Winning fans, if not games

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2010 (6012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Alliance Football Club won some fans though they lost both games in the team’s doubleheader showcase matches Saturday afternoon at the MTS Centre.

The results of the two games, played against the Ohio Vortex of the Professional Arena Soccer League, were wins of 5-4 and 7-5 for the Vortex but attracted a crowd of about 2,700 for each game.

Alliance owner Tony Pesce, who took over the team in January, said he was thrilled with the show his team put on for the crowd that included many who had never seen indoor soccer before.

“It was a great atmosphere, the fans were really excited about it and a lot of people I talked to in the crowd had no idea the indoor game was that fast-paced,” said Pesce, whose team is coached by Tony Mazza, who has coached numerous boys’ provincial teams as well as several senior men’s teams in the Manitoba Major Soccer League. “This team has only been together for a short time but there’s so much chemistry between the guys. With the support we got, we were hoping for 3,000 so 2,700 is pretty good, it really showed us that there is a place for us in the soccer community here. We’re going to be back, better than ever.”

The Alliance, which has a 3-7 record, has been playing in Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League in an abbreviated schedule with some of the teams from the nine-team PASL. The Alliance will conclude its season on March 6 in Calgary with a double-header against the Calgary United FC.

Earlier home games were played in the Seven Oaks Soccer Complex but the Alliance brought their game to the larger venue to try to attract more and new fans.

Pesce said the turf, owned by the CMISL, was brought in by truck from Edmonton and took about 10 hours to set up. The two games were each played as two 20-minute halves as part of the double-header. Single games are four 15-minute quarters.

A roster of 13 players is allowed to dress for each game. On the field, each team has six players including a goalkeeper.

“It was a lot of fun. As soon you stepped out on the field, you could feel the excitement from the crowd,” said Alliance goalkeeper Dylan O’Connor, 19, who backstopped his team in the second game. Tony Lupinetti was the keeper in the first game. “It would be awesome if this team can keep going in the community, not just for us but for all the kids. If we can get the support, this team could be something (up-and-coming young players) are trying to reach.”

Goal scorers for the home side included Vasko Komlenovic and Nano Romero each with two in the first game. In the second game, scorers were Andry Giesbrecht, Romero, Kyle Andrade, Komlenovic and Ezequiel Lubocki.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca