St. Louis Lions travel north for weekend matches in Des Moines and Rochester

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact:

Colin Pennington

(314)505-5285

colin.pennington@brightonusa.com

 

St. Louis Lions travel north for weekend matches in Des Moines and Rochester

 

St. Louis, Mo. (May 27, 2009)-  After playing the Des Moines Menace to a 2-2 draw this past Saturday and earning a spot in the 2009 U.S. Open Cup, the St. Louis Lions will travel to Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, May 30 for a 6:30 p.m. match at Valley Stadium against the Menace and then to Rochester, Minn. for a 6:00 p.m. match Sunday against the Rochester Thunder.

 

Saturday's match against Des Moines will be the second of three meetings between the Lions and Menace this season with the first having ended in a 2-2 draw on Saturday, May 23 in St. Louis.  St. Louis leads the all-time series against Des Moines 3-1-4 and the Menace have not beat the Lions since their first ever meeting on May 13, 2006, but the last three matches dating back to last season have all ended in a draw.

 

"So many of our matches against Des Moines have been so close that we've really built up a great rivalry," said Lions Head Coach Tony Glavin.  "Casey (Mann) always has his guys ready to play and we have no reason to believe that won't be the case again this weekend."

 

Both clubs have a record of 3-0-1 on the season and are tied for second in the Heartland Division behind Real Colorado, who has played two more games than St. Louis and Des Moines so far.  The Lions are lead by forwards Steven Beattie and Stephen Brocks who have nine points each through four matches this season and are tied for fourth in the league lead in that category.  Meanwhile, Des Moines will look to get another solid performance from goalkeeper Sean Molony who is 3-0-1 on the season with a 1.00 GAA.

 

"If there's been one constant on both sides in all our meetings with Des Moines it has been goaltending," said Glavin.  "We've done a great job so far this season creating chances offensively and we need to continue to get better at capitalizing on those chances.  Additionally, we need Brenton (Saylor) to continue his solid play in net."

 

After leaving Des Moines, St. Louis will make its first ever trip to Rochester, Minn. for a 6:00 p.m. match against the Rochester Thunder on Sunday, May 31 at Rochester Community Technical College.  The match will be the final of two meetings between the two clubs this season with St. Louis winning the first meeting 2-1 on May 10 in St. Louis. 

 

Rochester is 2-2-0 thus far in its inaugural season and is coming off a 2-0 shutout victory at home against the Kansas City Brass last Saturday.  Rochester is 2-0-0 on its home field so far this season, while St. Louis is 2-0-0 on the road.

 

Following the current road trip, St. Louis will return home to play six of its next seven matches at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex.

 

For more information about the Lions and upcoming matches, visit www.stllions.com.

 

The St. Louis Lions are playing their fourth season as a member of the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) where players have the ability to compete throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment within their city.  The PDL consistently sends players into the professional ranks with several playing in the USL First and Second Professional Divisions as well as 39 players with PDL experience chosen in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.  In just three prior seasons the Lions have competed in the U.S. Open Cup(2008), PDL playoffs(2007), won the Rookie Franchise of the Year Award(2006) and currently have five former players playing professional soccer.

U.S. Women Score Twice in Each Half to Defeat Canada 4-0 at BMO Field in Toronto

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

U.S. WOMEN SCORE TWICE IN EACH HALF TO DEFEAT CANADA 4-0
AT BMO FIELD IN TORONTO

• Boxx Opens Scoring 93 Seconds Into Match
• Rapinoe, Tapley and Cheney Add Goals
• Nairn Earns First WNT Cap

TORONTO, Canada (May 25, 2009) – The U.S. Women's National Team scored twice in each half, getting goals from four different players to defeat Canada 4-0 in front of 10,255 fans at BMO Field. It was the USA's first match in Canada since 2001.

