Minnesota’s Ben Speas Adds To Personal Highlight Reel

Photo credit: FC Edmonton

Ben Speas has a seminal goal at the top of his soccer résumé – the one he scored that won the championship for North Carolina in the 2011 NCAA College Cup.

Fast forward to last Sunday and Speas may have to revise that résumé and push his most recent golazo to the top of the list. The striker for Minnesota United, who is in his first year in the NASL and with the Loons after four years with the Columbus Crew of the MLS, drew on a combination of instinct, skill, and guile to score his second of the match in a 2-0 victory at FC Edmonton.

In the game’s 55th minute, Minnesota’s Kevin Venegas was preparing for a throw-in along the right touchline. When few options developed, Speas moved toward the ball with defender Mallan Roberts on his back. Venegas bounced the ball to Speas, who flicked it to his right and peeled left around Roberts before striking the ball with the instep of his right foot to the far post past goalkeeper Matt VanOekel.

“Kevin was throwing the ball in looking for someone, I opened up to check to the ball,” Speas told NASL.com. “Once he threw it to me I knew I had a big center back on me, a guy who already had a yellow card and besides, I was in the penalty area. So I just thought that I didn’t want to hold the ball up, he’s stronger than me. I figured to flick it. I knew I would go left and flick right. Sometimes it doesn’t come off. The ball hits the defender or sometimes they grab you.

“Everything worked out just how I wish it worked out every single time. I didn’t know what was behind him, but figured it wasn’t much. Once I turned and saw no one was there, I knew I was home free. If the other center back was coming I probably would have played across to Christian [Ramirez]. It also depended on if the keeper came out. That would have made it difficult to get by him. But he stayed on his line and I was able to flip in it to the back post.

“It really worked perfect. The ball bounced right before it got to me. If it would have been to my feet I couldn’t have done what I did. It was a split-second decision. It could have happened 100 different ways, but it happened the best way possible.”

For his two-goal effort against Edmonton Speas was named to the NASL’s Team of the Week, along with Venegas.

Minnesota which hosts Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night in its home opener, has witnessed a pair of highlight-reel goals already this season. In the team’s Spring Season opener at Carolina, Ramirez scored on a bomb from about 25 yards on his first touch of the season. At Edmonton, Speas put the Loons ahead in the 15th minute, scored the insurance tally and then gave way to Stefano Pinho in the 74th minute.

Pinho, who will face his former Strikers teammates on Saturday after winning the Golden Boot (top scorer) and Golden Ball (MVP) last year, has come on in each of the Loons’ first two games for Speas. Minnesota is stacked up front, with Ramirez, Pinho, Speas, Bernardo Añor and others, which creates a competitive situation for all.

“That’s professional sports for you – there’s always someone wanting your spot,” Speas said. “You have to fight every day in training to get on the field and to stay on the field. It’s something I’m used to. This is my fifth year as a pro. In this team there are a lot of great players, it’s one of the things that drew me here. We definitely have a championship-caliber team.

“There definitely is high quality here on my team, and from what I’ve seen in the first couple of weeks in Carolina and Edmonton. I think the league’s level is high.”

As a guy from the Midwest (Stow, Ohio), Speas said he was searching for a comfortable landing spot after his contract expired in Columbus. Minneapolis fit the bill, especially for his wife and young son.

“Minnesota seemed like the best fit,” Speas said. “I talked to a couple of other NASL teams and a couple from MLS. This is what I was looking for, for my family. This is their life, too. There are always a lot of factors. For me, the most important thing is they’re happy. And if they’re happy I am.”

Add committed husband and father to that résumé.