The Loons emerged victorious on the final play of the match, with captain Aaron Pitchkolan knocking home a loose ball in the Fury 6-yard box off of a 97th minute free kick. I had the opportunity to interview manager Manny Lagos and midfielder Miguel Ibarra.
The win caps an excellent two-game road trip for Minnesota, who return home to face FC Edmonton in their home opener next Sunday.
Manny Lagos’ men started out the afternoon playing a very free-flowing 4-1-4-1, with most of the midfield build-up coming through Italian midfielder Juliano Vicentini:
However, Vicentini was forced from the match in the 19th minute with an apparent ankle injury- this obviously has to be a concern for manager Manny Lagos and the rest of the Loons, as Vicentini is a key cog in the jigsaw that is the Minnesota midfield.
Thus, on came substitute Greg Jordan, who would end up saving the game for the Loons in the 86th minute when he blocked a rocket by Fury FC striker Carl Haworth. Jordan also knocked heads with Fury FC’s Pierre-Rudolph Mayard. He worked hard and had a very solid match off the bench.
Minnesota shifted to an even more fluid 4-2-3-1, with Daley and Watson cruising up and down the right- and left-flanks respectively and Ibarra prancing around the centre of the pitch, dancing with the ball at his feet. Omar Daley was especially noticeable in the second half, with multiple runs down the right flank which caused Fury FC problems.
The goals themselves were both quite straight-forward-
i) 36th minute – Miguel Ibarra was released on a breakaway after an excellent back-heeled flick-on by Christian Ramirez, then slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner of the Fury FC net, giving the Loons a one-nil lead with a calm and collected finish.
ii) 90+7 minute – A very clunky goal, a free kick from just outside the Fury 18-yard box bounced around in front of the net, before captain Aaron Pitchkolan slotted the ball home.
A very solid three points has set the Loons up nicely for a run at the NASL Spring Championship, as they sit atop the NASL league table with three of their next four matches coming at home.
Post-game Interviews
Miguel Ibarra, our man of the match and the best player on either team this afternoon-
“Our key tonight was that we worked hard, and together as a team. We never gave up- we had two chances early but we didn’t put them away. We kept working away, again and again and again, and it paid off in the end.”
On the loss of defensive midfielder Juliano Vicentini…
“It’s a big loss back there, but Greg (Jordan) came in and did a great job at the end with slide tackle (on Fury FC’s Carl Haworth), and he’s a hard-working guy so we’re gonna have no problems in that position.”
Do you feel you have a championship-calibre team here in Minnesota?
“I feel we do, we’re a hard-working team and we never stop. We’ve got six points away, now we go home, keep working, and we’ll try to get another three points against Edmonton.”
Minnesota United head coach Manny Lagos on the victory…
“We were prepared for a tough game, we knew it was their opener and we would be the villains so-to-speak, and we were also excited to be part of history. It’s pretty cool to be a part of someone’s first game in the league. We were certainly challenged today on the soccer side of things.”
On the late winner from captain Aaron Pitchkolan…
“Well we were better in the first half, but the Fury did have a couple good chances towards the end of the match. I’m really proud of the guys for coming out hard late, and I’m glad we got the winner.”
On the status of Juliano, who was substituted in the 19th minute…
“It’s too early for me to discuss that, but certainly when you have a player that’s creative in the midfield like that, it’s going to affect the game one way or another when a player has to be subbed. The medical staff will take a look at him and we’ll go from there.”
On his team’s ability win a championship…
“I certainly hope so. Our team has really grown in these first two road games, we’ve faced some adversity. We can smile and say well hey we’ve got six points on the road, but hey, maybe we didn’t manage these games as best as we could have.”
Minnesota United are back in action next Sunday when they host FC Edmonton in their 2014 home opener.
Flashes of Fury - An OFFC Blog 
Juliano could be a big loss for us if he misses some time. Jacobs is good but he doesn’t have the same ability to distribute the ball. Very pumped for our start!
Love Manny Lagos playing it cool. The Loons are tied for first…kinda feels like 2011 again! GO LOONS!
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