USL announces Week 6 honors
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced today the Teams of the Week for Week 6 of the season, honoring Portland’s Alan Gordon, Pittsburgh’s David Flavius, Chicago’s Brad Guzan and Western Mass’ Courtney Leone as the A-League, Pro Soccer League, Premier Development League and W-League Players of the Week.
The Portland Timbers picked up their first ever victory at Swangard Stadium with a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Gordon recorded two goals on the night, leading the Timbers to a 4-0-0 record and first place in the Western Conference.
On Sunday, Gordon recorded his first goal in the 34th minute, heading in a Jake Sagare cross from six yards out.
He tallied his second goal of the evening in the 65th minute, taking a free kick from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and heading it in for the final goal of the match.
The rookie forward is currently tied for third in the league with seven points on three goals and one assist.
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds moved to the top of the Atlantic Division Sunday with a 1-0 win over the defending PSL champion Wilmington Hammerheads. Forward David Flavius recorded the game-winning goal in the 17th minute on an assist from Said Ali.
Flavius, who has been with the club since its inaugural 1999 season, led the team in scoring three straight years (2000-02) and has accumulated 34 goals and 16 assists in six years, including three so far in 2004.
The win puts the Riverhounds five points in front of their nearest division rivals with 13 points (4-2-1).
The Chicago Fire Reserves hardly miss 2002 Goalkeeper of the Year Matt Pickens, who is now with the Virginia Beach Mariners on loan from the MLS Chicago Fire. New netminder Brad Guzan has stepped right into the role and all he has done is post five clean sheets to open the season for the Fire Reserves.
Guzan blanked the Indiana Blast, Thunder Bay Chill and the powerhouse Des Moines Menace in the past week to help his side qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Guzan posted three saves in a 5-0 road win in Indianapolis Wednesday and six saves Saturday in a 3-0 win that was interrupted by a lighting delay.
He capped the week Sunday with a two-save shutout against the Des Moines Menace, who have finished in the top two of the division the last three years and won the league’s 2002 regular season title with an unbeaten 15-0-3 mark. The victory clinched their spot in the US Open Cup.
Guzan is far ahead of his peers in the PDL with three more shutouts (five) than the group of five who trail him and is the only goalkeeper with over 300 minutes played that has not allowed a goal.
After opening the season with a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Wildcats, the expansion Western Mass Lady Pioneers bounced back in resounding fashion, dominating fellow expansion side Rhode Island Lady Stingrays 7-0 on an outstanding performance by Courtney Leone.
Leone tallied three goals and two assists in the first half as the Pioneers rolled to the victory.
Leone found Kat Lindner, who also had a hat-trick in the match, for the opening tally in the fifth minute. The pair switched things up for Leone’s first strike in the 10th minute before Leone turned provider again to Lindner in the 26th.
Leone scored the next two in the 30th and 43rd on a pair of assists from Lauren Molinaro to put the game well out of reach with a 5-0 halftime scoreline.
Teams of the Week
#
| 
