Hollywood United Hitmen News Release - www.hollywoodutd.com

Sunday, July 12, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The Hollywood United Hitmen qualified for the PDL Playoffs following a 0-0 tie with the Los Angeles Legends at Bishop Mora Salesian High School’s Keegan Stadium Saturday, in a game which was marred by seven red cards and a serious-looking injury to Legends midfielder Joseph Franco.

With Rene Corona suspended, Federico Bianchi out with a torn hamstring and Ricardo Mendoza recovering from a broken leg, Hollywood head coach Matt Harold brought Earl Alexander and Diego Barrera back into the starting eleven. Top scorer Jaime Chavez remained up front partnering Willie Sims in a two-pronged attack, while a back line consisting of Pete Hazdovac, Amir Shafii, Nick Blanco and Carlos Morales looked contain the potent Legends offense, especially player/coach Brent Whitfield, who had scored 14 goals in his six games to date.

With a rambunctious crowd cheering both teams, the open exchanges provided few clear cut chances for either side, and the game quickly became a midfield battle for supremacy.

Jose Munoz and Barrera found space in the middle of the park difficult to find, with the tenacious Legends pairing of Kraig Chiles and Kyle Nakazawa snapping at their heels. Nick Kohlschreiber and Earl Alexander enjoyed limited success down the flanks for the Hitmen, finding it difficult to break down the organized Legends defense.

Hollywood came close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions; Jaime Chavez sent a looping header over Legends keeper Joe Barton which bounced off the top of the crossbar, and both Barrera and Sims saw shots flash just wide.

Just before the break Legends midfielder Joseph Franco suffered a nasty-looking injury when he went into a 50-50 challenge with Nick Kohlschreiber, and was left writhing on the ground with what looked like a broken ankle, but which ultimately was revealed to be nothing more than a serious bone contusion. The first half ended goalless on this slightly somber note.

The second half began with the Legends on the attack, strikers Whitfield and Maxwell Griffin bombarding the Hollywood defensive line with foray after foray. Shafii and Hazdovac were rocks at the back once more, time and again thwarting the Legends forwards. The two are quickly becoming a formidable defensive pair, and again impressed greatly with their calmness and strength.

However, it was clear that tensions were high in the game, especially with the divisional title potentially on the line. Both teams had been engaging in some forceful tackling, and things came to a head ten minutes into the second half when Carlos Morales and Legends midfielder Kyle Nakazawa clashed by the touchline. The ensuing pushing match between the pair cleared the benches, and when the dust had settled both Morales and Nakazawa saw red, as did Hollywood striker Armando Ochoa, who had not yet entered the game but was sent off for his part in the scuffle.

Tempers flared again fifteen minutes later when Hollywood defender Nick Blanco tackled Legends’ Mike Randolph, who stamped on the prone Blanco in retaliation. The benches cleared for a second time, and in the ensuing melee players, substitutes and coaches from both teams exchanged blows. Hollywood midfielder Nick Kohlschreiber and assistant coach Jason Mathot were both shown red cards, as was Randolph for the stamp and Legends striker Skyler Thuresson for violent conduct.

With the Legends reduced to eight men and Hollywood reduced to nine (plus two more from the bench), the rest of the game was difficult, with the Legends falling behind the ball to protect their point, and Hollywood pushing forward, looking to secure a win.

Estuardo Sanchez, Erik Robert and Ferguson Agwu came on to freshen up the side and add a little more pace and energy, but it was to no avail, and despite the increasingly raucous cheers of the crowd, neither side could find a breakthrough, and the game ended scoreless.

With BYU unexpectedly losing at home to Orange County Blue Star up in Utah, the result means that the Hitmen and the Legends have now secured two of the three playoff spots, and Ventura County Fusion will secure the third with a point or better at home to the Seahorses Sunday. Hollywood sit at the top of the pile with 30 points, Legends are in second with 28 and Ventura are in third with 27; all have two games left to play.

The Hitmen travel to La Mirada to take on the Southern California Seahorses next Saturday (July 18) and complete the regular season schedule away in Fresno the following day. The playoffs begin the following week; dates and opponents to be confirmed.