Cleveland, OH (July 9, 2009) - The Michigan Bucks played perhaps their best 45 minutes of soccer all season long with their backs against the wall on Wednesday night, as they spotted the Cleveland Internationals an early 2-0 lead before battling back with three unanswered second half goals to come away victorious with a 3-2 win.
The Bucks won the first match last month in dramatic fashion coming from behind and scoring the game winner in stoppage time at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.In Cleveland it looked like déjà-vu all over again when the Bucks conceded an early goal in the fourth minute and another just three minutes later.
International’s striker Darlington Nagbe scored two counter attacking goals against the run of play for Cleveland to put the Bucks in a hole that looked to their playoff lives in 2009.
Bucks forwards Kenny Uzoigwe and Dave Hertel battled up top the entire first half but were not able to get anything by Cleveland goalkeeper Richard Ott before halftime. The Bucks did however go into the break with the momentum.
“We told the boys at halftime to ignore the score and the referee and focus on playing attacking soccer,” said Bucks head coach Dan Fitzgerald. “We knew if we could get the first one in, things would change; but we had to maintain our defensive shape.”
In a fairly physical first half, Cleveland was whistled for 10 fouls while the Bucks were only called for four, but the Bucks somehow amassed three first half yellow cards.
Bucks assistant coach Gary Parsons had seen enough early in the second half and was red carded in the 55th minute for “behaving in an irresponsible manner.”
“I am not sure where they get these guys,” said a frustrated Parsons. “Last week we get a phantom penalty called against us in Chicago and tonight we are being whacked but our guys get the cards. I deserved my sending off and I know the Bucks policy about making public comments about officiating, but it seems like this season the level of officiating we have come to expect is not meeting the normal PDL standards. The game tonight had eight minutes of second half injury time and nobody got injured during the game.”
On the field, the Bucks continued to chip away at the talented Internationals squad and got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute when Kenny Uzoigwe scored his second goal of the season off a corner kick from Mauro Fuzetti.
The Bucks tied the score in the 63rd minute when newly signed defender Ian Daniel took a pass from Tony Walls and knocked a left footed shot past Ott from twelve yards out. Cleveland did its best to try and escape with a 2-2 tie until the 80th minute when Fuzetti would put the finishing touches on the match with a neat goal set up by Sebby Harris.
The win keeps the Bucks in the playoff hunt with a record of 7-4-2 (23 points) but still trail Chicago, London and Kalamazoo for the third and final playoff spot in the Great Lakes Division of the Premier Development League (PDL). That sets up a huge rematch on Saturday night at Ultimate Soccer Arenas when the Chicago Fire Premier comes to town.
“With only three games left in the season, there isn’t much more room for error. Everyone knows what must be done here and that starts with a win in our final home match against the Fire,” said head coach Dan Fitzgerald.
After this Saturday’s home match, the Bucks finish the 2009 regular season with two road games north of the border, Friday in London and Sunday in Toronto. With all four teams in action and playing each other over the next week, determining the final three playoff teams could come down to the final day of the regular season.
Tickets for Saturday night’s game against Chicago (7:30 kickoff) are $10 Adults and $6 Youth (under 16). Children 5 and under are always free to Bucks home games. Tickets c an be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas box office. For more information, please visit the Bucks web site at www.buckssoccer.com.
