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Denver Outlaws 22 vs. Los Angeles Riptide 11
July 1, 2006
INVESCO Field at Mile High
DENVER â€" The Denver Outlaws (5-2) used strong first-half performances from Matt Brown and Mike Law to cruise to a 22-11 win over the Los Angeles Riptide (2-4) on Saturday in front of a Major League Lacrosse-record crowd of 15,981.
Brown, who collected his second most valuable player of the game honors, recorded seven goals in the first half while Law tallied three markers in the opening two quarters. The two University of Denver products each tallied seven points in the game to pace Denver’s offense, which eclipsed the 20-point-plateau for the fourth time this season.
The league’s reigning Rookie of the Week, Brendan Mundorf, added to his rookie-leading goal total with a pair of tallies (15), while dishing the first three assists of his MLL career. Rounding out Denver’s offensive barrage were Jeff Sonke (1-3â€"4), Josh Sims (2-1â€"3), Matt Rewkowski (2-1â€"3), Matt Hanna (1-1â€"2), Hunter Lochte (1-0â€"1), Brian Langtry (0-1â€"1) and Benson Erwin (0-1â€"1).
MLL All-Star Chris Cercy showed his merit, winning 21-of-34 faceoffs (0.618). The Outlaws also dominated the Riptide in shots on goal, peppering Los Angeles’ cage with 45 shots, while the visitors managed only 22 shots on net. Outlaws goaltender Trevor Tierney stifled 11 shots before yielding to Colorado State University product Alex Smith (1 save) for the last 6:30 of the fourth quarter.
The crowd came to the game expecting a display of fireworks after the game. They were treated to a display of firepower earlier than they expected. Matt Brown got the home side on the board early as he gathered a rebound and deposited it behind Riptide netminder Tillman Johnson. Brown added the team’s second goal when he fired a shot behind his head after collecting the rebound of Langtry’s shot at 2:44 of the first quarter.
The Outlaws, sporting their black jerseys for the first time at home this season, opened a 6-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 14-5 edge at halftime.
With the Riptide focusing defensively on Brown to start the third quarter, Denver’s offense was limited to one goal. Los Angeles narrowed the margin to 15-7 after three quarters. Sims, who is heading to the MLL All-Star Game on Thursday, tallied the Outlaws’ first two goals of the fourth quarter to open a 17-6 lead. The Riptide answered with two goals, but MLL All-Star Law responded for Denver with two goals sandwiched around a Mundorf marker to open a 20-9.
If including last season’s All-Star Game, Denver owns the league’s top four attendance figures and six of the circuit’s top eight marks in that category.
Five Outlaws will play in the MLL All-Star Game in Boston on Thursday as Chris Cercy, Mike Law, Josh Sims and Jeff Sonke will face the U.S. National Team which includes Outlaws netminder Trevor Tierney.
The Outlaws and Riptide will square off again week at The Home Depot Center at 2 p.m. Denver returns to INVESCO Field at Mile High on July 22 for its last home game against the Chicago Machine.
For complete statistics for this game, please go to pointstreak
Tonight I went to Mile High Stadium (uh...Invesco Field) to watch a double header of the world's sport, soccer. The first game feature Major League Soccer teams the Colorado Rapids facing off against Chivas USA. The main event of the evening, however, was Mexican powerhouse Club América taking on Mexican First Division runners-up Club San Luis.
Make no mistake, the Colorado Rapids' "Hispanic Heritage Night" was about Mexican football, not Major League Soccer. The place was dominated by those from south of our border, and all announcements made in the second game were done in Spanish. Long lines and tons of traffic preceded the game, something quite unusual for professional soccer games in the United States.
The Rapids-Chivas game had third place of the Western Division on the line. The game would settle nothing, however, as the two teams would tie each other 3-3 in a game that had each team score a goal in penalty time (the time period after the end of a half that takes into account injuries and referee actions).
