Disastrous third quarter dooms Rampage

CEDAR RAPIDS - A second-quarter flurry made it seem like fortunes had finally turned for the Cedar Rapids Rampage.

A disastrous third quarter put those notions to rest for now.

Chicago forward Efrain Wilo Martinez dazzled with six goals on a variety of strikes to help the Mustangs rally from a halftime deficit and hand the Cedar Rapids Rampage their seventh-straight defeat, 9-7, in a Major Arena Soccer League Central Division game before 2,741 fans Friday at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'This game is a momentum game,” Rampage Coach Jeff Kraft said. '(The second half) was a completely different game from the way we played in the first half. We didn't stick to the game plan, everybody started to get involved.”

Two weeks ago, Chicago (6-2) embarrassed the host Rampage to the tune of a 14-4 drubbing. Early on it appeared that not much had changed as Martinez got the scoring started with two goals in the first quarter.

'He wants the ball in certain situations and one-on-one he's dangerous,” Kraft said. 'He's been doing this for many, many years. Just give him an inch, he's going to find it.”

The Rampage defense stiffened in the second quarter, which allowed the offense to generate four consecutive scores. Cedar Rapids forward Chile Farias assisted midfielder Elmo Neto for Neto's team-high eighth goal of the season, then Farias tied the game less than two minutes later on an assist from forward Hewerton Moreira.

Rampage defender Charlie Bales gave the Rampage their first lead at 3-2 a half-minute later off an assist from Neto, the second goal this season for the former Cedar Rapids Xavier prep. With 6:17 remaining until halftime, Farias was hemmed in along the right wall and lofted a soft pass over the Chicago defense to waiting Cedar Rapids midfielder Sam Guernsey, who found the net for a 4-2 Rampage lead.

Martinez's third goal of the first half pulled the Mustangs within a goal at halftime, then Chicago charged out of the locker room and began the third quarter with four unanswered goals – two from Martinez and two from midfielder Alexis Camarena. Three of the scores were with a man advantage, and Chicago finished the game six of eight on such power plays.

'Do I think we've made strides? Yes,” Kraft said. 'It seemed like their fitness in the end was key.”

Six different Rampage players scored a goal, led by two from Guernsey. Neto added four assists.

Cedar Rapids (0-7) hosts the also-winless St. Louis Ambush Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The winner earns its first win and climbs out of last place in the Central Division.

'We've got to go on,” Kraft said. 'We've got to be better. It's a tough road ahead of us, but I think everybody's up for the challenge. ... The only thing that's keeping us afloat is our fans. They're great.”

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com