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Just enough Preki lifts short-handed Fusion past Earthquakes
Updated: Friday October 12, 2001 3:39 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- With much of their high-scoring offense missing because of suspension or injuries, the Miami Fusion were not about to exchange runs on goal with the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night. And when Miami midfielder Preki scored in the 53rd minute, the Fusion stored their offense and went on to the 1-0 victory in the opening game of the MLS Cup semifinal series. "I felt that it was a pretty even game played under some difficult conditions," said Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop, referring to strong wind and lightrain. "There are a lot of one-goal games in the playoffs and that is what we expected. I think that it will be a different game on Sunday at Spartan [Stadium]." Game 2 is Sunday night in San Jose. "We were a far better team than San Jose tonight, and that's not a knock on San Jose because they played great," Fusion coach Ray Hudson said. "We just wanted it, we scratched and we fought for everything." Following Preki's goal, Miami went into a defensive mode, dropping as many as eight players near the box. Although San Jose controlled the ball for most of the remaining 30 minutes, the Earthquakes could not mount a serious shot on goal.
"You have to give credit to the guys in the back and the midfield," said Miami defender Pablo Mastroeni, who played the first 28 minutes of the match before being sidelined with a left ankle injury. "They were not about to give up the lead." The Fusion's best scoring threats of the match came during the first eight minutes of the second half. Chris Henderson had two shots on goal followed by a third by Alex Pineda Chacon before Preki, who had been doubtful because of a hamstring injury, frustrated the Earthquakes with his goal. Preki took a pass from Jim Rooney and dribbled past two Earthquakes defenders toward the half circle, where he chipped a shot from 23 yards which goalkeeper Joe Cannon deflected with one hand but couldn't prevent the shot from bouncing into the net. It was Preki's second goal of the playoffs. "We knew we had to take it to them in the second half," Hudson said. "If Preki is not among the MLS's best 11, there should be a federal investigation." Hudson will have a more complete lineup for Game 2 when Diego Serna, the team's second-leading scorer with 16 goals, returns after a two-game suspension for throwing a punch in Miami's first-round playoff victory over Kansas City. Still, Hudson acknowledges San Jose will be far from a pushover Sunday. "It has now come down to the razor's edge and that will tilt the tables," Hudson said. Fusion Post-Game QuotesHead coach Ray Hudson "I had a good feeling about this this morning. I felt it in the water when I was in the bathtub. I had a good, good sensation running through my body. We said at the start of the season we'd carry our wounded and we'd shoot the dissenters and that's what we've done all year long. We were down some big guns this season, and we still rallied to the cause and we still came through. We deserved this win. It was a 1-0 game. They're a good team, they never quit, they never back down, but what were they reduced to in the end? Just pumping it up the middle, just kick and rush. We played the first half against the wind so wonderfully, composed, good defensively, stifled them and then took it to them. That first 25 minutes of the second half they were all at sea and that's when we had the chance. "Ivan McKinley left everything out on the field tonight. Carlos Llamosa was magnificent and what about the kid in goal?. What about that little diamond in goal? That save in the first half is world class. That's all you can say. That's what has got us to have the best record in MLS, but it was never easy. We had to work for everything, but lovely composure. Lovely, lovely football all the time." Midfielder Preki It's a tough game in which both teams were physical, which made it tough for the referee but luckily we came out on top and that's what we focused on." On his game-winning goal -- "Jim [Rooney] played a short ball and I think it was [Jeff] Agoos ahead of me and I just pushed it to my left, spotted Cannon coming out and I just kicked the ball in." Captain Jim Rooney "It's a great win for us. It's the semifinals, it was a rugged game and that's the way we want it too. We're going to have to earn everything and I thought we got away with what we did in the first half. Second half we felt real confident that we were going to come out and take over and sure enough we did." Goalkeeper Nick Rimando "We like our home field. We win here. We had our 12th man tonight; the crowd was great. They are a great team and offensively they came at us the whole night and our defense played well. When Pablo [Mastroeni] got hurt, [Brian] Dunseth came in and did a tremendous job. Our midfielders and forwards get back and play defense and that's what helped out today. It was a great goal to finish it out." Defender Brian Dunseth "Unfortunately Pablo went down with the injury and I have to thank Ivan [McKinley], Nick [Rimando] and Carlos [Llamosa] in the back, who made it easy on me to play simple and play hard defense. Now it's one more game and we're in the finals and we need to bring the intensity we just left on the field and bring that to San Jose and forget about another game and get this over with." Earthquakes Post-Game QuotesMidfielder Ronnie Ekelund "This is the first time I have been in the playoffs here [in the United States], but I think that as teams get closer to the MLS Cup, they start to play a little more physical. Both teams went hard throughout the match. We have a couple of days to get this game out of our system and focus 100 percent on Sunday' game. We feel pretty confident at home, so we should have a good performance there." Defender Troy Dayak "I think that they are a smart team and they play intelligently by moving around and shifting spots to keep you out of position. That is how they beat us." Goalkeeper Joe Cannon "Miami really came out hard and I think that you have to give them credit, but we will be ready on Sunday at home to try and even the series." Summary
Scoring:
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES--Joe Cannon, Wade Barrett (Ramiro Corrales 78), Jeff Agoos, Troy Dayak, Jimmy Conrad, Ian Russell (Dwayne DeRosario 70), Richard Mulrooney, Ronnie Ekelund, Manny Lagos, Junior Agogo (Ronald Cerritos 68), Landon Donovan
MIAMI FUSION--Nick Rimando, Pablo Mastroeni (Brian Dunseth 28), Carlos Llamosa, Ivan McKinley, Lazo Alavanja (Tyrone Marshall 73), Ian Woan, Ian Bishop, Jim Rooney, Chris Henderson, Alex Pineda Chacon, Preki (Johnny Torres 81)
Referee: Paul Tamberino; Assistant Referees: Jon Wilson, George Vergara
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