USL Week 5 honors announced

USL News Release

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TAMPA, FL — United Soccer Leagues announced the Team of the Week honors for the fifth week of the USL season, honoring Cleveland’s Hunter Gilstrap as the USL First Division Player of the Week and Bermuda’s Nigel Burgess as the USL Second Division Player of the Week.

It was a good night for Gilstrap Saturday. Serving as the captain in the absence of Godfrey Tenoff, the veteran keeper responded with an amazing performance in goal that boosted the City Stars to its first point of their debut season in USL-1. [Post-game interview to right]

Mandjou Keita had the Timbers’ first chance of the night in the 12th minute after he picked off a pass across the back, and then fired a long-range shot on target. But Gilstrap was in position to smother the shot. In the 31st minute, a long pass up field found Ryan Pore around the top left corner of the box. He knocked the ball down to his feet and on his second touch fired a shot from 20 yards out. Pore’s shot was stopped by Gilstrap for one of his three saves in the first half.

Defender David Hayes nearly put the Timbers on the board in the 63rd minute with a free kick from 25 yards out. Hayes aimed a shot at the left post and forced Gilstrap to make a diving save that knocked the ball past the endline. Minutes later, Pore had a shot from inside the box knocked down by the outstretched arm of Gilstrap.

In the 78th minute, Portland midfielder Alex Nimo delivered the best chance of the night for either side as he blistered a long shot from the left side on frame. Finding its way toward the top right corner of the goal, Nimo’s shot was tipped over the crossbar at the last second by Gilstrap.

With starter Tim Figureido out for the season with a cruciate knee injury suffered in the season opener, Hogges goalkeeper Nigel Burgess posted nine saves on the night Saturday to lead Bermuda to their first win over Richmond in franchise history and second straight on the season.

The ninth minute saw midfielder Mike Burke line up a free kick 20 yards out. Bending the ball around the defensive wall, his attempt was tipped over the crossbar by Burgess. With the Kickers trailing as the half-way point neared, Matthew Delicâte swung a cross into the box from the left side, finding New York Red Bulls loan Matthew Mbuta in the air. His header seemed destined to level the score but Burgess made a leaping save to keep the Kickers off the scoreboard as they headed into the break.

Four minutes after the restart, John DiRaimondo fired a 30-yard rocket but it was pushed wide by Burgess. Burke set up the resulting corner kick, finding forward David Bulow at the far post but Burgess smothered the ball. A series of near misses occurred when Mbuta fought for four consecutive point-blank shots, beginning in the 71st minute when he attempted a close range volley, only to be stifled by Burgess. The subsequent corner was swung into the mix by Burke, finding Anthony Peters in the air. His header was deflected wide to Ben Hunter who nodded the ball on target but it was redirected wide a second time.

Minutes later, Delicâte collected the ball at the top of the box and fed it through to Mbuta but again, Burgess silenced the attack. Then, just after the 80th minute mark, Hunter received the ball on the left wing and crossed it into the box. Mbuta one-timed the ball but Burgess came up big again to stop his strike. Despite his best efforts to bury the rebound, the Hogges goalkeeper was on his line and was able to preserve his clean sheet. As regulation came to an end, Burke lined up a free kick, deep on the left wing, inches from the 18-yard box. As the ball headed towards the target, a leaping Burgess punched it back out into the mix, keeping the Kickers off the scoreboard to claim the win.

Burgess has emerged as the front-runner to remain the starter for the rest of the campaign, allowing just one goal over the past two games. Last year he saw limited action and gave up 12 goals in 450 minutes while going 1-3-1 in his five appearances.

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