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| ATTEMPTED THEFT -- Eagle Richard Enns (9) comes out of the shadows to try to steal the ball. Katarina Holland, Christian Learning |
Knights beat Eagles in shootout
The Cambridge boys varsity soccer team defeated Christian Learning by just about the narrowest margin possible in the contest for third place Tuesday afternoon at Cooperative.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie, and the ensuing shootout was tied 4-4 after the normal five shooters had taken their turns. Cambridge won on the sixth shot, 5-4.
Though Cambridge had won both of the two previous meetings between the teams, the Eagle boys had clearly come to play and show that their strong showing against Cooperative in the semifinals was no fluke. However, they were missing two stars, forward Andre Larsen and defender Sylvester Chavarria.
In the opening stages play went back and forth with neither team able to take a lead. Cambridge seemed to have a it of an edge, but Eagles were able to counter and threaten as well.
The Knights almost broke through with about 25 minutes gone in the half as a cross from the left side rolled across the goal mouth, but no one was able to get a foot on it. The Eagles had a similar opportunity, but two forwards failed to connect, and it appeared the game would go to halftime scoreless.
However just a couple minutes before the halftime whistle, a Christian learning corner kick found its way to ground level at the far post and (so it was said) came off Richard Ling's head and Cesar Flores' shoulder. The 1-0 halftime score represented the first time the Eagles had led at the half this year.
With a game this even, it seemed inevitable that things would change and within the first five minutes of the second half, and Knight Mateo Asturizaga lifted a shot that cleared Eagle goalie Wesley Ordonez hands and zipped into the goal for the tie at 1-1.
Unhappy with the sudden turn of events, the Eagles answered almost immediately, Caleb Ropp burying his second goal of the season, and lead swung back to Christian learning 2-1.
Cambridge, unwilling to go home quite yet, turned up the jets a notch and added their second goal. A long free kick hit the crossbar and bounced out to where tenth grader Tadeo Carmona was waiting to check-mate it into the net with a hard volley, tying the score again at 2-2.
Geo Pyung Lim had a chance to win the game with a run in front of the Cambridge net, but didn't get enough on the ball to get it past goalkeeper Jose Luis Ribera.From this point on, Cambridge seemed to tire, but Christian Learning didn't seem able to capitalize on the Knights fatigue.
And the Knights had enough left to launch two more potent chances, one pushed out of danger by Ordoñez, and the other sailing just wide of its own accord. Penalties loomed as the final whistle blew.
The shootout unfolded in dramatic fashion as the Eagles first shooter, Luis Doi, missed, giving the Knights a one goal advantage. The first four shooters for Cambridge all made their shots, as did the next four Eagle shooters, letting Knight Kevin Pulis, the fifth Cambridge shooter, a chance to put the game away, but he missed wide left.
But then Ribera stopped Nick Smith's attempt to hit the right-hand side, and Carmona Cambridge tucked his penalty into the far left corner to bring the contest to a conclusion. end the Eagle hopes of some redemption at the end of a season full of frustration. Shootout scorers for the Eagles were Caleb Ropp, Richard Ling, Richard Enns and Trevor Reed. CC scorers were Alvaro Lopez, Matias Martinez, Fabricio Subirana and Gabriel Alonso.
