Stars launch franchise with a win

Of all the updates made to the National Sports Center soccer stadium in Blaine, the most prominent was the new scoreboard in the southeast corner.

Trenton Olson, a 13-year-old Lakeville soccer player, was assigned the duty of updating the scoreboard in the NSC Minnesota Stars inaugural home opener played Saturday against FC Tampa Bay. After a brief tutorial on how to change the 4-foot tall placards, Olson waited to see if the NSC Stars would put him to work.

In the 33rd minute, NSC Stars midfielder Leilei Gao scored on a penalty kick, setting off a player celebration near the scoreboard and Olson. Gao's goal held up as the game-winner in the Stars' 1-0 victory played before an announced crowd of 2,310.

"I really wanted this to be a special night for the players," coach Manny Lagos said. "We weren't as sharp as we could've been in the second half but the guys were committed to finding a way to win."

The Stars (2-2) rose from the ashes of the Minnesota Thunder, which saw its 20-year history end in financial ruin. Players were released from their contracts shortly after last season. Defender Andres Arango, who joined the Thunder in 2008, said the excitement of playing for the Stars washed away the hard feelings of seeing the Thunder disappear.

"It's a fresh start," said Arango, who made key a slide tackle to knock the ball away near the Stars' goal late in the second half. "We wanted to forget the past, start this organization brand new and get it to the highest level we can."

Asked to choose his favorite new amenity, Arango picked the scoreboard which he helped keep clear of FC Tampa Bay goals.

"The scoreboard is unbelievable," Arango said. "You could barely see the one we had the past few years -- it was kind of embarrassing."

Saturday's game was played about four months since the NSC Foundation's mid-January announcement of team ownership. Preparations for the stadium, many of which were completed this week, included painting, installing the scoreboard and finishing the beer garden.

"As we said in a staff meeting this week, this was our finest hour," NSC chief communications officer Barclay Kruse said. "We've never done anything like this. We've put on big events but we've never run a professional franchise."

The effort was not lost on the players, who went from worrying about their careers to being part of a grand re-opening of soccer.

"This offseason was probably the most tumultuous I've endured as a pro," player-coach Kevin Friedland said. "But the NSC has stepped up and shown a commitment to soccer in this state. Something special is being built here, and it's fun to be a part of it."