USL News Release
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced the USL First Division and USL Second Division Team of the Week honors Tuesday for Week 10 of the season, honoring Atlanta’s Macoumba Kandji and Wilmington’s Dame Walters as the Players of the Week, respectively.
After playing three consecutive league draws including a 1-1 home result versus Puerto Rico two weeks ago, the Silverbacks entered the match with an offensive posture and found success to down the Islanders 3-1.
Macoumba Kandji, whose speed caused considerable problems for the Islander back line all nigh, out-paced his marker 13 minutes in, running onto a long ball from David Hayes. Kandji touched the ball around a retreating defender, drawing out Islander goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, and finished neatly inside the near post.
The lead was the first the Silverbacks have enjoyed since its May 31 1-0 win versus Carolina in which the Silverbacks scored in the 90th minute.
In the 32nd minute Ansu Toure doubled the score from close range. Jason McLaughlin began things on the right flank, sending a searching ball into Kandji, who did well to control it while at full speed and put it into Toure's path for an easy finish.
The Islanders were able to win back a goal just before halftime to make it 2-1, but the Silverbacks continued their offensive pressure entering the second half. On several times Kandji and Toure combined well with overlapping midfielders, but could not put the game away until the 61st minute mark when Kandji again out-paced his marker, running onto a lovely ball played deep from Justin Moore. Kandji touched the ball around a charging Gaudette, beat the last retreating defender, and slotted the ball home for his second on the night.
Kandji is currently tied for third in points with 11 and tied for fourth in goals with four. He is also tied for second in assists with three. Teammate Jason McLaughlin has identical numbers.
A new identity for the Wilmington Hammerheads has come about during the second quarter of their campaign. The former league champions were winless at 0-5-1 through their first six games of the year, but have been unbeaten since with a run of 1-0-4. They broke the barrier with a 5-3 win over winless Pittsburgh June 7, but it’s the addition of defender Dame Walters afterwards that may have given the team its new identity.
Walters helped guide the club to an amazing three-game week in which the club fought back from a 2-0 deficit Tuesday to earn a 2-2 draw at home against a title contender in Crystal Palace.
Wilmington then hit the road and posted impressive results with a scoreless draw in Cleveland against another title contender, and tied the same Pittsburgh club that hung three on them previously in a game in which two penalties for Wilmington may have proved the difference in the win.
Walters has helped transformed the defense from a unit that was allowing two goals per game before the win to one that has now only allowed three goals in their last four games for a 0.75 average. The former Atlanta Silverbacks U-23 defender played all 16 games for the PDL side in 2006.
Although Wilmington only has one win at 1-5-5, the club is not out of the playoff picture as of yet with the top half of the table preventing one another from pulling away from the pack. The Hammerheads trail the Richmond Kickers by only eight points for the sixth and final playoff berth with half the season to go.
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USL First Division Team of the Week
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Pos
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Name
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Team
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Highlights
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G
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Matt Jordan
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Montreal
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Six saves in 3-0 win over Carolina
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D
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Chris Pozniak
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Vancouver
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Goal in 1-1 draw against Miami
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D
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Cedric Joqueviel
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Montreal
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Led team in 3-0 win over Carolina
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D
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Nelson Akwari
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Charleston
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Led team in 1-1 draw against Minnesota
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D
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David Hayes
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Atlanta
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Assist in 3-1 win over Puerto Rico
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M
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Ricardo Sanchez
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Minnesota
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Goal in 1-1 draw at Charleston
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M
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Kupono Low
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Carolina
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Assist in 3-3 draw at Rochester
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M
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Tiger Fitzpatrick
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Rochester
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Led team in 3-3 draw against Carolina
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F
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Juan Pablo Galavis
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Miami
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Goal in 1-1 draw at Vancouver
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F
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Macoumba Kandji
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Atlanta
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Two goals, assist in 3-1 win over Puerto Rico
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F
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Roberto Brown
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Montreal
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Goal, two assists in 3-0 win over Carolina
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USL Second Division Team of the Week
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Pos
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Name
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Team
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Highlights
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G
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John O'Hara
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Wilmington
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12 saves, 1 goal allowed in two road draws
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D
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Jonathan Burklo
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Wilmington
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Goal in 1-1 draw at Pittsburgh
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D
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Darius Cox
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Bermuda
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Goal in 3-1 win over Western Mass
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D
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Dame Walters
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Wilmington
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Led team in two road draws
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D
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Nigel Marples
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Harrisburg
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Led team in 0-0 draw at Richmond
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M
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Federico Molinari
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Western Mass
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Assist in 1-0 win at Bermuda
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M
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Sascha Gorres
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Richmond
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Led team in 0-0 draw against Harrisburg
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M
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Joseph Kabwe
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Charlotte
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Goal in 1-0 win at Real Maryland
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M
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Pat Healy
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CP Baltimore
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Goal in 2-2 draw at Wilmington
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F
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Jamie Holmes
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Wilmington
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Goal in 2-2 draw against CP Baltimore
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F
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Lloyd Holder
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Bermuda
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Goal in 3-1 win over Western Mass
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