Bellevue, WA – July 1 – Sy Hoestra
Midlakes United 2, Tacoma Stars 0
The first point Midlakes earned on the table this season was at an away match in Tacoma. It was a 2-2 draw. But the team’s feeling afterward was that a victory had slipped through their hands. So Head Coach Felix Vu and the squad came in to Friday night’s rematch in Bellevue hoping to notch a win in front of the home crowd.
There was one ill omen early on when midfielder Alex Bazia, a critical part of Midlakes’ success all season, took an elbow to the face. The ref did not call a foul, but Bazia had to come off the pitch right away, and we’re still awaiting results on his post-game medical exams.
Nevertheless, Midlakes play throughout the first half was aggressive and effective. The defense in particular shined, halting most Tacoma plays and consistently thwarting attacks, winning possession in several cases with highly skilled tackles. The back line gave the offense ample chances to make something happen.
And that work eventually paid off. A minute into first-half stoppage time, the Captain Francisco Magaña sent a pass to Patrick Cayelli who fired a beautiful, perfectly spotted, curving shot into the corner of the net for Midlakes’ first goal. Cayelli was not in a particularly good position to shoot, and hardly anyone saw it coming. You can watch the highlight from our live stream here.
Several players were in contention for Man of the Match. Certainly, all the defenders were candidates. But ultimately, the award went to James Lear, whose performance in the midfield was key to Midlakes’ victory. He successfully shaped the teams attacks all game, smoothly channeling play through the midfield to the final third.
One of those attacks came in the 85th minute. Following some explosive movement up the field, Lear took a shot on goal, which Tacoma saved. But the ball rebounded right to midfielder Cooper Brunell who put it in the back of the net for the final nail in the Stars’ coffin. Brunell, who comes to Midlakes from the University of Washington, substituted in during the second half. He menaced Tacoma, frequently taking away possession and controlling play.
And when the final whistle blew, Midlakes had something more than the win to celebrate. It was the first clean sheet of the season. The credit goes to goalkeeper Brian Lanier who started the season as the third-string goalie. He’s been dutifully waiting in the back-up spot since Fred Reiter’s season-ending injury. Friday was his first start, and his first appearance in a league game this year. No one could argue with the result.