Midfielder Shannon Boxx opened the scoring just 93 seconds into the match and midfielder Megan Rapinoe added a second just before the halftime. The USA put two more in the net during a four-minute span late in the game. Both second-half goals came from substitutes, as Lindsay Tarpley scored her 30th career goal in the 77th minute and 21-year-old Lauren Cheney knocked in a fantastic header in the 80th minute.

The USA dominated possession in a match played on the artificial surface at BMO Field and put together some excellent attacking soccer while out-shooting its northern neighbor by a 19-6 margin.

"I am happy about the performance and I am happy that we scored a goal on a corner kick," said U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage. "That's something we are starting to work on and I believe that come 2011, when the games are so tight, that set plays will be very, very important. So, four nice goals and a pretty good game on turf."

Boxx's strike, which was the USA's first shot of the game, was her second goal of the year after scoring just once in 2008 and it came against her club teammate on the Los Angeles Sol in Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. It was also Boxx's 20th international goal as she became the 16th female player in U.S. history to score 20 or more goals in her career.

The goal was created on the USA's first piece of possession as right back Heather Mitts played a penetrating pass forward to Boxx from the right side of the field. Boxx dribbled hard toward the edge of the penalty area, and when no Canadian defender stepped up to challenge, unleashed a 20-yard shot from 10 yards right of the penalty arc that skidded into the lower left side netting.

Canada's only good chance of the first half came in the 43rd minute on a long free kick from Kara Lang, but the shot flew wide right of Hope Solo's goal.

The USA got a huge score just seconds before the halftime whistle after Heather O'Reilly fed Rapinoe above the penalty area on the left side. Rapinoe collected and dribbled toward her defender before cutting hard inside, losing Canadian back Brittany Timko. The nifty dribble created a sliver of space for her bending 16-yard shot that actually curved around Abby Wambach and her defender, who were screening LeBlanc, and then spun perfectly into the lower right corner. It was Rapinoe's fourth international goal in just nine career caps.

The USA struggled to find its rhythm early in the second half as Canada picked up the pressure, but settled down and regained control before putting the match away in the 77th minute after Wambach earned a corner kick on the right side. It was Wambach who jumped over two defenders to get a head on the ball, sending it powerfully toward goal. The ball hit Canadian captain Christine Sinclair near the goal line, but Tarpley pounced on the loose ball to force it over the line and into the open net.

Wambach, who came into the match with 99 goals, will now have the chance to bag her historic 100th goal in her hometown of Rochester, N.Y., where the USA will play Canada in its next match on July 19. Canadian forward Christine Sinclair, who also came into the game with 99 goals, failed to hit the century mark as the U.S. defense did a fine job of keeping the star striker out of dangerous positions.

The final goal came after O'Reilly ran down a long pass on the right flank and struck a hard cross from the wing that deflected off a Canadian defender's foot, but it had enough steam on it to sail towards the near post. Cheney was making a hard near post run and deftly re-directed the ball with a superbly angled header into the upper right corner from about five yards outside the post. It was Cheney's fourth international goal in 17 career caps.

Amy LePeilbet got the start in the center defense with team captain Christie Rampone and played an excellent first half in her first cap since Sept. 13, 2006. She was replaced at halftime by Rachel Buehler, who also played an extremely solid 45 minutes, highlighted by a thunderous tackle on Canadian Melissa Tancredi in the waning minutes.

Canada's best chance of the second half came in the 54th minute as the USA lost a ball in the back, but the Maple Leafs couldn't capitalize as Jodi-Ann Robinson launched her shot over the goal from 25 yards out.

Besides the header off the corner kick that led to Tarpley's goal, Wambach didn't get too many clear chances for her 100th goal, but she did take a good swipe at a loose ball in the 62nd minute that fell close to her after a long free kick.

The USA hit a flurry of shots in the second half, highlighted by an O'Reilly blast from the top of the penalty area on the right side, but couldn't bust through until Tarpley's 77th minute score effectively put the game away.

