On the same weekend that saw FC Barcelona, the premier team we follow here at Jedi Soccer, crush Napoli in the Joan Gamper Trophy invitational match at Camp Nou by the score of 5 - 0, the US-based domestic sides we follow all sputtered their way towards the end of their respective seasons in the MLS, NASL and USL-PRO leagues.
In Spanish League preaseason action-- extended by the players strike-- Barca schooled Napoli from the Italian Serie 'A' league in the fine art of football, scoring five times enroute to a majestic Gamper Trophy victory. Two goals by the incomporable Messi Wan Kenobi, and additional contributions by Fabregas, Keita and Pedro were more than enough to put Napoli away. With this additional preseason match, Barca appears now to be fully geared up for another triumphant Spanish League campaign which we are certainly looking forward to.
Across the pond here in the States, however, things were not so rosy for Jedi Soccer. In MLS action, DC United fell to an attacking Sporting KC side by the score of 1-0 in Kansas City. A crossed goal by Chance Myers was all the scoring the KC needed to overcome a lilstless DC United, which falls now to 6th place in the Eastern Conference and is in danger of not making the playoffs.
In NASL action, the season is down to its final six games, as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers fell to the league-leading Carolina Railhawks by the score of 2-0 this weekend. The loss drops the Strikers down to sixth place in the league standings, and under the NASL playoff format, only the top six teams will advance. So, with only six matches remaining, Fort Lauderdale is in danger of not making the playoffs. It's a story of sixes.
Finally, in USL-PRO league action the Charleston Battery's season came to an end with a 1-3 loss to Orlando City, which now advances to face the Richmond Kickers in the American Division final. In an exciting match that was tied going into overtime, Orlando went ahead in the 100th minute, followed by the ejection of Dane Kelley for a second Yellow card, and the final goal of the night two minutes into the second overtime period. Thus the Charleston Battery's season comes to an end, with the USL-PRO League playoffs carrying on without them.
It's an outcome I fear both DC United and the Strikers will soon be facing, I'm afraid. Let's hope not.
“LIKE A JEDI KNIGHT— no, better than that— A TEMPLAR KNIGHT. This is a FLASH OF PURE INSPIRATION, and let me tip my hat to the genesis of this goal: Ibarra. Lionel only absolutely LIGHTS IT UP here, he LIFTS OFF IT, FLAMETHROWERS IT PAST poor Reny Vega. It’s just as well Reny didn’t get a hand to that because it would have TAKEN IT OFF HIS WRIST. Superlative football and an out of this world BERNINI SCULPTURE of a finish." GOL TV Commentator Ray Hudson
