In this week’s recap of Minnesotan’s playing professionally: Miller and Mallace see their MLS playoff runs stop short of the final and Akale struggles for minutes in Spain.
Despite only needing a 1-0 win in the second leg of the Western Conference Final, Eric Miller and the Colorado Rapids fell to the Seattle Sounders in their only loss of the year at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids’ defense kept Seattle from adding to their 2-1 aggregate lead for the first half, but a goal in the 56′ by Jordan Morris gave the Sounders the lead that also cancelled out Colorado’s away goal advantage. The Rapids finished the game with 16 shots but failed to get one on target.
Miller started at right back and went the full game. As usual, he was active up and down the sideline sending in a few crosses that couldn’t find a teammate, but did well to help the Rapids finish with the majority of the possession. He had a quiet night defensively and finished with just two recoveries, one tackle, and one clearance.
In the Eastern Conference Final, the Montreal Impact traveled to Toronto with a 3-2 aggregate lead. The Impact added to that lead in the 24th minute, but Toronto responded with two goals of their own before halftime to make it all square. Both teams found the back of the net in the second half to force the game into extra time where Toronto scored two goals within two minutes of each other, sealing their trip to the final.
Unfortunately Calum Mallace was only able to watch from the bench as his team’s MLS Cups hopes rise and fall with the changes in the scoreline. When the team began to make its substitutions they were in need of a goal, something that Mallace is rarely known to add.
Mukwelle Akale came in for a quick 10 minute appearance for Villarreal C in their 1-0 win over Novelda CF which moved the team up to second place in the table. That position did not last long as the team, without Akale, suffered their first loss of the season with a 2-0 result against Ontinyent FC. That loss ended a 16-game unbeaten streak and left Villarreal in fourth place.
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