By Benjamin Peacock It was a story of missed opportunities at War Memorial Stadium Saturday evening, leading to a 1-1 draw for the Little Rock Rangers and Club Atletico St Louis. The Rangers conference record now stands at 3-3-1, tenuously holding the Rangers in second place in the Heartland Conference (with Demize NPSL one point behind but with an extra match to play). The first half was dominated by possession trades and plenty of passing, but few shots on goal. Defenseman Andy Stewart shined on the back line making several saves in the penalty box to keep the scoresheet clean…

by David Barr Standings   Rangers by the numbers … Rangers striker Donald Benamna currently sits fifth in the NPSL South Region in goals scored with five. Benamna also is sixth in the Region averaging one-goal per contest through Little Rock’s first five matches. Ben Watson is among 10-players who have started every game so far this season for their respective clubs in the South Region. Little Rock sits second in the Heartland table with nine-points The Rangers have scored the second most goals in the conference so far with 12 – one tally behind table leader Tulsa Athletic. Rangers…

By David Barr Goals by Gustavo Vargas (14’) and Alex Harris (62’) propelled the Heartland Conference leading Tulsa Athletic to a 2-1 win over Little Rock Rangers at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock Saturday evening. Multiple chances on corners failed to connect and a missed penalty kick in minute 57 that was saved by Tulsa keeper Bryson Reed of off the foot of Andy Stewart all added up to a frustrating evening in the capital city for Rangers. “We did not execute in order to get a shot on goal,” Rangers manager Will Montgomery said after the loss speaking…

Storms pass, rivers crest, referees are found, and the Little Rock Rangers traveled to Springfield, MO to make up a cancelled match against Heartland Conference rivals Demize NPSL on Wednesday night. The Rangers won 2-0 and now hold second place in the conference with a record of 3-2. The Stags were extremely aggressive from the starting whistle taking early shots before the clock reached double digits.  Possession was primarily theirs for most of the first half. This paid off in the 24th minute with a beautiful pass from forward Alex Guadron to Donald Benamna to give the Rangers the early…

The second half to the Downriver Derby took place in Springdale, AR with Ozark FC coming out on top for the match 2-1. The derby and Moonshine Jug trophy go to Little Rock Rangers on goal aggregate for 2019. As the Arkansas River rises and our thoughts are with the people affected, the two teams met at Har-ber High School with a first half that really just did not see a whole lot of aggressive action. From the vantage point of a Facebook Live stream via a cellphone (the host team did not have a stream available), it seemed the…

By Benjamin Peacock The Little Rock Rangers defeated Club Atletico St. Louis in a Heartland Conference match at United Sports Legacy Training Center on Thursday evening, 4-1. The Rangers now own a 2-1 conference record. The first half certainly did not foreshadow the end result, as the Bluebirds stayed a step ahead of the Stags, beginning with a shot on goal at 3'. There was an exchange of shots, with Rangers goalkeeper Walid Birrou saving four in the first 25 minutes. But then, Club Atletico struck from the corner, sending the ball off Rangers defender Ben Watson and into the…

By: Benjamin Peacock On a gorgeously cool Mother's Day evening at War Memorial Stadium, the Little Rock Rangers defeated Heartland Conference rivals Ozark FC 3-1. The Rangers got on the board early with a smooth left wing pass from Donald Benamna to striker Alex Guadron. Guadron drove the ball in from the left corner of the 6 yard box to the upper right corner of the goal to make it 1-0 Rangers. There were plenty of opportunities for Ozark in the first half, particularly for set piece goals, but a solid defensive effort and keen goalkeeping by Walid Birrou kept…

By Ryan Stallings The Little Rock Rangers arrived in Oklahoma this past weekend looking to carry their unbeaten streak in the preseason through their first Heartland Conference match against rival Tulsa Athletic. Tulsa came into the match looking to cut short Little Rock’s two-game win streak against them, while the Stags were intent on finding their first positive away points versus the A’s. The opening minute was a textbook sequence for the visitors, dominating the possession with several disciplined passes, resulting in a shot on goal early that was collected by the Tulsa GK. The A’s came right back, collecting…

The Little Rock Rangers announce the 2019 roster. With the series of pre-season matches behind them, head coach Will Montgomery and his staff have made a solid roster of returning and new players alike. Ever on the road visiting matches to watch the talent from across the state, Montgomery concentrates on assessing the roles the team needs and then inviting players to be evaluated in training sessions and matches in pre-season. The team hosted open tryouts in December 2018, as well. The National Premier Soccer League allows for a 28-man final roster. Under certain circumstances, like for injury, the team…

The Little Rock Rangers pre-season came to a close with a 1-1 draw against Bugeaters FC of the United States Amateur Soccer Association visiting from Nebraska. This was the third of three friendlies the Rangers played at War Memorial Stadium. The first half featured much more action than the Rangers saw in their previous two matches, especially for goalkeeper Walid Birrou, who in the prior weeks saw no more than three touches in a match. Defense shined on both sides the majority of the first half. There was plenty of fast-paced, physical, back-and-forth action with several shots taken on both…