USL Pro: Week 3 Observations

The USL Pro concluded their 4th week of play on Saturday. Bullet time:

• Richmond Defeats Battery: In a match with two candidates for the best team in the USL Pro, we had Charleston fall to Richmond 2-1. Charleston gained an early lead on a Levi Coleman header, but eventually the Kickers got the victory after goals from two subs, David Bulow and Shaka Bangura. Here's a video of Richmond's two goals.
• From Roberto Clemente Stadium to... Roberto Clemente Stadium?: This week we had the odd situation of the LA Blues playing two teams from Puerto Rico, in one stadium. Both Puerto Rico United and River Plate Puerto Rico are playing their home games in Roberto Clemente Stadium (a baseball stadium). The stadium is in Carolina, Puerto Rico and holds 12,500. The real home of these teams are a good ways away from Roberto Clemente Stadium, which causes the attendances to be, well awful. Puerto Rico United's home is in Aguada, around a 2 hour drive from Roberto Clemente, while River Plate's home is in Fajardo a 45 minute drive from their home stadium. Hopefully this problem with the Puerto Rican teams will be fixed in the next couple of months.
• FC New York and Charlotte both get their first points: Two teams that look to be bottom dwellers in this year's USL Pro both got their first point of the season, when they drew 0-0 at Charlotte Christian Stadium. Both teams desperately needed at least a point in this match, and in that sense they both succeeded, but obviously scoring is going to have to come if they want to find success. Neither team has scored a goal yet.
• Barracuda FC gets first win of the season: Stefan Smith, an Antigua native, helped the Barracudas to their first win of the season, by scoring two goals in a 3-2 victory over Sevilla FC Puerto Rico. A great story for the only Antiguan team in the USL Pro. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was "jubilant" for the teams first ever win in league play.
• Rhinos Back on Track: Rochester won their first game of the season Saturday, 3-2 against the Dayton Dutch Lions. Goals from Alfonso Motagalvan, JC Banks, and Anthony Hamilton gave the Rhinos the win on another rainy night at Miami Valley South Stadium. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend, as the turf makes playing at Dayton on a rainy night quite a challenge.

Biggest Surprise: Puerto Rico United earns a draw at Orlando City.
This was the biggest surprise result, as Puerto Rico United still looks to be a bit of a mess, and hasn't won a match all year. You can increase the amount of surprise when you consider that United played the last 10 minutes or so with only 10 men. This one ended 2-2 with goals for City coming both from Max Griffin, and the two for United coming from Eduardo Silva and Christian Turizo. On a side note, Orlando continues to draw crowds of 7,000+. Good work.
Biggest Disappointment: Charlotte and FC New York Draw at 0-0
I expected Charlotte and FC New York both to at least put up a bit of a fight, but it looked like this was for the most part a snooze-fest. We have two teams that look to finish at the bottom of the table, and neither team can get a goal. Depending on how you look at it, it could be disappointing or what you expected, but for me it seems like we could have at least had a couple of balls put into the back of the net.
Player of the Week: Stefan Smith-Antigua Barracuda FC
Stefan Smith scored two goals in Barracuda FC's first league win in their history, earning him player of the week honors in my opinion. Smith scored two goals in the 19th and the 21st minute, giving the Barracuda's the lead after going down 1-0 early. It would have been easy for Antigua to fold up like a cheap tent, but Smith helped them keep steady and make the comeback.

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