Stars vs. Puerto Rico: Postgame Quotes

It was an exciting night for the Minnesota Stars - a 4-0 win and a playoff place mean that my post-match interview tapes have a background soundtrack of "Celebration," by Kool and the Gang. Not surprisingly, players and coaches alike were positive.

Forward Nate Polak might have been especially excited; he scored one goal and set up another in first professional start, and was named Man of the Match for his efforts. "It's a great debut for me, it's amazing," he said. And he claimed not to have been nervous when he had only the keeper to beat before his goal. "It's just a matter of being confident with myself, and doing what I do," he said.

Stars head coach Manny Lagos said he hadn't told Polak anything to put extra pressure on him before his first start. "He's been playing well in training, he's an exciting young kid," said Lagos. "What a way to get your first pro start and help us make the playoffs."

For the first time in weeks, Lagos could talk positively, rather than measuring his words and talking about the future. "I'm just super proud of the guys," he said. "The fragility of this team is pretty high, but the character is even higher. This was not an easy game for us, considering we gave up some leads in games where we should have won and we tied."

"Certainly we tried to approach the game in terms of getting over the shock of Saturday night.Tactically we changed a few players, and changed how we wanted to play considering we were playing for the second time in four days. At the end of the day, I think it was about getting the guys to believe in themselves about how we can play at home, and it was so fun to see them play with such joy and expression."

"This was more expressive of our team and what we can do. It was a very nice night to end our season here. I thought we gave our fans good, hard soccer."

Lagos didn't want to commit to anything, in terms of strategy for the team's final two road games, but it's clear he has at least somewhat of a conservative mindset. "The thing we have to be aware of is that we have guys on four yellow cards, so if they get a yellow in the final regular-season game, they'll sit out the playoff game. Not this next game but the final game, we're going to have to be careful."

"We're going to assess and see what happens tomorrow night in our league - we'll see where the points go. We're going to navigate how we manage those two games."

On-loan midfielder Jamie Watson was clearly excited to make a contribution, as well. In his two games since joining the team, Watson has scored a goal and had a hand in two others, but more importantly, he's brought a veteran presence to a forward line that's made up of some very young players. "That's one of the things Manny asked me to do," he said. "There's so many great young players, and when you get into game situations, part of it is letting them know what you've seen over the years. Where I play in Orlando, we have a bunch of older players - we kind of coach each other, but here, it's kind of trying to share what I've seen at certain points in games. I'm proud of the boys, for using what was a letdown to turn it into a situation tonight where we killed the game brilliantly."

More importantly, he confirmed that his goal celebration - running to the supporters' section and diving, as a homage to the "YOU DIVE LIKE JAMIE WATSON" chant so beloved of the team's fans - was premeditated. "Of course it was," he said, grinning. "That was Kevin Friedland's idea."

Stars vs. Puerto Rico: Streaks End As Stars Win 4-0

We mentioned all of the Stars' streaks before the match. Call us a jinx, but those streaks are all over now, as the Stars ran the Puerto Rico Islanders out of NSC Stadium, scoring late in the first half and twice early in the second half and winning 4-0.

Straight from the second-half kickoff, Miguel Ibarra pushed down the center of the field, then knocked it out wide on the left for an unmarked Jamie Watson. Watson didn't even bother to take a touch, curling the ball around a diving keeper and into the far corner first time, one of the goals of the year for Minnesota.

(We also have to mention his goal celebration, which will likely go down as the best of the season. Stars fans have chanted "YOU DIVE LIKE JAMIE WATSON" for years, going back to a match in 2005, so Watson - as the Stars supporters waved the scuba diving flag they've reserved specially for him - ran over to the supporters, then fell to the ground in a dive. That's just funny.)

Just five minutes later, Amani Walker drove a shot off the post, and walked away forlornly, looking snakebitten - but only two minutes later, he too was on the scoresheet. In the 52nd minute, Ibarra picked up a loose ball on the right side of the field and swung a cross through the penalty area, where Walker was running to head the ball back across the keeper and into the net. It was his seventh goal of the year - the most by any Stars player in the club's three-year history.

After that goal, the Stars looked to be coasting on the strong south breeze blowing through the stadium - as well they might. Their nine-game winless streak has now become a five-game unbeaten streak. Their place in the playoffs is assured - and they're even into a tie for fifth place with Carolina and a point behind fourth-place Fort Lauderdale (though the former has two games in hand, and the latter one.) Their two remaining games, at Puerto Rico and at league-leading San Antonio, now become battles for playoff places rather than a fight for a playoff spot.

Stars vs. Puerto Rico: Stars Lead 2-0 At Half, Not 1-0, For Once

The Stars are in the fourth game of a four-game homestand - and so far, every game had followed a familiar script: possession dominance for Minnesota in the first half, capped off by one early goal and a handful of missed chances, leading to a 1-0 halftime lead that the team eventually relinquished.

The Stars can be thankful that particular streak is over, though, as Nate Polak and Miguel Ibarra both scored in the first half against Puerto Rico, giving Minnesota a 2-0 halftime lead.

It was the fifteenth minute when Polak, making his first professional start, scored his first professional goal. Polak managed to control a Jamie Watson cross at the top of the area and turn, leaving the defender on the wrong side of goal. From there, Polak took a touch, then drove the ball into the lower-right corner for the game's first goal.

Just before the interval, Ibarra put the Stars into a position they haven't had in some time - a 2-0 lead. Ibarra got loose behind the defense, but could not get a good shot away as he was being harassed from behind and ahead. In the ensuing scramble, the ball popped to the corner, where Polak picked it up and drove along the end line. His cross was turned goalwards by Amani Walker, right to the waiting Ibarra, who punched the ball home from a distance of about two feet.

Puerto Rico, meanwhile, has played the role of the typical road team - content to attack only on the counter and wait for defensive miscues and set pieces. They've had three chances from corners and free kicks, none of them particularly dangerous.

It's the first time the Stars have scored twice in a game since July 12 and only the sixth time all season, and it has them set up for a different second half. They say in hockey that a two-goal lead is the hardest to protect. The Stars are about to find out if it's true in soccer as well - and it's no doubt that's a problem they'd love to have.

Stars vs. Puerto Rico: Three Changes From Saturday For Minnesota

The Minnesota Stars, playing for the second time in four days, are making a couple of changes from the lineup that drew 1-1 with Edmonton on Saturday. Connor Tobin comes in for Cristiano Dias in defense, while Nate Plak gets the first start of his young career, up front with regular target forward Amani Walker. In the midfield, regular central midfielder Neil Hlavaty took a shot in a clash of heads Saturday, and will be rested for this game. Michael Reed comes into the team in his place.

For Puerto Rico, the Islanders will make four changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. They retain Nicholas Addlery up front; the forward's nine goals this season are good for fourth place on the NASL leaderboard.

The teams:

MINNESOTA

GK: Matt Van Oekel
Defense: Justin Davis - Brian Kallman - Kyle Altman - Connor Tobin
Midfield: Jamie Watson - Kentaro Takada - Michael Reed - Miguel Ibarra
Forward: Amani Walker - Nate Polak

PUERTO RICO

GK: Richard Martin
Defense: Edsu Edward - Stephen Deroux - Christian Ideagua - Jay Needham
Midfield: Osei Telesford - Justin Ford - Christian Barrero - David Foley
Forward - Jonathan Fana - Nicholas Adderly

Stars vs. Puerto Rico: Minnesota Tries To Snap Streaks, Clinch Playoffs

The Stars are mired in the middle of a run of nine games without a win, including four consecutive draws (three of them at home) - but still have a chance to lock up a playoff spot.