Sunday, May 19, 2013
READING, Pa. – It’s difficult to start a season any better than Reading United A.C. have in 2013. Reading have started the season by scoring thirteen goals and have gone 270 minutes without conceding a goal on the way to earning three wins in all competitions. On Sunday, Reading posted a solid 3-0 victory over the visiting New Jersey LUSO Rangers in Premier Development League action. Goals from captain Steve Neumann, Stephen Baker and Jason Plumhoff and a strong showing from the Reading defensive unit helped to keep United perfect.
The match against the Rangers was Reading’s third in eight days. Head Coach Brendan Burke used the match to rest some key members of the squad ahead of Tuesday’s second round U.S. Open Cup match against the Harrisburg City Islanders. Burke made seven changes to United’s starting line-up that played against FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic, including handing goalkeeper Alex Bono his first start of the season.
Reading again started fast, pressing the Rangers’ defense in early minutes of the match. PDL Player of the Week Mario Pinto created United’s first opportunity, racing into the New Jersey penalty area before crossing to a streaking Shane Campbell. The Rangers scrambled to clear the early threat, but they continued to struggle with Reading’s high tempo passing game.
A Rangers’ error allowed United to get on the scoreboard in the 15th minute. While attempting to close down Reading midfielder Dante Marini, one of the New Jersey defenders handled the ball in the area. Referee Ian Bongaardt pointed to the spot and Neumann fired his effort into the upper-left corner of the goal to stake Reading to a 1-0 lead.
The Rangers did little to threaten United’s back four and failed to record a shot in the first half. They did manage to hold firm defensively over the final 30 minutes of the half to keep the score at 1-0.
With an eye towards Tuesday’s Open Cup match, Burke made four substitutions at the half. Neumann made way for his Georgetown teammate Melvin Snoh. Jonny Dolezal replaced Damion Lowe in central defense while Fatai Alashe made his Reading debut when he came on for Keegan Rosenberry. Pinto would also come off in favor of Penn product Stephen Baker.
New Jersey upped its game in the second half, frequently testing the Reading back four. Following a Plumhoff free kick that forced Rangers’ keeper Rafeal Krauze into a spectacular diving save, New Jersey countered and a low drive to the far post sent Bono diving to his right to tip the ball around the post for a Rangers’ corner in the 56th minute. The big Syracuse keeper came off his line strongly to claim the corner and end the threat.
United would double their lead in the 73rd minute. Attacking down the right flank, Darius Madison worked his way into the box and picked out Plumhoff near the penalty spot. The midfielder took a shot, but it was blocked and rebounded back to his feet. Plumhoff spotted Baker on the left side of the penalty area and the Penn forward buried his opportunity to make it 2-0.
Any chance of a Rangers comeback ended in the 80th minute when Phillip Cunha picked up his second yellow card of the evening and was ejected for a hard challenge on Bill McConnell.
Reading sealed the win in second half stoppage time when Marini worked his way down the left flank before sending an inch perfect cross to an unmarked Plumhoff, who headed the ball home to make it 3-0 to Reading. “I saw Dante winding up and just got myself to the back post. The cross was amazing, I just headed it home,” said Plumhoff.
With the win, Reading sit atop the PDL’s Mid Atlantic Division with six points and an eye-popping plus-11 goal differential. “The six points are huge,” said Burke. “Early season is when we’ve tripped up in the past. Now, we’ve stepped up and taken care of business and done it in style.”
United will look to continue their winning ways when they play fellow Philadelphia Union affiliate, the Harrisburg City Islanders, in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night. Reading will look to avenge a close 2-1 loss to Harrisburg in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup. The match will be played on Reading’s home field, Exeter’s Don Thomas Stadium with kick off scheduled for 7 p.m.