June 5, 2012
PDL ROUNDUP
Week in review: Reading Remains Undefeated

READING, Pa. – Deshorn Brown scored both goals as Reading United remained undefeated and on top of the PDL’s Mid Atlantic Division with a 2-0 victory against the Baltimore Bohemians on Saturday night at Albright College’s Shirk Stadium.

Reading (4-0-1) applied pressure throughout the first half, and Brown went close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute only to be denied on a point-blank shot by Bohemians goalkeeper Phillip Saunders. Brown finally opened the scoring in the 54th minute when he seized upon an errant pass and was able to finish past Saunders to give his side the lead.

Brown, who will play for the University of Central Florida this fall, then bagged his second of the game and third of the season four minutes later as he was able to snap home a header from Greg Cochrane’s left-footed cross from 10 yards out.

The victory was Reading’s fourth consecutive since opening the season with a 1-1 draw against the New Jersey Rangers, and sets up a contest against the Ocean City Nor’easters this Friday that sees the top two teams in the Mid Atlantic square off.

SATURDAY
CHICAGO FIRE 3, TORONTO LYNX 2: The Chicago Fire PDL got a late goal by Javier Torres, while Tyler Engel had a goal and two assists, to take victory against the Toronto Lynx at Wheaton College. The win was the Fire’s second of the weekend, having defeated the Hamilton FC Rage 3-1 on Friday night.

The Fire took the lead off an own goal in the 11th minute, and then doubled their lead as Engel finished from Isaac Kanneh’s pass in the 34th minute to put his side up 2-0 at the break. Toronto hit back in the second half, scoring a pair of goals five minute apart from James Gilvani and Mackenzie Wilde pulling the Lynx even, but the Fire claimed all three points as Torres scored with 13 minutes to play.

OCALA STAMPEDE 4, ORLANDO CITY U23 2: The Ocala Stampede claimed first place in the Southeast Division as three second-half goals handed Orlando City U23 its first defeat of the season at Trinity Catholic Stadium. Karamba Janneh had a goal and an assist for the Stampede, who moved above Orlando and IMG Bradenton with the victory.

Ocala (4-2-1) opened the scoring in the 31st minute as Janneh fed Douglas Dos Santos, whose low shot found the back of the net, but Orlando (3-1-2) hit back minutes later as Adama Mbengue was brought down in the penalty area. David Graydon scored from the penalty spot, leaving the sides even at halftime.

Jenneh restored the Stampede’s lead in the 56th minute, only for Oumar Diakhite to even the score eight minutes later for the Lions, but Ocala took the lead for good in the 68th minute as Alex Harrison seized on a loose ball in the Orlando penalty area to put his side ahead 3-2. Second-half substitute Anthony Asante then put the game away for the Stampede in the final minute, breaking in behind the Lions’ defense to finish.

GPS PORTLAND PHOENIX 2, CFC AZUL 0: Goals in either half by Keegan Ziada and Sean Hoek gave the GPS Portland Phoenix victory against CFC Azul at Tunxis Mead Park, the first of two victories the Phoenix would take during the weekend to move into second place in the Northeast Division.

The Phoenix (3-0-1) opened the scoring in the ninth minute as Chris Banks’ found Ziada to score his first goal of the season. In wet conditions due to heavy rain that saw two of Saturday’s other Northeast Division games postponed, Phoenix goalkeeper Terrence Dieterich made eight saves to keep his side ahead before Hoek added an insurance goal after coming on in the second half, making it 2-0 in the 89th minute.

Portland went on to take a 2-0 victory against the Worcester Hydra on Sunday night, and now trail the Seacoast United Phantoms by a point in the division with the two teams set to meet Wednesday night at Deering’s Memorial Field.

THUNDER BAY CHILL 3, REAL COLORADO FOXES 0: The Thunder Bay Chill claimed a split of their two road games against the Real Colorado Foxes at Shea Stadium during the weekend as Juan Velez, Dominic Roberts and Sullivan Silva each found the back of the net.

