By Benjamin Peacock It's not the story the Little Rock Rangers players and staff nor the over 2,000 fans in the stands of War Memorial Stadium had written in their minds, but the 2019 season came to an end Wednesday night. The Rangers faced Demize NPSL in the Heartland Conference semifinal four days after meeting them in the final season match. The playoff battle came down to penalty kicks that resulted in Demize's advancement and the Rangers' final showing on the pitch for the year. It was a match in which the Rangers dominated set pieces, shots, and possession, but…
By: Benjamin Peacock Let's start with the good news. The Little Rock Rangers are in the Heartland Conference playoffs. More on that in a moment. The bad news is the Stags dropped the last regular season match to Demize NPSL 0-2 on Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium, finishing the season with a 4-5-1 record. The Rangers looked to come out strong with early shots taken by midfielders Trevor Reed and Jaden Hoth. But it would be Demize who struck first in the 29th minute. Following at 35 minutes, striker Lance Crabtree, freshly minted to Team of the Week by…
The Red Watch – Giving to the City and Club Words: David Barr Soccer in the United States has a flavor all its own. The ingredients are of course the style of play and what is happening on the field but just as importantly the atmosphere. At War Memorial Stadium and on the road on most occasions, Little Rock Rangers have a devoted group who loves their city and club – the Red Watch. “When I was in the process of getting the ball rolling on the club’s creation,” Rangers president Jonathan Wardlow explained. “I talked with the Chattanooga FC…
By Benjamin Peacock It was rematch night at War Memorial Stadium, with the Little Rock Rangers taking on FC Wichita in the penultimate match of the Heartland Conference season. It was a must win match if the Rangers hoped to hold on to playoff and home advantage hopes, and they rose to the occasion, winning 4-1. Coming off a 10 day break while many of the other teams created chaos in the conference standings below them, the Rangers came out firing on all cylinders. Shots were plentiful in the first half. Forward Donald Benamna started it off at 3 minutes…
by David Barr Standings Rangers by the numbers … -This week’s match versus FC Wichita will be the second meeting between to two clubs in 10-days with Wichita winning last week in Kansas. -Top 4 teams in the conference qualify for the post season based on regular season points per game played average. -Rangers have not had a multi-goal game since June 5 when they tallied two scores versus Demize NPSL (3 goals combined in last three matches). -Donald Benamna leads the Heartland Conference with five goals and is ninth overall in the NPSL South Region. -Ben Watson has…
By Benjamin Peacock From Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, KS, the Little Rock Rangers met Heartland Conference opponents FC Wichita in their first of back-to-back matches on Wednesday evening. But the Rangers will be coming home without any additional points, dropping the match 1-2. There were no shortage of shots on goal for either team, including an early point blank attempt by Sabelo, but driving one home eluded the Stags until forward Alex Guadron netted one in the 30th minute for the first goal of the match. Just a few minutes later, Wichita evened it up. Wichita scored again late…
by David Barr Standings Rangers by the numbers … Tonight’s match versus FC Wichita will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season. They will play twice in 10-days. [su_spacer size="10"] Donald Benamna leads the Heartland Conference with five goals and is sixth overall in the NPSL South Region. [su_spacer size="10"] After scoring eight times in their first three matches, Rangers has tallied five-goals in their last four contests. [su_spacer size="10"] Little Rock is 2-2 away from War Memorial Stadium this season. After tonight’s match in Wichita, Rangers will play the remaining two games of 2019 at…
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…