hero as his pair of saves sent Energy FC into the Western Conference Final.


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