Rampage Finds Goal, Beats Zodiac

SANTA ANA — Before Sunday’s A-League soccer game with the Zodiac, the Milwaukee Rampage was having big trouble finding the net. Shut out four times in its last five games, the Rampage had only eight goals in 11 games this season.

But Milwaukee found a solution--at least for a day--against the Zodiac’s dilapidated defense, winning, 2-1, in front of an announced crowd of 1,021 at Santa Ana Stadium.

The Zodiac, with three defenders sidelined because of injuries, plan to soon add three defensive players to the roster. It could have used the help Sunday.

Milwaukee scored twice in the second half, spoiling an otherwise dominating performance by the Zodiac, which outshot the Rampage, 21-9. However, the Rampage (4-8) took advantage of its two best chances. The first--the Rampage’s first goal since June 6--came in the 54th minute, on Milwaukee’s second shot on goal of the game.

Milwaukee Coach Bob Gansler said his team hasn’t been playing poorly, but has been losing close games. Sunday’s victory broke a five-game losing streak.

“It’s good that we were able to bounce back,” Gansler said. “We have had a lot of games just like this that we have lost. You need a little good fortune as well as good play and we had that today.”

The first goal was on a fine play. Midfielder Mike Gentile sent the ball across the box to Travis Roy on the right side, and Roy redirected it into the left corner of the net. Zodiac goalkeeper Marco Cerna never had a chance.

The Zodiac (5-6) tied the score in the 70th minute when Gustavo Leal ran onto a long pass from Felipe Rodriguez, broke away from a defender and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Carmine Isacco. It was Leal’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.

But just more than a minute later, the Rampage struck back, helped by some fortunate bounces. With the ball ricocheting around the 18-yard line in front of the Zodiac’s goal box, Roy somehow got a pass to Jon Szczepanski, who was unmarked on the left side. His low shot easily beat Cerna.

In the second half, a shot by Gerardo Laterza bounced off the crossbar. “The chances were there; we just couldn’t finish them,” Zodiac Coach Tony Cerna said. “It was just one of those games, sometimes players have bad days. It’s time to start concentrating on the next game.”

Notes

Rampage midfielder Mike Gentile was taken off the field in the 60th minute. Coach Bob Gansler said Gentile was elbowed in the temple by a Zodiac player and suffered a concussion. . . . The Zodiac will play an exhibition against Pumas de UNAM of the Mexican first division at 7:30 p.m. July 1 at Santa Ana Stadium. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate. Galaxy goalkeeper Jorge Campos, a former Pumas player, is scheduled to make an appearance to sign autographs.