Lightning Strikes Twice To Knock Out The Outlaws
NPSL Midwest Regional Playoffs – Michigan Rangers FC 3-2 Siouxland United FC
The ninth-best team in the NPSL this season, Central States Conference winners Michigan Rangers, hosted the nineteenth, Siouxland United, out of the North.
The road team recovered from a defeat to Duluth FC at the end of the regular season to claim the conference title with a win against Joy AC. João Rocha has 6 goals, second only to Phil Caputo of Joy.
Rangers, on the other hand, finished the regular season on top of their conference and won through. Liam Kervik leads the way – with a conference leading 11 goals.
The match started with a couple of golden chances for the home side but they could not find a finish and it would take 44 minutes of play before they secured a goal, pressure down the right by the German Domenic Baumann was capped by a cross by Muskegon, MI’s Liam Smith for Grand Rapids, MI’s Chris Mendez. Mendez pulled the ball back and slotted home from six yards out.
The night’s first lightning strikes came in a five minute spell, led by two Japanese attackers for Siouxland United. Hayato Takayama from Hyogo bundled home the equalizer from a pass by Emilio Madrigal from Laredo, TX in the 54th minute. Kyohei Eguchi, from Kagoshima curled a corner high and deep to the side netting of the back post for an Olimpico. However, the natural kind of lightning struck and the game entered a weather delay of 90 minutes with the Outlaws ahead by one.
Play after the resumption at 10pm was all one way, and it was Michigan Rangers’ turn to strike with lightning speed. The Nigerian substitute Adetunji Ifaturoti burst through the middle to equalize with only five minutes played and two minutes after that, Mendez got his second of the game, firing a bullet header in from a cross by the Joburger Nicolas Baigrie.