Juan Francisco Palencia would score the first goal of the game for Chivas. Chivas rookie Jonathan Bornstein scored two goals today, including one at the 91st minute (the end of regulation time) that appeared to put the game away for Chivas. Every time Chivas would score, however, the Rapids would answer. First it was Israeli national team player Dedi Ben Dayan, and then former U.S. team member Clint Mathis. Finally...
...rookie Jacob Peterson secured a tie in the 93rd minute with this goal.
The final two goals by the Rapids were impressive due to the fact that Colorado player Mike Petke was ejected with a red card midway through the second half due to a foul that took a Chivas player off on a stretcher.
Unfortunately, my favorite Rapids player Ante Razov (who I interviewed on this site when he was a part of the NY/NJ Metrostars) was suspended due to the fact that he accrued his sixth yellow card in a previous game, something not allowed in MLS. This didn't seem to hurt Chivas, as it was his replacement, Bornstein, that scored two goals (including the one pictured in this photo above).
#11, English-born player Terry Cooke, was named the Rapids player of the game.
The crowd reaction was interesting at times. Some saw this as a U.S.-Mexico thing and rooted for Chivas, with many in the crowd chanting "Chi-vas...Chi-vas". Others, however, saw things in the club universe, and the popular Club America's fans knew that they could not root for a team related to Chivas de Guadalajara, the team's biggest rival in Mexican football.
Everyone was nice to the Rapids mascot though.
When Peterson of the Rapids kicked the tie goal (above) with about 30 seconds left in penalty time, the crowd seemed to go wild.
However, that could have been due to the Rapids Cheerleaders. Sometimes it was hard to watch the game.
After the MLS game, "legendary local band" Mariachi Vásquez performed their brand of traditional Mexican music while teams warmed up.
When they were done, it was time for the main event.
This was what the crowd of 28,215 was waiting for...Mexican football.
The Club América Las Aguilas (The Eagles) were much more popular than the Club San Luis Tuneros (which is a reference to the tuna fruit farmers who live and work in the surrounding area).
Eagles against fruit farmers...who do you think is going to win?
Yellow Eagles colors filled the stadium. Club de Futbol América's popularity is not without reason. The team was founded on October 18, 1916, and since then they have won 14 local Mexican championships, 6 Mexican Cup championships, 5 Mexican Champions Cups, 2 Interamerican Cups and one CONCACAF Champions Cup. This has helped make them one of the most popular clubs in Mexico.
Club América will represent CONCACAF (the international organization of North American, Central American, and Caribbean soccer) at this year’s FIFA World Club Championship, which will be played in Japan in December.
The Eagles, in blue, dominated the game, winning 3-0.
Argentinean player Claudio Lopez scored in the 13th minute.
Duilio Davino made it 2-0 in the 61st minute with a header.
Paraguayan player Salvador Cabañas made it 3-0 five minutes later with another header that had an amazing arc that managed to go over the goalkeepers hand yet right into the top of the net.
San Luis, literally, was out of America's league. The skill America's players brought to the game was very impressive. In this instance, the America player ran right through three San Luis defenders to get a shot on goal.
San Luis did have a number of chances, all of them repelled by America's goalkeeper. This was a sweet save that looked almost sure to go in before he hit the ball.
Ironically enough, both Mexican teams, who play in different leagues, are owned by the same company: media giant Televisa.
Lopez was named man of the match by fans watching the match.
The fans came home happy, as did I. It was nice to see soccer played in America with such an energetic crowd. Now if the rest of the country can catch the fever...
RELATED LINKS:
MLS Article on the Rapids-Chivas Game
Denver Post Article on the Club America-San Luis Game
Photo Essay: Soccer Fans (U.S. vs. Panama)
Why Don't Americans Like Soccer?
Q&A With MLS Star Ante Razov
Things To Do In New York: The NY/NJ Metrostars (now the Red Bull)
Denver Broncos Schedule
Other Searched Terms: invesco field stadium map
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