Pasion Naranja!

By:Sebastian Humbert

May 29^th 2009

Under the lights at Nelson Field in Austin, Texas, the Puerto Rico Islanders (2/3/3) were defeated by the Austin Aztex (2/2/3). This is their second straight loss, the Portland Timbers beat the Islanders at their home field in Bayamon, Puerto Rico last weekend in a game that marked the Islander’s first defeat since the 2008 season. Last weekend’s home loss against Portland was their first since 2005.

The Aztex’s midfielder Yordany Alvarez maneuvered passed Islanders Goalie, Bill Gaudett, twice last night and once in an assist, making his first goal at the 42^nd minute mark and his second on the 87^th.

By half time the game was left at 2-0, after another goal from the Aztex, this time by Lyle Adams on the 52^nd minute with an assist by Alvarez.

The Islanders only goal came from Cristian Arrieta, who drove a successful header from a corner kick by Sandy Gbandi into the Aztex net during the 63^rd minute.

The glimmer of hope that came from Arrieta’s header did not last long for the “Tropa Naranja” –or, the Orange Troops, as they are called in Puerto Rico—as the Aztex’s Alvarez made the third and final goal of the game just eleven minutes later.

The Aztexs were short two main players this game against the islanders, with Noel-Wiliams and Silva out on injury. They were replaced by Jeff Harwell from the Aztex’s U23 team and MLS’ Real Salt Lake’s Jean Alexandre.

Past half time and already down two for a score of 3-1, the Puerto Rico Islanders pushed hard in the three minutes till the final 90 minute mark and then in an added four minutes. Despite their final efforts, the Islanders fell back into their current rut, adding one more to the now five straight no-win games.

Starting after their loss in the finals of the 2009 CFU championships, the Islanders have not been able to come out on top of a USL match. Having three straight ties and now two straight losses on their hands, the post-2009 CFU Islanders are looking for a win in Minnesota this Sunday at 6:00pm as they play the Minnesota Thunder.

The Thunder holds the 11^th and last place in the USL standings with three points, having had zero wins, four losses and three ties.

Puerto Rico’s loss brought them down to tie the Aztex for sixth place in the USL standings, each now having nine points.

For the Puerto Rico Islanders, the game after the Minnesota Thunder is a home game against the Cleveland City Stars at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, June 4^th at 8:00pm.

The bad results keep on coming for the Islanders as they failed to mount back from a 2 goal deficit in Austin’s Nelson Field.

From El Nuevo Dia

By: Kristian Vazquez

The loss last night to the Portland Timbers  (by 2-1) at home was not only the first-ever home loss to Portland and the first home loss of the season, but also a very disappointing example of what’s wrong with this team.

Think of it as two games last night. The first was a win due to a score where the officiating clearly affected the score, and the second was the loss due to the team’s performance. Let’s first get the traditional bad refereeing out of the way.

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