US Soccer/USSF D-2 Pro League
Puerto Rico Islanders defeated Carolina RailHawks 2-0 in the first leg of the USSF D-2 Pro League Championship Series at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Sunday.
With the win, the Islanders will take a two-goal advantage into the decisive second leg of the series at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, next Saturday, October 30, at 4 p.m. PT.
The RailHawks will be looking to rebound on home turf next weekend, although no club has come back to win the aggregate goals series from a 2-0 deficit after the first leg so far this postseason. The Islanders and RailHawks split results in Cary during the regular season, with each club winning one of the two matches contested between each other at WakeMed Soccer Park.
After a scoreless first half, Puerto Rico came to life just four minutes after the restart with a goal from Sandy Gbandi. The second half continued with both clubs looking just as likely to score the game's second goal, but it would be the Islanders that took advantage of a counter-attack to double their lead in the 87th minute through Jonathan Fana, with the late goal giving the Caribbean club champions a formidable advantage going into the second leg.
The USSF D-2 playoffs consist of a two-match, aggregate goals series in the semifinals and finals. Away goals are considered a tiebreaker in the aggregate goals series. If both teams are tied on aggregate goals after the conclusion of the second leg, they will play two 15-minute extra-time periods. Penalty kicks will follow extra time, if both teams have not broken the deadlock.
