As if a matchup against the defending champions wasn't exciting enough, the St. Louis Cure made the upcoming meeting all the more intriguing after a thrilling week one victory. The 5-2 win over C.D. Gunners lifted the Cure to the top of the BSL Power Rankings, but the Monarchs, ranked number two in the rankings, lie in wait. Can an early season game be more electric? If the Cure plan on making a run for the title in 2010, a win against Montgomery would certainly boost their stock. But how do they go about toppling the kings of BSL? Cure Coach Kirk Lodes is convinced his squad must perform to their highest standard: "The Monarchs will not beat themselves. They are going to score. That is understood. Hoping they have an off week is not an effective strategy. The Cure must attack, attack relentlessly, and hope at the end of 90 minutes they have scored more than the champs. It's the only realistic way I can see us winning." Yes, the Monarchs are going to light up the scoreboard. Omar Cummings and Guillemro Schelotto have been on fire during the opening weeks of the season. Macoumba Kandji is leading a recharged Red Bull team. Cornell Glen and David Ferreira were the lone bright spots for their respective teams during week 1. And Kasey Keller is a clean sheet machine. After a marvelous week 1 win over Union, the Monarchs did not stand pat. The signing of two foreigners (Sunil Chetri and Juninho) further bolster an already intimidating squad. Not only will team leaders Javier Morales, Edson Buddle and Robbie Findley must be on top of their game, but players like Robbie Rogers and Bobby Convey, who both looked woeful during week 1, must contribute. If they don't, a Monarch rout would not be out of the question. Will the pressure cause the Cure to crack or make them stronger? Tune in Saturday to find out.
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