The first Major Arena Soccer League Championship series is one that will be remembered throughout the history of the league. The Baltimore Blast and Monterrey Flash battled long and hard for the Ron Newman Cup.
The series started in Baltimore, where multi-point scoring is played, but in a nice turn of events, the system was not needed and no controversy would arise. Neither team hit a long shot for three through the entire game. Both teams played defensively in the first half. Baltimore's league best defense tends to keep scores low, and when paired with Monterrey's stout defense, the result was predictable. Despite the low score and abundance of defensive plays, neither team was penalized with a blue card the entire game.
Monterrey scored first when Armando Teran got a simple redirect goal off the boards. Their lead would hold through the first quarter. Aduato Neto equalized three minutes into the second quarter as William Vanzela, Baltimore's goalkeeper, played a long ball to the head of Neto in the box. Neither team would score throughout the rest of the first half and through the entire third quarter. Baltimore took the lead midway through the fourth when Tony Donatelli put one home. The lead didn't last long as Edgar Flores leveled just two and a half minutes later. The level score would see these two teams into overtime.
The overtime was just as defensive minded as the game. With golden goal rules in effect, one mistake could cost you. Each team had opportunities in the first overtime, but were unable to score with ten extra minutes. With the teams still level, the playoff rules called for a second ten-minute overtime. The teams looked destined to go to a shootout following the second overtime, but Armando Teran spoiled the party with a beautiful back heel goal he was able to roll by Vanzela for the win 6-4 (3-2 by goals) win.
The second game started much like the first ended with defenses holding strong. Neither team scored in the entirety of the first quarter and most of the second. This time is was Baltimore's turn to score first as Tony Donatelli took the lead with an unassisted goal. It took Monterrey a full quarter to equalize, but they did with an Angel Curiel goal late in the third. Monterrey's goal at home sparked the team into championship form as they scored twice more within the opening three minutes of the fourth quarter. Baltimore needed to act fast if they wanted to keep their championship hopes alive. It took less than four minutes for Donatelli to get his second and another minute after that for Juan Pereira to level the match. Max Ferdinand and Lucas Roque both went unassisted for the Blast as the flood gates had opened up on the series. With the Flash down two, it was their turn to answer. Genoni Martinez was that answer with a beautiful restart goal. With less than four minutes left, Monterrey was searching for an equalizer to send this game to overtime, but Roque's second goal put the match out of reach with a score of 6-4. Baltimore's late flurry of goals would force the 15-minute mini-game.
The mini game was played immediately following the second game and picked up where the fourth quarter left off. Baltimore, energized from the late rally and flurry of goals, started off hot with Diego Zuniga scoring in just over a minute. Armando Teran answered with his third goal of the series three minutes later. Vini Dantas found his scoring shoes for Baltimore and reestablished the lead. Another six minutes passed before Hector Vallejo leveled the match for the Flash. Erick Tovar looked to have the winner with his first goal of the series with two and a half to play. Baltimore threw everything they had at the Flash, but were unable to beat the defense. Luckily for the Blast, Diego Reynoso spilled a last second attempt and Lucas Roque was able to lift the loose ball over the keeper to level the match with two seconds left to play. Game three was going to overtime. The overtime was largely controlled by the Flash and the home side looked for a winner. With just over a minute left in the overtime, Monterrey began an all-out assault on the Vanzela's goal that finally resulted in Gustavo Rosales' blast shot into the upper right corner off of a rebound. The scattered and scrambling Blast defense was unable to get a body in front of the shot, and Vanzela was not positioned to make a decent play at the ball.
The Monterrey Flash won the first ever MASL Championship following a solid defensive effort and some overtime magic. Both teams fought hard and it's a shame that one had to lose. The series these two teams played will not be forgotten as long as indoor is played at the professional level and a game of this caliber is sure to start an inter conference rivalry that will be fun to watch for seasons to come.