Neil Krause

2009 First Round: Western Mass Pioneers win in-state battle with Emigrantes Das Ilhas, 3-2

June 9, 2009 by

Lusitano Stadium – Ludlow, Mass. | 7 p.m.

Match Reports – MassLive.com

	3	AET	2
Jay Willis 45’+ Neil Krause (Adam Wallace) 73’ Almir Barbosa (Matt Jones) 92’ SENT OFF – Daniel McGarry 119’				15’ Zico Viega (Luis Landium) 62’ Vladir Fernandes (PK) 85’ Joao Fidalgo – SENT OFF

The Western Mass Pioneers, yet again, survived an extra time scare from a USASA club, this time a 3-2 win over Emigrantes Das Ilhas.

The Brockton, Mass. USASA club took a 1-0 lead when Zico Viego booted a 20-yard shot past Pioneers goalkeeper Matt Jones. The USL-2 team knotted the score just before halftime, when Jay Willis scored in first half stoppage time.

Emigrantes regained the lead on Vladir Fernandes’ penalty kick at the 62nd minute. Western Mass’s Niel Krause scored in the 73rd minute tie the game at 2. The play began when Jeff Deren started a breakaway, which lead to Krause heading home the goal off a pass from Adam Wallace. Emigrantes made things difficult for themselves when Joao Fidalgo was sent off in the 85th minute. The shorthanded USASA club managed to keep the score tied at 2-2 to send the game into extra time.

It wouldn’t take long for Western Mass to take advantage. In the first period of overtime, Jones sent a long clearing kick downfield, which was picked up by Almir Barbosa, who beat a stunned Jordan Mota for what would prove to be the winning goal. Second half substitute Daniel McGarry was sent off late in the second overtime period, but the visitors were unable to capitalize.

This was the third year in a row that Western Mass was given a stiff challenge by a team from the USASA. Last year, the Pioneers played a tight game with Boston Olympiakos, winning by a score of 2-0. In 2007, the Western Mass needed extra time to get by Danbury United, also by a score of 3-2. They now move on to face the Harrisburg City Islanders in the Second Round on June 16.

Lineups

Western Mass – Matthew Jones, Jau Willis, Ben Clark, Mercier (Adam Wallace 65’), David Tyrie, Yan Klukowski (Jeff Deren 72’), Greg Kilkenny, Mark Nerkowski (Daniel McGarry 67’), Adrian Dubois, Almir Barbosa, Jeff Krause

Emigrantes – Jordan Mota, Carlos Fernandes, Felipe Depina, Carlos Amado (Justin Fernandes 77’), Carlos Gomes, Denivaldo Da Silva, Joao Fidalgo, Carlos Semedo, Jairson Jesus, Zico Viega, Luis Landim (Cassio Ribeiro 82’)

Cautions
Emigrantes – C. Fernandes 29’, Semedo 31’, Jesus 33’
Western Mass – Nerkowski 56’, Clark 58’, Mercier 65’, McGarry 102’ 119’, Tyrie 108’

Ejections

Emigrantes – Fidalgo 85’
Western Mass – McGarry 119’

Shots – WMP 19, EDI 12
Saves – WMP 11, EDI 11
Fouls – WMP 12, EDI 14
Corners – WMP 3, EDI 5
Offsides – WMP 0, EDI 3
Att – 1,401

Referee – Niko Blatsis
Assistants – Dave Coutts, Russ Wolf

2008 First Round: Pioneers survive Greek charge, top Olympiakos 2-0

June 10, 2008 by

In an ugly game hampered by the oppressive heat, the Western Mass Pioneers edged their USASA opponents from the eastern part of the state, Boston Olympiakos, by a 2-0 scoreline.

The Pioneers played the match with a heavy heart, as head coach Lesznek Wrona returned to his native Poland to attend his mother’s funeral.

Neil Krause opened the scoring for the Pioneers in the 33rd minute, when his shot deflected off an Olympiakos defender and caught goalkeeper Chris Charnecky leaning the wrong way. Boston nearly tied the score just before halftime, when Samuel Appiah’s shot from 15 yards out was blocked by Pioneers netminder Matt Glaeser.

In the second half, Western Mass dodged another bullet, when Geoff Walker’s shot trickled toward the goalline after a save from Glaeser, but James Greenslit beat Boston’s Sherron Manswell to clear the ball.

In the 68th minute, the Pioneers got their insurance goal. Everson Maciel passed up a shot to send the ball to Jeff Deren, who beat Chernacky for a 2-0 lead.

The match was only the second time in the Professional Era (1995-present) that two teams from the state of Massachusetts faced off in the Open Cup. In 2004, Western Mass was upset by the PDL’s Cape Cod Crusaders 3-2 in the Second Round.