U.S. goalkeepers Solo and Nicole Barnhart split the match, with Solo hitting some booming punts in the first half that caused some danger for the Canadian backline. Barnhart had a bit more to do in the second half in tidying up her penalty area, but was not forced to make a save.

Eighteen-year-old midfielder Christine Nairn became the first member of the USA's 2008 U-20 Women's World Cup championship team to earn a senior team cap, coming on for Angela Hucles in the 83rd minute. Nairn was the eighth player to be given her first cap by U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage.

The U.S. players now head back to join their WPS clubs and will not coming together against until mid-July for two more matches against Canada, on Sunday, July 19, at Rochester Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., and then again three days later on Wednesday, July 22, at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. These will be the USA's first domestic matches of the year after playing the first five on the road and compiling a record of 4-0-1.

The game in Rochester kicks off at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The match in Charleston kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español. Both matches will be available online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

Match: U.S. Women's National Team vs. Canada
Date: May 25, 2009
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: BMO Field; Toronto, Canada
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Attendance: 10,255
Weather: 61 degrees, breezy, party cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA                            2 2 4
CAN                            0 0 0

USA – Shannon Boxx (Heather Mitts)              2nd minute
USA – Megan Rapinoe (Heather O'Reilly)     46
USA – Lindsay Tarpley                                       77
USA – Lauren Cheney (Heather O'Reilly)      80

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 2-Heather Mitts (19-Marian Dalmy, 61), 3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 6-Amy LePeilbet (4-Rachel Buehler, 46), 17-Lori Chalupny, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 16-Angela Hucles (13-Christine Nairn, 83), 7-Shannon Boxx, 15-Megan Rapinoe (5-Lindsay Tarpley, 61), 8-Amy Rodriguez (12-Lauren Cheney, 77), 20-Abby Wambach
Subs not used: 11-Casey Nogueira, 14-Brittany Bock, 24-Kelsey Davis
Injured: 10-Carli Lloyd
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

CAN: 1-Karina LeBlanc; 3-Melanie Booth (14-Melissa Tancredi, 46), 9-Candace Chapman (23-Carmelina Moscato 84), 10-Martina Franko, 17-Brittany Timko (20-Marie-Eve Nault, 64); 15-Kara Lang, 19-Kelly Parker, 8-Diana Matheson, 7-Rhian Wilkinson, 21-Jodi-Ann Robinson (4-Alyssa Lagonia, 83), 12-Christine Sinclair – Capt.
Subs not used: 2-Emily Zurrer, 5-Chelsea Stewart, 6-Kaylyn Kyle, 11-Christina Julien, 16-Jonelle Filigno, 22-Stephanie Labbé
Head Coach: Carolina Morace

Statistical Summary: USA / CAN
Shots: 19 / 6
Shots on Goal: 7 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 3
Fouls: 6 / 10
Offside: 1 / 5

Misconduct Summary:
CAN – Candace Chapman (caution)       57th minute

Official:
Referee: Darci Kruse (CAN)
Asst. Referee: Suzanne Morisset (CAN)
Asst. Referee: Shauna Poirer (CAN)
Fourth Official: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)

ussoccer.com Woman of the Match:
Shannon Boxx

- ussoccer.com -

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St. Louis Lions qualify for 2009 US Open Cup with 2-2 draw against Menace

