Soccer Fans Roar In Approval As Home Team Makes Epic Comeback Complete With Player Popping Kit Off

York Plagge
Jul 24, 2023
5 min read

Updated: Jul 17, 2024

Ah... a great use for an American football stadium... a fútbol match!

After taking in the Menace match, we were left wondering why it took us so long to attend. The side was founded in 1994 and has won two championships during its existence and the supporters are as fervent as any we have encountered thus far. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening in the Des Moines Metro area.

Four Nomadic Hippies' Fútbol Is Life National Tour

Match Four: USL League 2 Playoff Round Of 16 (7/24/23)

Location: West Des Moines (Valley Stadium)

Score: Des Moines Menace (3) Thunder Bay Chill (2)

W/W Team: Des Moines Menace

W/W Fan Record: 4-1-0

4NH Human Of The Match: Lagos Kunga

As this playoff match between the Menace and Chill hit the 90' minute, it appeared that it would be Thunder Bay (who had held a 1-0 lead since extra time in the first half) heading off to the conference finals while the season of the Menace would be coming to an end. With six minutes of extra time added to the end of the match, Lagos Kunga's game kicked into high gear.

Kunga began the match on the bench, but that didn't stop him from leaving his name all over this playoff match, willing the Menace into the next round.

Kunga and the Menace struck first as Diego Rocha made a delightful pass from near midfield to just outside of the box in front of the goal to Kunga. He played the pass off his chest directly to the right on the foot of Michel Secades (who received the pass in the box). The ball was played right back to Lagos, who hammered home a screamer with his left foot to the upper left corner of the goal to tie the match, sending it into overtime.

After a Leroy Enzugusi goal to put the Menace up 2-1, Lagos Kunga struck again. Shortly after putting a shot off the left upright post, Lagos got another chance to help pad the Menace lead. A misplayed ball by the back line of the Chill ended up on the foot of Lagos, who brought the ball to the middle of the pitch. Moving towards the box, Kunga's patience with the ball brought Chill goaltender Nathanael Sallah out, giving the attacker an opening with the left foot. There was little for Sallah to do and the trailing defenders could not recover in time to stymie Kunga's efforts as he sent the ball into the net for the second time.

4NH Fav Of The Match: Nathanael Sallah

Nathanael Sallah, who started in goal for the Thunder Bay Chill, used the USL League 2 season to engage in high-level soccer during the offseason from his spot as the starting goaltender for NCAA Division I program University of Nebraska Omaha (a current member of The Summit League). Sallah was presented with a substantial amount of time in goal for the Chill, which lent itself to increased success for tender at the collegiate level during the 2023 season.

Although we loved the comeback by the Menace, we felt like Sallah deserved a better result. He had a clean sheet until the second minute of extra time in the second half before giving up a Menace goal, sending the match to OT.

Nathanael and the University of Nebraska Omaha successfully navigated the 2023 Summit League Conference Men's Soccer Championships with two wins en route to becoming an automatic qualifier in the 2023 College Cup (NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament). Sallah's contributions heavily factored into the team's run through Summit League Conference Men's Soccer Championships, as he posted clean sheets in both the team's matches (v. Oral Roberts and UMKC) with ten total saves (seven in the title game). Although the team lost in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament, the season was a success, as the program enjoyed its third overall trip to the NCAA tourney.

Although it is not totally certain where Sallah's career is headed, he has already accumulated a multitude of experience and honors. Sallah led The Summit League in saves per match average during the 2023 season (4.43 per match) and was third in save percentage (.756). He served as the team captain during his time for the Thunder Bay Chill during the Summer of 2023 and was Summit League Honorable Mention All-Conference the following fall. With one more season of college soccer remaining, Sallah again finds himself playing in the USL League 2 in 2024, now for the Ocean City Nor'easters (New Jersey).

Dickhead Move Of The Night: Lagos Kunga Does A Partial Striptease

Ok... Ok... Striptease is a bit strong... but Kunga was pretty enthusiastic about the turn of events of the match in the Menace's favor... So, popping off that shirt was his way to demonstrate this, and the Menace fans sure didn't seem to mind. The referee did, however, and was inclined to take out his precious little yellow card to indicate to Kunga his displeasure. Makes sense...

You see the one guy without a top? That's Kunga.

The fun didn't stop there... as the topless Kunga celebrated with teammates and fans alike. Leroy Enzugusi (who had scored the go-ahead goal minutes earlier) snatched up Kunga's kit off the ground and held it up for the ecstatic Menace fan while parading it up and down the sideline. Kunga did eventually put his kit back on and play resumed.

All the dejected Chill could do was stand idly by and take it while pondering how they let this match slip away. Their season was over and they all realized playing well for 90 minutes isn't enough to win sometimes... because of that pesky extra time.

4NH Best Logo/Kit: Des Moines Menace

First off, the Thunder Bay Chill needs a logo update... it appears the current logo is stuck somewhere in the late-1980s/early-1990s and is not the sort of retro/vintage-looking logo that sports fans are clamoring for. My best estimation is that it was designed by some early graphic-making program that came standard on a Power Mac, and no further updates to said program were ever available. It isn't that we were in love with the Menace logo, but it is more pleasing to our eyes and looks like it is from this century.

The Des Moines Menace had such a fantastic "pride" kit that I felt that I had little choice but to add it to my collection.

The comparison of the kits is much closer. Neither is overly eye-catching, but the Menace gets a slight edge due to its sponsorship by Tostitos. This gap only widens when the Des Moines' alternate kits are added to the equation. They have done tremendous work with their Pride Jersey, and the fact they had some from the past available for purchase at the match (which I indeed took advantage of), the Des Moines Menace win this one.

Now... a quick personal sidebar... Des Moines Metro... wake up and get a new soccer-specific stadium built ASAP. You have been awarded a USL Championship franchise that is just waiting to start in your city. I know that stadiums cost money, but I can't imagine the investment would do anything but be a financial boon to the city. Soccer fans are crazy, and from the looks of the attendance at the USL League 2 game, there is an eagerness for this to happen.