On the return flight after tonight?s game with Milwaukee, the Baltimore Blast will head back home with another win or loss and, quite possibly, their opponents in tow.
The Blast (2-1) will play back-to-back games with the Wave (1-3) tonight and tomorrow night. The two-game weekend isn?t uncommon in the Major Indoor Soccer League, but the home-and-home scheduling presents an interesting situation.
“Sometimes, we are on the same flight,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said.
All things considered, though, two games on consecutive days in two different cities isn?t that bad if they are with the same opponent.
“It would be worse if we were playing a [different] team that?s been waiting for us on Saturday,” Kelly said.
Last season, the Blast played back-to-back games on four occasions. Only one of those series was with the same team. The Blast beat Chicago in a home-and-home last January, 9-5 and 5-4.
“It?s nothing we can?t handle,” Kelly said.
After an 11-5 win over Detroit on Nov. 17, the Blast used its two-week break for needed rest, as some players are battling nagging injuries. Denison Cabral and Cristian Neagu are likely out for the weekend, according to Kelly. Cabral, who has missed essentially two straight seasons with knee injuries, is battling a groin injury, while Neagu is fighting-off a lower abdominal strain.
The Blast took Thanksgiving off and did some light training Friday before taking last weekend off.
“Monday was a time to get back to work,” Kelly said. “We had a good week of training. … The guys are getting in the frame of mind.”
Veteran forward Guiliano Celenza enjoyed the rest that the break offered. He said it was helpful considering all that lies ahead. The Blast will play six games in December, includingthree straight on the road.
“From here on out, it?s going to be a pretty tough schedule,” Celenza said.
Celenza (Archbishop Curley/UMBC) also said this weekend will be fun, despite the challenge of trying to beat the same team twice on consecutive nights.
“It?s tough to play a team back-to-back,” Celenza said. “If you lose, you have them the next night again.”