NEWS RELEASE Media Contact: Colin Pennington Colin.pennington@brightonusa.com (314)505-5285 St. Louis Lions qualify for 2009 US Open Cup with 2-2 draw against Menace St. Louis, Mo. (May 25, 2009) – The St. Louis Lions continued their unbeaten ways in 2009 with a 2-2 draw against the Des Moines Menace on Saturday night. The draw also secured a spot for the Lions in the 2009 US Open Cup. This is the second consecutive year that the Lions have qualified for the Open Cup. St Louis was first to get on the board in the 17th minute with a goal by forward Stephen Brocks. The Lions were slowly working the ball out of the backfield deep in their own end when midfielder Stuart Wark spotted a an opening in the Des Moines defense and rifled a ball to a streaking Brocks who settled the ball, pushed it to the right side of the diving Menace keeper then placing the ball into the back of the net. The goal was the fourth of the season for Brocks. Des Moines tied the game in the 68th minute on a one-timer from Darryl Odom who drilled one in off the post. The Menace then took the lead in the 69th minute on an unassisted head ball goal from Jack Pearson. As with any St Louis and Des Moines rivalry game, the two teams don't quit and St Louis charged back and tied the game on a corner. David Mueller served up a cross that found Olly Dyson on the far side of the box who drove the ball into the back of the net to tie the game and send the Lions into the US open Cup. "Our first goal of the season was to qualify for the cup. We have done that and now we must wait to see who we will face in the first round on June 9th," said Lions Head Coach Tony Glavin. "Our next goal is to stay at the top of the tables and we have to go to Des Moines next Saturday and play this same team. It is never an easy game against them." The Lions will find out later this week who their first round opponent will be in the US Open Cup. The first round match is to be played on June 9th with the site and opponent to be determined. Next up for the Lions is a trip to Des Moines to play the Menace on the return leg Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Valley Stadium in Des Moines. The Lions will continue the road trip with a game the following day when they take on the Rochester Thunder. For more information please visit www.stllions.com. Photo: Lions defender David Mueller battles with Menace player Brian Beckford late in Saturday's match. The St. Louis Lions are in their fourth season as a member of the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) where players have the ability to compete throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment within their city. The PDL consistently sends players into the professional ranks with several playing in the USL First and Second Professional Divisions as well as 39 players with PDL experience chosen in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. In just three prior seasons the Lions have competed in the U.S. Open Cup(2008), PDL playoffs(2007), won the Rookie Franchise of the Year Award(2006) and currently have five former players playing professional soccer.

St. Louis Lions earn weekend victories on the road in Springfield and Kansas City: Lions improve to 3-0-0 and move within one victory of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup

 

 

St. Louis Lions earn weekend victories on the road in Springfield and Kansas City

Lions improve to 3-0-0 and move within one victory of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup

 

St. Louis, Mo. (May 19, 2009) – The St. Louis Lions cruised to 5-0 and 4-2 victories on the road against the Springfield Demize and Kansas City Brass this weekend to improve to 3-0-0 on the season and move within one victory of qualifying for the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

 

St. Louis got its two-game road trip off to a fast start Friday night in Springfield, netting two goals in the first eight minutes of the match in route to a 5-0 victory over the Springfield Demize.  Forward Steven Beattie led the Lions on offense with two goals and an assist while teammate Stephen Brocks added a goal and an assist.  Additionally, midfielder Martin Clayes and defender Alan Bradaric both scored on penalty kicks for the Lions, who have now defeated Springfield six times in seven all-time meetings.

 

"We played a quality game and had a huge effort from Beattie and Brocks," said Lions Head Coach Tony Glavin. "The two of them created a lot of havoc in the Springfield defense early which allowed for plays to open up and chances to develop."

 

After Friday's victory, St. Louis traveled to Kansas City on Sunday afternoon for a match against the Kansas City Brass.  In a total reversal of Friday night, St. Louis trailed Kansas City at halftime by a score of 1-0 despite out shooting the Brass 11-6 in the half.  However, the shots eventually turned to goals as the Lions netted four goals in the second half and won the match 4-2.

 

Forward Steven Beattie started the scoring for St. Louis in the 55^th minute with his third goal of the season.  Just one minute later the Lions struck again, this time forward Stephen Brocks netted his third of the season off a pass from Martin Clayes to give the Lions a 2-1 lead.

 

Kansas City tied the match right away in the 57^th minute on a misplay by St. Louis goalkeeper Brenton Saylor.  A Brass player was able to get a piece of the clearing attempt by Saylor and collided with him, resulting in the ball finding the back of the net.

