Calgary
Herald: Storm Can't Weather Slow Start
July 21, 2002
Storm can't weather slow start
Player recall adds to
Calgary's woes
Murray Rauw
Calgary Herald
The world
appears to be ganging up on the downtrotten Calgary Storm.
The A-League
soccer club was smacked with another one-two combination on Saturday.
The
club awoke to news that the Hamilton Thunder were recalling the four players
they had loaned to the Storm.
Then, in the evening, the Storm stumbled
out of the starting gate, giving up two goals in the first seven minutes as they
fell 3-1 to the Portland Timbers.
"Apparently, we're headed back to
Hamilton," said defender Sal Borgh who had been a contributor to the Storm
lineup for the past six games. "I just found out before the game. It was tough
to hear."
The Storm had negotiated the rights of Borgh, Matt O'Connor,
Orlin Chalmers and goalkeeper Wojtek Zarzycki for a six-game stint.
The
Storm line is that Hamilton is involved in a playoff race of its own and
declined the request to extend the loan. Zarzycki has played in five games and
will be available to the Storm for another match, but the other three players
have played their last game with Calgary.
"Knowing it was my last
performance in Calgary, I wanted to put on a good performance," said Borgh. "I
wish the result was better, but things just started off horribly. If we could
start over, I'd love to take the first 10 minutes away, but we can't do
that.
"I guess I'll just cherish the time in Calgary. It was a great six
games."
Storm coach Tommy Wheeldon denied that Hamilton's recall had
anything to do with the coaching change in Calgary, although the original deal
was worked out by now deposed Storm coach Thomas Niendorf.
"They're all
going back, but I would have liked to have kept a couple of them," sighed
Wheeldon. "Their owner has called them back and there is nothing we can do about
it. The players all wanted to stay and play, but Hamilton has first call on
them."
With the loss, Calgary's record fell to 1-16-3.
The Storm
did didn't disclose the official attendance, but the Foothill Park stands
appeared to hold an average crowd of about 2,000.
It took less than a
minute for Portland's McKinley Tennyson to open the scoring when he pounced on a
Storm turnover. McKinley also scored at the seventh minute and the Storm were
forced to play catchup.
Portland's Fadi Afash scored in the 30th minute
and Wheeldon admitted he had visions of a rout developing. But the Storm settled
down and Kurt Bosch's goal at the 40th minute gave Calgary hope as the half
ended 3-1.
The game was evenly played the rest of the way.
"It
could have been a big score against us, something like seven-or-eight nil," said
Wheeldon. "The spirit of our lads came through. And there were a few things said
at halftime."
Wheeldon is learning nothing comes easy with the Storm.
Not only has he lost his Hamilton contingent, but Calgary strikers Chris
Lemire and Waldo Dutra have been added to the Canadian under-20 team and they
will depart for Mexico this week for a series of "friendlies" against the United
States and Mexico. They will be lost for three games.
"It's a great
opportunity, but it leaves me exposed," said Wheeldon. "Everything is against us
at the moment, but we'll hang in until the end of the season."
It means
the Storm will have to fill out their roster with players from the Prospects, a
team that struggled in the closing weeks of the feeder Premier Development
League.
© Copyright 2002 Calgary Herald
.
.