SCOTTDALE, AZ (September 28, 2003).
Coming off an overwhelming 5-1 defeat last week against the Sereno 87 white, the Predators looked to rebound against the Sereno Golden Eagles, the top ranked team of the Sereno soccer club. They failed miserably.
The Eagles scored three goals in a ten-minute span in the second half Sunday to rout the Predators 5-1, the second consecutive match the Predators have lost by such a margin.
What was at half time a close contest quickly became a one-sided affair as a flurry of goals by the Eagles in the first fifteen-minutes of the second half--two off defensive miscues�punched the fighting air out of the Predators.
The struggling Predators started well, with Joe Remblance volleying several inches too high from a Justin Copp through ball, and Brian Aguilar forcing the Eagles� keeper to extend fully to tip the ball out with a well place shot.
But twenty minutes into the matches, Predators� forward Joe Remblance, rushing towards goal, collided full speed with the Eagles� keeper who himself had evacuated his goal to intercept the ball.
While the keeper suffered some minor bruises and was able to return to the match, the news for Remblance was more severe as he was assisted off the field with a potential serious knee injury.
Reduced to a single substitution and with little relief from the Arizona mid-day heat, the Predators mounted a series of rapid responses that resulted in corners, but failed to find the woodwork.
The second half kicked off with the Eagles showing rejuvenated vigor, while the Predators looked exhausted and spent from their first half efforts.
The Eagles scored their first goal early.
The Predators would respond with two goals of their own�for the Eagles. The first came off a poor clearance that found the back of the net and the second, off a penalty kick awarded to the Eagles after their forward was taken down in the penalty.
With about fifteen minutes remaining in the match the score was 5-0 in favor of the Eagles.
The Predators averted a shutout with John Flynn�s goal in the 87th minute.
With two consecutive poor showings and surrendering ten goals, the Predators are second only to Babylon who leads the league with fourteen.
Caught in inner turmoil and tied for last place, the Predators problems are mounting, as are the excuses used to justify their anemic start.
AD