BY DAN STICKRADT
Communications Specialist | Web And Content Editor | Director of News |
Social Media Director | Interns and Freelance Coordinator
PH: (248) 884-1051
TW: @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
WATERFORD, Mich. – All it takes is one shot to change the complexion of a soccer match.
That was the case Saturday night in Waterford.
It took one shot to open the floodgates and the Michigan Stars Semipro team reaped the benefits. The visiting Stars went on to score three goals in the second half and rolled by Inter Detroit 3-0 at Waterford Mott High School in the second-round of the USASA Amateur Cup.
The Stars will play on a date and time against a soon-to-be announced opponent in the upcoming weeks for its third-round USASA Amateur Cup third-round match.
Rocco Galati (Warren DeLaSalle / University of Detroit-Mercy) scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 49th minute when he caught the Inter Detroit defense napping. Galati turned a fired a high laser over traffic that sailed just under the crossbar on the left side of the goal to give the Stars (1-0-0) a one-goal cushion.
That goal changed the momentum of the contest, which was more like a chess match up until that point.
“I couldn’t agree more that Rocco’s shot changed the game. He was instructed to do that. He stepped in as more as a No. 8 role other than a true six and he was instructed to shoot right away,” said Michigan Stars coach Angela Grillo of Rocco Galati’s goal and style of play. “He had the opportunity, and we trust him to do that. He’s an outstanding player. He can play all 11 positions if we asked him. I love (the versatility) about him.”
Vincent Vultaggio (Rochester Stoney Creek / Rochester University) converted a penalty kick in the 66th minute after a teammate was tripped up in the box, as Vultaggio left no doubt in tucking the ball into the right corner.
Just subbed into the game, Gjon Melakuqi (Utica Eisenhower / Northwood University) added an insurance goal in the 89th minute to cap the scoring.
“We try to possess the ball and as soon (as the other team) breaks down, or we notice a breaking point, we try to make something happen,” added Grillo. “Inter’s a great team, all respect to them. They’ve won the league non-stop, back-to-back, so we knew the challenge in front of us today. All we can do is keep it consistent from here. One result is great, but we’re aiming for the (Amateur) Cup, the MPL (title) and for some big wins this year.”
The Stars went on to register an 14-10 shots advantage on the night, although many of Inter Detroit’s chances and cornerkicks came late in the second half and stoppage time. The Stars also held a 4-3 advantage on cornerkicks on the evening and had a 7-2 difference with shots on frame.
Marko Matovski (Lawrence Tech University grad) notched the shutout between the pipes after registering four saves for the Michigan Stars Semipro.
Inter Detroit is coming off a string of highly-successful seasons but struggled to generate a ton of offense in this game. After controlling play for the first 10 minutes and firing three shots (two on frame) in the first half, Inter was silenced until late in the contest. Most of its six shots and four corner kicks of the second half came in the final minutes of the contest.
“We discussed at the half how dangerous (the Stars) could be on the counter and part of that is organization, figuring things out and making sure we have the numbers to deal with them and things like that and I though the Stars did exactly what we talked about and they capitalized,” said Inter Detroit third-year head coach Ryan Rowe. “They were dangerous in those areas and we just have to be better in those moments.”
(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer of teams or players with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com, or call 248-884-1051. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com.)
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