STUDIO ROUTS DFW TO OPEN 2007-08 PASL SEASON
Dec 1rst Game Report-
With a flurry of four goals early in the fourth quarter and team captain Patrick Shamu leading from the front with a hat trick, The Soccer Studio opened its 2007-08 Premier Arena Soccer League season Saturday night with a 14-4 rout of the DFW Tornados at American Indoor in Carrollton .
In its first game since winning the PASL’s International Championships in Mexico in March, Studio looked sharper and fitter than their local rivals, dominating possession for long stretches and never trailing after Shamu’s first two goals produced a 4-0 lead.
Studio’s superiority and endurance then showed most at the finish. After Vassar Cates—one of Shamu’s former Dallas Sidekicks teammates—drew DFW within 6-4 entering the final period by scoring from a well-worked free kick, Shamu and Jamie Harrigan struck with goals in the first 90 seconds of the fourth to put the PASL champs in firm control.
Shamu scored first with a left-footed drive after his powerful run along the left boards and Harrigan stroked in a low shot from the top of D after a good Studio buildup.
Two more goals quickly followed to seal the victory. Ezequiel “ Willow ” Alvarez made it 12-4 by finishing off a long run out of defense and cross from Justin Clark at the far post and Harrigan added his second with a tap-in on a power play after a killer pass from Daniel Dobson.
Dobson, who has MLS experience with the Kansas City Wizards, also scored a goal in the third quarter and nearly found the net with an audacious bicycle kick in the first. Alan Smith, Stephen Ambrose and midfield general Franck Mbemba were all unlucky not to add goals after combining to produce numerous shots that pinged off various posts.
Coach Roderick Scott’s side underlined its dominance at the finish, capping a fine defensive display by holding DFW scoreless for the last 1:45 despite playing two men down. Dobson, Mbemba and Dallas Burn-ex Juan Sastoque formed a three-man wall in front of Brazilian goalkeeper Raoul Andez to kill off the Tornados’ 5-on-3 power play.
Studio (1-0-0) returns to American Indoor for its next game Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. against Tyler Threat FC.
The PASL is the official developmental league of the Major Indoor Soccer League and uses MISL multi-point scoring rules. Goals scored inside the red line count as two-point goals and goals scored from beyond the red line count as three-point goals.
STUDIO 14, DFW TORNADOS 4
STUDIO GOALS: Shamu 3, Harrigan 2, Dobson, Alvarez
STUDIO LINEUP
5 Franck Mbemba
6 Jonathan Knowles
7 Garrett Gable
8 Stephen Ambrose
9 Ezequiel Alvarez
10 Renalto Pereira
11 Jamie Harrigan
12 Thomas Hariju
13 Daniel Dobson
14 Jon Waters
15 Justin Clark
16 Juan Sastoque
17 Alan Smith
18 Patrick Shamu
19 Diego Garcia
GK Raoul Andez
GK Joe Wagner
For more information, visit www.thesoccerstudio.com or www.arenaleague.com
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