NISA Semifinals Recap
What a weekend of soccer in NISA!
Michigan Stars 3 - 2 ALBION San Diego
It was interesting to see these two teams in a rematch of last year’s final. Both teams made significant changes to their roster in the offseason. Michigan kept big parts of its core, but brought in Garret Hogbin and Hunter Olsen along with a handful of other contributors, while ALBION did almost a complete reboot. Gone was last year’s high-flying attack, with Diakhate (off to Flower City Union, more on that in a second) and Malango (3 goals and an assist after joining Chattanooga Red Wolves in USL League One). But, though the names had changed on the roster, the resulting regular season run brought them into the playoffs. Their offense was inconsistent, but their stingy defense kept them in the hunt. Of course, this is the playoffs and, as we always joke on Knights Who Say NISA, don’t bet against Michigan Stars in a single-elimination match.
The match scoring opened with a somewhat shocking miscue from the usually steady Stars goalkeeper Mkuruva. In the 15th minute, ALBION swung a cross into the box, which the goalkeeper got a hand to, pushing it back and towards the crossbar. However, it wasn’t with enough force, so the ball fell to the streaking Alexander Dalou who easily headed it into the goal to put the visiting squad up 1-0. The Stars’ backline looked as shocked as the rest of us at the result. Also, from the sound of the feed, there were some traveling ALBION fans in Romeo, which might be even more shocking than the opening goal (On our last episode, Creel pointed out that it was Dalou’s family, who are from Michigan).
But if we’re going to call out goalkeepers, KWSN-favorite Ben Roach had an absolute howler in the 23rd. After some quick passes back and forth with his backline, he fired a pass off of a pressing Maric, directly into the feet of Andres Chalbaud, who slotted the ball into the net for the equalizer. Hard to understand what Roach was thinking, but either way it was a giveaway goal that ALBION could not afford to hand out to the home side. You cannot make those kind of mistakes with Michigan, because they will punish you and Chalbaud did just that.
The third goal of the match was an absolute beauty of a play by Michigan Stars, who worked the ball up the right side, before Anthony Bowie found a seam in the defense, passed a ball out to Hunter Olsen, who crossed it back into the box where a flying Bowie, who had ran from the second he passed the ball to Olsen, went superman and headed the ball past Roach for the game winner. Really pretty play from a team that often specializes in playing ugly. That scoreline of 2-1 would be the score going into half.
The second half would bring goals from both sides, neither of which would change the result of the match. Olsen had a beautiful shot from the side that Roach had no chance at stopping. Shinya Kadono would score the second for ALBION in the 82nd minute. And with that, Michigan Stars continue their dominance in the playoffs and will HOST the final (thanks to the other semi-final result).
Chattanooga 0(0) - 0(2) Flower City Union
First off, I hope I got that scoreline correct. I always struggle with the correct way to notate PK results.
Going into this match, no one thought Flower City Union had a chance. Even on our show, where we constantly root for upsets, no one picked Flower City to win this match. In fact, we even point blank discussed the chances of an upset and all of us said the other semifinal had a better chance for an upset than this one.
The facts screamed that this wouldn’t even be close:
CFC was undefeated against Flower City Union this year. 3-0-1 and didn’t give up a single goal through four matches. That just felt like a hill too high for FCU to climb.
Flower City snuck into the playoffs. In fact, if Stars hadn’t beat up on Club de Lyon, we would have had a different matchup in this semifinal. FCU was outside the playoffs looking in until the very end of the season.
Flower City was inconsistent all year. There’s a reason they didn’t get into the playoffs until the very end of the season. They couldn’t get it together. Plenty of talent, yes, but a constant struggle to find ways to get Diakhate the ball in the box to do dangerous things.
Flower City is the only playoff team to have a negative goal differential and give up over 30 goals this season (34). They simply didn’t “belong” in the playoffs if we’re basing it on the regular season. They weren’t good MOST of the season.
Chattanooga’s roster was rested. CFC’s last five matches were against Gold Star, Savannah, FCU, Savannah, Club de Lyon, and then a first round bye. This team should have cruised into this semi-final and crushed whoever they faced.
CFC easily had the best roster in NISA. From front to back, this team featured the most talented set of players in the league. From back-to-back Golden Glove winner Jean Antoine to back-to-back Golden Boot winner Markus Naglestad, veteran captain Richard Dixon, Alex McGrath, Taylor Gray, Anatolie Prepeliţă, the lineup reads like a NISA all-star roster. At every position this team was stacked.
But the match still had to be played. And if you were CFC you had to be happy with your chances. Shot after shot was ripped at the FCU goal, but GK Michael Mejia simply made every save he had to. And if it wasn’t Mejia, it was the rest of FCU’s defense getting a foot in, throwing a body into the path, disrupting in whatever way it took. It was a masterclass in playing against a better opponent (on paper). CFC could not find a way to score.
If you were looking for a play that summed up this match, look no further than the 84th minute. After a long throw into the box, the a CFC shot attempt bounces to the left where Taylor Gray is wide open. Mejia had dived to his left on the attempt and is getting up off his butt as Gray shoots. Somehow, Mejia gets high enough to get a hand to the ball to deflect it…directly into an onrushing Naglestad who rises to head in the winner. Except he doesn’t. He heads it off the bar and over for a goal kick. It was just one of those nights for Chattanooga.
After extra time, the match went to penalties, where you had to feel like Jean Antoine had the edge, given his experience and class, but Mejia had stood on his head for 120 minutes and would continue through penalties. Prepeliţă went off the crossbar on the first take for CFC and it set the tone for Chattanooga’s penalty takers. Antoine would save twice for his part, but Naglestad and McGrath lost the battle to Mejia and Ibarra went off the post. Cavanaugh and Diakhate would convert and that would be enough to put Flower City through to the final.
A Look ahead to the Final
I think there’s plenty to write about Chattanooga’s season and overall time in NISA as they prepare to exit for MLS NextPro, but there’s a whole off season for that article.
The NISA Championship will be an interesting matchup of two streaky teams. Flower City Union is riding a hot streak and knocked out two of the best teams in NISA (LA and CFC) on the way to the final match. If they can continue their defensive prowess against Michigan they may have a chance, as long as one of their offensive players can find a way to get one past Mkuruva. But Stars are no strangers to the playoffs, having won the Championship last year. In a single elimination match, you have to give the edge to the defending champions unless you’re crazy. Later this week, we’ll break this match down, but if I’m picking right now, I’d take FCU to win it all (I’m crazy like that).
- Dan Vaughn