The last time Minnesota Stars CEO Djorn Buchholz watched a professional soccer team from Minnesota play for a championship, the game was on television at his mother's home in Sallisaw, Okla.
"I made her get Fox Soccer Channel just so I could see it," Buchholz said.
The year was 2003 and Buchholz, then a member of the Indiana Blast front office, watched the now-defunct Minnesota Thunder lose the title game. Buchholz would later spend six years as a Thunder executive.
Buchholz will be in Florida to watch the Stars play Fort Lauderdale in the North American Soccer League championship series finale. On the strength of last Saturday's 3-1 victory at home against the Strikers, the Stars own a two-goal lead in the two-game, total-goal series. Game 2 begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
A two-goal Strikers victory would force overtime. A Strikers victory by three or more goals gives them the championship.
The Stars' victory over Fort Lauderdale last week was their first in five overall tries this season. With that in mind, Buchholz and coach Manny Lagos stopped short of calling their team -- the sixth and final playoff seed -- the favorite.
"Maybe the public would look at us like that," said Buchholz, not even using the word favorite. "I don't look at it that way. We're one step away but it's a big step."
Added Lagos: "I certainly think we've put ourselves in a good position, but I'm measured in my optimism."