 

Unfazed by the mistake, St. Louis proceeded to control play in the second half and generated numerous chances while wearing down the Brass defense. The effort paid off in the 80th minute when Stephen Beattie sent a cross to the back post to find the head of midfielder Stuart Wark who placed the ball in the near post netting for his second goal of the season making the score 3-2 in favor of St. Louis.

The Lions replaced forwards Steven Beattie and Stephen Brocks in the 86th minute with Mike Utley and Brian Harris in an attempt to keep up the sustained pressure in the final minutes. The two continued the relentless offensive attack and Harris one-timed a great ball to Utley who took the touch and blasted a shot past the diving Kansas City goalkeeper in the 88^th minute to give the Lions a 4-2 lead and the victory.

 

St. Louis is now 3-0-0 on the season and in U.S. Open cup qualifying.  The Lions next match will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex in Cottleville, Mo. against the Des Moines Menace.  The Lions and Menace are tied atop the standings for the division's one U.S. Open Cup berth with St. Louis leading in goal differential.  A win or draw for St. Louis would put the Lions into the Cup for the second consecutive year.

 

For more information please visit www.stllions.com.

 

The St. Louis Lions are in their fourth season as a member of the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) where players have the ability to compete throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment within their city.  The PDL consistently sends players into the professional ranks with several playing in the USL First and Second Professional Divisions as well as 39 players with PDL experience chosen in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.  In just three prior seasons the Lions have competed in the U.S. Open Cup(2008), PDL playoffs(2007), won the Rookie Franchise of the Year Award(2006) and currently have five former players playing professional soccer. 

 

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact:

Colin Pennington

Colin.pennington@brightonusa.com

(314)505-5285

Newcomers help St. Louis Lions Defeat Rochester Thunder in Home Opener

Newcomers help St. Louis Lions Defeat Rochester Thunder in Home Opener

St. Louis, Mo. (May 11, 2009)- Newcomers scored both goals for St. Louis as the Lions defeated the Rochester Thunder 2-1 on Sunday night in their home opener at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex in Cottleville, Mo.

St. Louis came out and pressured Rochester early, earning four corner kicks in the first six minutes of the match. The sustained pressure paid off when the Lions got on the board first with a header from newcomer and midfielder Stuart Wark that came off a cross from Olly Dyson.

Following the goal, the pressure from St. Louis continued and the Lions scored again in the 36^th minute on their 10^th shot of the half when forward Steven Beattie set-up newcomer Stephen Brocks to make it 2-0 in favor of St. Louis.

"We're counting on a lot of new players (Wark, Beattie & Brocks) to play key roles on the team this year and I'm very pleased with they way they stepped up today," said Lions Head Coach Tony Glavin.

Rochester added a goal off a corner kick in the 47^th minute when, but it was their only score of the match and St. Louis went on to win the match 2-1.

With the victory, the Lions improve to 1-0-0 on the season and in U.S. Open Cup qualifying. Meanwhile, the Thunder, who are in their first season in the Premier Development League, fall to 0-2-0. The Lions' next match will be Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. against the Springfield Demize.

For more information about the Lions and upcoming matches, visit www.stllions.com.

The St. Louis Lions are set to begin their fourth season as a member of the United Soccer League's (USL) Premier Development League (PDL) where players have the ability to compete throughout the summer months in a professionalized setting while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is the proving ground for players that aspire to reach the highest-levels of the game, while providing affordable family entertainment within their city. The PDL consistently sends players into the professional ranks with several playing in the USL First and Second Professional Divisions as well as 39 players with PDL experience chosen in the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. In just three prior seasons the Lions have competed in the U.S. Open Cup(2008), PDL playoffs(2007), won the Rookie Franchise of the Year Award(2006) and currently have five former players playing professional soccer.

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NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact:

Colin Pennington

(314)505-5285

colin.pennington@brightonusa.com