When the Baltimore Blast opened their title defense on the road against the expansion Detroit Ignition earlier this month, coach Danny Kelly warned that the Ignition isn?t your typical expansion team.
Armed with a handful of Major Indoor Soccer League all-stars and starters from the league?s other teams, Detroit took advantage of a weak first half by the Blast in an 8-6 win.
“They have a lot of good players,” Kelly said. “Everybody wants to call them an expansion team, and they are, but they were able to pick starters off every team in this league.”
The Ignition have bolted out to a 2-0 start with a fresh roster. Meanwhile, the Blast (1-1) have rotated a few roster spots through the seasons first two weeks, and this week will get a jolt with the return of forward Machel Millwood.
“He?s big, he?s strong and he can beat guys one-on-one,” Kelly said of Millwood, who scored the championship-winning goal in St. Louis last year. “He?s left-footed, which gives us another option on free kicks. He?s still young; he?s still learning the game.”
Millwood?s return will create a numbers issue for Kelly, who will sit forward Tarik Walker for tonight?s game. The Blast can dress 16 players, including two goalkeepers.
Other than Adauto Neto?s long-term knee injury, only Christian Neagu (abdominal strain) is battling injury.
“We?ve got your usual bumps and bruises, but overall we?re pretty healthy,” Kelly said.
Kelly said the biggest detriment in the season opener against Detroit was a slow start. But the Blast erased any concern that slow starts would be a continual concern with last Saturday?s home opener, using an eight-point first quarter to defeat Chicago, 18-12.
Guiliano Celenza (UMBC/Archbishop Curley) had a hand in that start, with a hat trick in his back pocket by the end of the first frame. For his efforts, Celenza was named the MISL offensive player of the week.
NOTES: The Blast signed defender Rey Martinez and Walker within the past week and waived midfielder Steve Fell (Towson) and defender Graham Munro.
BLAST VS. IGNITION
» When: Tonight, 7:35 p.m.
» Where: 1st Mariner Arena
» Radio: WCBM AM 680
