Duluth FC vs. Maplebrook TwinStars

Maple Grove, MN

6.19.19 | Game 8

Current 2019 Records (W-L-T):

Duluth: 2-0-2; 4-0-0 at home/on the road

TwinStars: 2-3-0; 1-1-1 at home/on the road

Lineup: Brooks Rice, James Westfield, Alberto Diaz, Jake Starling, Ronaldo Fortune, Carlyle Junior, Alberto Ciroi, George Proctor, Soham Kathuria, Damia Viader, and Julio Neto

Substitutions: Hernandez in for Kathuria, Jacobs in for Junior, Barberio in for Neto, Torres in for Fortune, Condone on for Hernandez, Kowachek for Diaz,

Goals:

’10 – Junior (DFC)

’18 – Westfield (DFC)

’59 – Westfield (DFC)

Duluth registered yet another dominant performance this Wednesday when they traveled to face the TwinStars in search of their fourth straight away win of the 2019 season. A squad largely similar to the one that beat the Dakota Fusion 7-0 in the previous weekend faced a TwinStars side that had managed a 2-2 draw in Duluth earlier in the season.

The first half quickly showed fortunes had changed, with Carlyle Junior scoring his sixth lead goal in the 10th minute after carrying the ball well to the edge of the box and unleashing a deadly strike. James Westfield, however, would not let the golden boot run too far from him, as he scored only eight minutes later to make it 2-0 for Duluth. His goal came after Damia Viader created a chance, but found his shot deflected by the TwinStars keeper. The score would remain the same at half time.

The second half would bring a series of substitutions for a Duluth side that plays a hugely important game this weekend. Westfield would stay on the field and use his time well, scoring yet another goal in the 59th minute after Brooks Rice sent in a perfect low cross.

The TwinStars, at this point featuring both Duluth FC veterans Garga Nyuah and Ivan Adika, would start to hold more of the ball for the last 30 minutes and created several chances. Alberto Ciroi, however, proved able to deny any and all that came his way and secured yet another clean sheet for Duluth. It is Duluth’s fifth of the season, out of just eight games played. Duluth also remains undefeated.

Duluth have now won six games and drawn two and are top of the table with 20 points as of this midweek match. They face one of their toughest challengers on the weekend in the form of Med City. Med City are at 18 points as of the writing of this article, while Minneapolis City are on 19 points after beating the Dakota Fusion 5-2. Duluth will face Minneapolis City in the second to last game of the season at home.

Carlyle Junior, with seven goals to his name in all competitions, has now become Duluth’s third highest ever goal scorer, tying Mally Lumsden for that spot. Duluth’s first and second top ever goal scorers are Kyle Farrar with 18 goals and Joe Watt with 11 goals. In addition, James Westfield and Brooks Rice, each with six, have put themselves in a strong position to join that list in the near future.

Centerback George Proctor was awarded Man of the Match by Head Coach Joel Person after another clean sheet performance that reflected a strong stretch of games in which the Englishman has proved unstoppable in the defensive third. Proctor has served as captain for a majority of the season and played in all but one game, helping Duluth to four of their five clean sheets all season. A constant in the back line, Proctor will continue to be a player to watch for the final weeks of the NPSL North season.