The Foxes (3-2-3) had taken a 2-1 win on Saturday night as goals by Luigi Clendening and Joseph Madigan put them on top of the Heartland Division, but the Chill turned things around in their second meeting as Silva was brought down for a penalty early on. Velez scored from the spot, and 15 minutes later Roberts doubled the Chill’s lead as his deflected shot found the back of the net.

Thunder Bay (3-1-0) closed the game out with 20 minutes remaining as Silva scored his fourth goal of the season, moving the Chill into fourth place in the division.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC U23 1, PORTLAND TIMBERS U23 0: Jamael Cox scored the only goal in second-half stoppage time as the Sounders FC U23 handed the Portland Timbers U-23s their first defeat of the season on Saturday night at Tumwater Stadium.

The Timbers U-23s had taken a 2-1 victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 on Friday to claim their fifth consecutive win to start the season, but it appeared that the meeting with their other Cascadia rival would end scoreless until Cox latched onto a through-ball by Facundo Dipasquale and fired his shot past Timbers goalkeeper Spencer Richey.

FC TUCSON 1, FRESNO FUEGO 0: FC Tucson continued its strong run of recent form as Dom Papa’s goal gave his side victory against the Fresno Fuego, its fourth consecutive victory. With the win, Tucson moved into third place in the Southwest Division standings.

Fresno (3-3-3) took victory in the first meeting between the two teams, but has hit a recent run of poor form. Tucson has been moving in the opposite direction in its inaugural season, and Donny Toia twice had the chance to give his side the lead in the first five minutes. Papa gave Tucson the lead in the 34th minute, flicking home a finish after gathering Kenny King’s shot from outside the penalty area following a half-cleared corner kick.

The Fuego came into the game more as it went on, but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Brendan Roslund as Tucson earned its fourth consecutive shutout.

SUNDAY

FREDERICKSBURG HOTSPUR 2, NASHVILLE METROS 0: The Fredericksburg Hotspur moved to the top of the South Atlantic Division as goals by Don Smart and Mario Herrera led their side to victory against the Nashville Metros at the University of Mary Washington.

Smart opened the scoring, notching his sixth goal in five games, in the 11th minute as he was able to head home from Tishan Hanley’s cross. Fredericksburg (4-0-1) hit the post twice before halftime as it tried to extend its lead, Herrera and Nick Rich both finding the woodwork, but Herrera found the back of the net in the 65th minute as he fired a shot home from 20 yards into the right side of the net.

The victory jumped the Hotspur past the Metros (4-3-0), who had a tough trip to Virginia after previously falling to the Virginia Beach Piranhas.

OTTAWA FURY 2, VERMONT VOLTAGE 1: A late goal by Carlo Basso gave the Ottawa Fury their second win of the weekend, and a jump up to third place in the Northeast Division standings, as they rallied past the Vermont Voltage at the Algonquin College Soccer Complex.

Vermont took the lead in the 32nd minute thanks to Ognen Perucica, but the Fury were able to get back on even terms three minutes before the break as Marcello Castro found the back of the net for his first goal of the season. With game appearing set to finish as a draw, however, the Fury grabbed a late win as Basso headed home from Chris Banner’s cross, giving Basso three goals in the Fury’s past three games.

OCEAN CITY NOR'EASTERS2, JERSEY EXPRESS 1: The Ocean City Nor’easters got first-half goals by Jonathan Dolezal and Zoncher Dennis to move into second place in the Mid Atlantic Division standings with a victory against the Jersey Express.

Dolezal gave the Nor’easters (4-1-0) the lead in the 22nd minute, heading home a corner by Jason Plumhoff, and Ocean City doubled its lead just before the halftime break as Dennis scored his fifth goal of the season after a low cross from the left by Markhus Lacroix allowed him to finish from close range.

Jersey (1-1-2) rallied in the second half, and pulled a goal back on the hour-mark through Abdoulaye Coulibaly, but the Nor’easters were able to hold on and take victory against the only side to defeat them so far this season.