‘Chile’ stars in return, but Rampage falter late

CEDAR RAPIDS – It was the new kids on the professional soccer block against the sport's mainstay Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Center.

The Cedar Rapids Rampage – in just their sixth game as a Major Arena Soccer League expansion franchise – hosted the Milwaukee Wave, a club in their 32nd season with well over 1,000 games played.

League veteran Carlos 'Chile” Farias returned to the Rampage for the first time since the season opener and collected two goals and an assist, but it wasn't enough as the Rampage fell to Milwaukee, 8-6, in a Central Division game in front of 2,609 fans.

'It feels good always to play,” Farias said. 'I love this game. I think that we're getting closer every time.”

Farias, 39, was a 15th-round draft pick of the inaugural Major League Soccer draft in 1996 and won five championships in indoor soccer, the last in 2010 with the Monterrey (Mexico) La Raza where he was also awarded league playoff MVP. Cedar Rapids originally released Farias after the season-opening loss at Missouri due to a team-related issue off the field.

'His play speaks for itself,” Rampage Coach Jeff Kraft said. 'But still, we have to get better.”

The better play was clearly evident as Cedar Rapids' defensive adjustments throughout the week limited the Wave to just two shots on goal midway through a scoreless opening quarter.

Milwaukee (5-3) broke through with a pair of goals in the first four minutes of the second quarter and led, 3-1, at halftime.

Farias helped Cedar Rapids (0-6) rally from a 5-2 deficit late in the third quarter, first with an assist on a Hewerton Moreira goal, then with two scores of his own to knot the game at 5-5 with 7:53 left.

'It's always good when you help the team to score,” Farias said. 'But it doesn't help if you don't get the W.”

The teams exchanged goals late in the final period before Milwaukee surged ahead for good on a Marcelo Fontana goal with 50.2 seconds left. Milwaukee tacked on an empty-net goal in the waning seconds.

Semir Mesanovic and Elmo Neto added goals for Cedar Rapids, the team-leading eighth score for Neto this season.

Cedar Rapids returns home for a pair of games next weekend. The Chicago Mustangs visit the U.S. Cellular Center on Friday, while the St. Louis Ambush conclude Cedar Rapids' first back-to-back dates on Saturday.

AT U.S. CELLULAR CENTER

Milwaukee 0 3 2 3-8

Cedar Rapids 0 1 3 2-6

First quarter - Scoring: No scoring.

Second quarter - Scoring: 1. Milwaukee: Totsch, 2:04; 2. Milwaukee: Ferdinand, 3:23; Cedar Rapids: Mesanovic (Megson), 13:59; 4. Milwaukee: Totsch (Radoncic), 14:32.

Third quarter - Scoring: 5. Milwaukee: Wiedabach, 7:26; 6. Cedar Rapids: Neto (Moreira), 7:35; 7. Milwaukee: Bennett (Radoncic), 8:27; 8. Cedar Rapids: Moreira (Farias), 13:30; 9. Cedar Rapids: Farias (Moreira), 14:03.

Fourth quarter - Scoring: 10. Cedar Rapids: Farias (Neto), 7:07; 11. Milwaukee: Ferdinan (Denissen), 9:20; 12. Cedar Rapids: Kelly, 11:52; 13. Milwaukee: Fontana (Denissen), 14:11; 14. Milwaukee: Totsch, 14:48.

Powerplay opportunities - Milwaukee 0 of 1; Cedar Rapids 0 of 3.

Goalies - Milwaukee: Eisld 32-26; Cedar Rapids: Kapinos 22-16. Shots on goal - Milwaukee: 24; Cedar Rapids: 32.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com