Cedar Rapids Rampage win streak halted by Chicago, 7-5

CEDAR RAPIDS - Even in the middle of a landmark season, the Cedar Rapids Rampage still have a Chicago problem.

Chicago midfielder Miguel Vaca scored four goals as the visiting Mustangs rallied from an early deficit and defeated the Rampage, 7-5, in a Major Arena Soccer League game Friday night at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'I would say that we have a problem against ourselves when we play Chicago,” Cedar Rapids player-coach Hewerton Moreira said. 'We had a great first quarter, and I think, so far, the worst second and third.”

The loss snaps a seven-game win streak for Cedar Rapids (8-3), which maintains a one-game lead over second-place Chicago (6-3) in the Central Division. The Rampage are now 0-6 in two seasons against the Mustangs.

'Sometimes a win hides the mistakes that we made,” Moreira said. 'When a loss comes, it's good to wake the team up in order to fix the little things that need to be fixed.”

The game appeared a little too easy for Cedar Rapids in the first quarter. Two goals by forward Tony Walls – sandwiched between an Angel Curiel strike – gave the Rampage a 3-0 lead.

From there, the Rampage went nearly 38 minutes of game time with just one score, which allowed Chicago to claim its first lead less than two minutes into the final frame.

Another Curiel goal briefly tied the game at 5-5 with 9:11 to go, but Vaca gave Chicago the lead for good just over a minute later.

'When they scored the first goal against us, our team imploded a little,” Moreira said. 'It wasn't so much what they did, it was what we didn't do. They have a great team. They have great players.”

Veteran defender Pablo Da Silva collected three assists for Cedar Rapids, while forward Gordy Gurson tallied his team-high 15th goal this season.

Cedar Rapids will get one more chance against Chicago on Feb. 19 at Hoffman Estates, Ill. The club travels west to Washington for a game with the Tacoma Stars (6-3) next Friday.

AT U.S. CELLULAR CENTER

Chicago 7, Cedar Rapids 5

Chicago 0 2 2 3-7

Cedar Rapids 3 1 0 1-5

FIRST QUARTER

Scoring -

1. Cedar Rapids: Tony Walls; 2. Cedar Rapids: Angel Curiel (Pablo Da Silva); 3. Cedar Rapids: Walls (Da Silva).

SECOND QUARTER

Scoring -

4. Chicago: Miguel Vaca; 5. Chicago: Ephraim Beard; 6. Cedar Rapids: Gordy Gurson (Da Silva).

THIRD QUARTER

Scoring -

7. Chicago: Vaca; 8. Chicago: Taylor Bond.

FOURTH QUARTER

Scoring -

9. Chicago: Vaca (Trajche Lostovski); 10. Cedar Rapids: Curiel (Jonatan Santos); 11. Chicago: Vaca (Bond); 12. Chicago: Francisco Gonzalez (Luis Ortega).

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com