Pasion Naranja!

The Islanders travel to Miami for their last game of the regular season tonight at 8pm. While Miami is already out of the playoffs, the Islanders need to win this match to secure the 3rd spot on the table. At the moment, both Charleston and the Islanders are tied at 50 points with 1 match left to play. Due to tie breaking rules, the Islanders would secure the 3rd spot in the league even if Charleston also won and reached 53 points.

Puerto Rico comes from a tough couple of weeks in their schedule. Last week they had 4 matches in 6 days and in 3 different cities. With matches in both the USL and the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL), the team has struggled with injuries as well as  fatigue. Of their last 5 league matches, the Islanders won 3 (all at home) and then lost their last 2 matches (on the road). During their last 2 matches on the road, they were outscored 7-2. Losing those last 2 matches put the Islanders out of contention for the first 2 spots. With only tonight’s match left, the Islanders need a win to finish the regular season in 3rd place.

While at times Miami FC showed some signs of life during the season, 2009 has been the worst year so far for this young club. Just a few weeks ago it still looked as if Miami could make a push for the playoffs but then, last month, the Blues had their worst game ever where they lost 9-0 against the RailHawks. With only 6 games left in the season after that, Miami found it hard to recover – recording 1 win, 3 losses, and 1 tie in their next 5 matches. Already out of the playoff picture, Miami doesn’t have much else to play for beyond saving face and to gain some momentum for next season.

The Islanders come in to the match as clear favorites. These teams have already met twice before this season, once a 0-0 tie in Miami and also a 4-0 win for the Islanders in Bayamon. The Islanders will surely go out with all the team’s heavy hitters to secure the 3rd place en route to the playoffs and also to build some morale and momentum for the upcoming CCL match against Saprissa on Tuesday.

What to expect: Noel and Addlery up front, Cabrero and Alexis probably getting some playing time, some early substitutions if the score is on Puerto Rico’s side

Prediction: To err on the conservative side of things, 3-1 Islanders

Tonight’s match between the Islanders and Mexico’s Cruz Azul, more than being a great opportunity for some revenge, might very well be the match that defines the Islanders’ fortunes in the CONCACAF Champions League’s (CCL) group stage.

It’s revenge because just a few months ago Cruz Azul edged the Islanders via a penalty shootout and denied Puerto Rico a spot in the first CCL. Last time, the Islanders were riding high as the competition’s cinderella story – this time around, they’re the only team without a win in their group.

As we discussed with coach Colin Clarke in Columbus right before the team’s first CCL group stage match – the Islanders have a big disadvantage in being the only team in the group having to play their first 2 matches on the road. Last year, the Islanders had their first 2 on at home and were able to build upon the success of those wins. Now, the team needs to shake off their 2 losses in the group and also their 2 recent losses in the USL.

To make things even more challenging, the team will be playing after their most challenging week yet (4 matches in 6 days) and also have to deal with several key injuries. Star GK Gaudette is recovering from a minor injury – while he will play tonight, there’s no word on whether he’s 100% or not. Also, key midfielder Sandy Gbandi is out for the rest of the season, as well as Domenic Mediate. Jagdeosingh, the forward who scored the goal against Toronto that got the Islanders through the preliminary stage will also be unavailable. Steele, another key player is also questionable for tonight.

On the other side of things, Cruz Azul will present an even more challenging rival this time around. While last year they were struggling in their domestic competition, this season they are on of the best teams in the Mexican league.

The bottom line:

Having 2 losses and 0 points in the group stage so far – the Islanders need to win tonight. There’s no other option. If the Islanders don’t win tonight, it’s highly unlikely they will advance into the CCL quarterfinals. Beyond that, the team’s honor is on the line as the wounds from the CCL semi-finals are still fresh. The pressure is on and everything is on the line – Clarke and the ‘Tropa Naranja’ need to come up big tonight.

Less than 48 hours after playing against Rochester, the Islanders take to the Juan Ramon Loubriel field for the last time in the USL regular season of 2009 when they host the Carolina RailHawks tonight at 8:00pm.

The RailHawks and the Islanders will be fighting for the 2^nd place in the USL-1 table. Currently, the RailHawks sit in 2^nd place with 49 points and 27 matches played while the Islanders are in 3^rd place with 47 points and 26 matches played. A win tonight for the Islanders would be important in securing the second spot for now and also to continue in the hunt for the first spot. Repeating as regular season winners is still possible yet unlikely as Portland sits comfortably at the top with 55 points. Even if the Islanders were to win tonight it would still mean the Islanders would have 50 points to Portland’s 55.

Realistically it looks as of the best the Islanders can aspire to is second place as Puerto Rico finished their last 3 matches on the road while Portland will be comfortably closing their last 3 at home against Austin and Cleveland (twice) – the two worst teams in the league this season.

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