Former Xavier prep Charlie Bales drills two goals for victorious Cedar Rapids Rampage United

CEDAR RAPIDS – Back when he played soccer at Cedar Rapids Xavier, teammates referred to Charlie Bales as, 'Da Leg.'

'Da Leg' put on quite a show Saturday night for the Cedar Rapids Rampage United.

Bales drilled two long free kicks for scores in the second half as the Rampage United won their second game in a row, 3-2, before an estimated crowd of 500 fans at Coe College's Clark Field.

'We pretty much know if I'm stepping up to the ball what's to be expected,' Bales said. 'When we get those free kicks, I start jogging up the field and I'm pretty confident. You'll see me, when they blow that whistle I'll start smiling and do my little jog up there. So I wait all game for those. I've been practicing those since I was 10 years old.'

Bales' free kicks connected from 35 and 30 yards out, respectively. The first found a crease in the defense, while the second pounded the Madison goalkeeper in the hands but carried past the line for a 3-1 lead in the 73rd minute.

'Fortunate enough for two to go in tonight, help the team get the win,' Bales said. 'There's a lot of good fans out here. Got all my FC United kids watching, so I promised them I'd score a goal so I got two.'

Cedar Rapids (2-1-1, 7 points) trailed, 1-0, at halftime when Madison forward Alex Bradley somehow found the net nearly four minutes into the game with a 45-foot launch shot through a downpour and over the outstretched arm of Cedar Rapids goalkeeper Alexis Apodaca.

'We thought that we had the ball, we didn't,' Rampage United Coach Hewerton Moreira said. 'It was a beautiful shot. It was a heck of a shot. The guy deserved the goal.'

Cedar Rapids controlled the action to begin the second half, and it quickly reaped rewards as forward Alex Megson collected the ball from a scrum in front of the Madison goal and tied the game, 1-1.

'I just staked my run to the middle first, then checked back to the outside,' Megson said. 'So I lost my defender on the inside. Out of my peripheral I saw the goalie, he was coming middle so I hit the near post.'

Italian goalkeeper Patrizio Paradiso kept Madison scoreless in the second half until a penalty kick by Taylor Pill pulled Madison within 3-2 in the 84th minute.

Second place in the Premier League of America West Division will go to the victor when Cedar Rapids hosts Minneapolis City SC Friday at Clark Field.

AT CLARK FIELD

Cedar Rapids Rampage United 3, Madison 56ers 2

Goals – M: Alex Bradley, Taylor Pill. CR:

Alex Megson, Charlie Bales 2.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com