Heat outkicks Cocoa in playoff opener
TIMES STAFF REPORTS
EL PASO - The Laredo Heat is in their first Premier Development League playoff appearance.
And on Friday night the Heat got their first win and a step closer toward the Southern Conference Championship with a 2-1 victory over the Southeast champion Cocoa (Florida) Expos Friday night at Patriot Stadium.
It was first round action of the 2005 Premier Development League playoffs.
The Expos finish the season 11-4-2 and the Heat improve to 10-7-0.
"We played a solid game," Laredo Heat head coach Israel Collazo said.
"We managed to have possession of the ball for the duration and in the end I was very happy with the effort the team displayed."
Laredo plays the winner of the El Paso Patriots and the Central Florida Kraze tonight at 9:30. The Patriots-Kraze match followed the Heat's and Expos game late Friday night.
Laredo got on the board early as Nicho Infante created his own shot in the second minute for the go ahead score.
The Expos knotted the game in the 28th minute when former Major League Soccer player Peter Marino beat Laredo goalie Ryan Shaughnessy for the goal.
The game stayed knotted up at one until the 48th minute when Steve Su knocked in a well-placed pass by Jose Macias for the winning score.
It was the first goal of the season for Su.
The team is going to have a light practice early today in preparation for the Southern title game.
"We are focused, we just plan to recuperate a little bit in the morning and play how we have been playing since I became the coach," Collazo said.
Collazo took over the reins of the Heat June 30, replacing Eleazar Jepsen, who resigned unexpectedly with five games left in the regular season, including two exhibition matches against second division Mexican soccer clubs Guadalajara Chivas and Monterrey Tigres.
Laredo is 4-1 under Collazo, including two exhibition wins.
