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The National Premier Soccer League's North Conference kicked off its 2017 season this weekend with four matches played in Minnesota and South Dakota. In case you forgot to keep an eye on the action, we've got a roundup of what happened across the NPSL North.
Viejos Son Los Trapos 1-2 Minneapolis City
The Twin Cities derby had all the makings of a great match. Play was open and exciting throughout, and 80-degree temperatures in St. Paul made Saturday a beautiful day for local soccer.
City came out swinging early in the match, but the Crows were forced down to 10 men when goalkeeper Matt Elder was sent off just past the 20 minute mark. Elder dashed out of his box to tackle VSLT's Joshua de la Rosa, who was injured during the play.
Viejos took control of the match following the red card, and Minneapolis City were content to fall into a counter-attacking style. Both clubs had goals pulled back for offside, and the match was scoreless at the break.
The Crows found the back of the net first, when AJ Albers headed in a Martin Browne free kick. VSLT were able to find an equalizer a few minutes later when Mark Boquin's skill in the box resulted in a goal.
Minneapolis City's manager, Adam Pribyl, was ejected after a discussion with the referee over a stoppage for an injured VSLT player. The coach was forced to watch the remainder of the match from the stands, but his team was able to score the winner just moments after his dismissal when Javier Alcantara fired a shot into the net.
Sioux Falls Thunder 1-3 Dakota Fusion
The Thunder's first goal of the season came off a penalty, but the Fusion were able to put three goals past the home team in the Dakota Derby.
Med City 4-0 Aris
In what was perhaps the biggest news of the weekend, the Aris delegation from somewhere in western Wisconsin was confirmed to exist, but their ability to play soccer is still in question. Med City were able to get a great turnout in Rochester, including a group of raucous supporters who may rival the Citizens. This was either a statement win for the Mayhem or a normal result for teams facing Aris, we just don't know which yet.
Minnesota TwinStars 1-1 Duluth
This match wasn't streamed, but based off of the away team's coverage, it was fairly even. Both keepers had several saves that kept the final score low. It took a stoppage time equalizer from Duluth's Kyle Farrar to level things for the Blue-Greens. We aren't able to tell if this was a solid point picked up by the road team or a case of points left on the table by Duluth.
Table (Week One):
2017 NPSL North Table Week 1
Team | Points |
---|---|
Team | Points |
Med City FC | 3 |
Dakota Fusion FC | 3 |
Minneapolis City SC | 3 |
Duluth FC | 1 |
Minnesota TwinStars FC | 1 |
VSLT FC | 0 |
Sioux Falls Thunder FC | 0 |
Aris SC | 0 |
Did you get a chance to attend one of these four matches? How do you think your team performed? Let us know in the comments!