El Toro took on the Capital Kickers (aka Budweiser) on Wednesday night with a place in the finals on the line. With a full roster of 21 players at the game it was critical that the Bulls put pressure on the Kickers and stay fresh. This strategy was working great the first 20 minutes or so until some poor marking in the back allowed Omar to get free in the box. A quick strike from Omar left El Toro a little shell shocked and the Bulls found themselves in a familiar 1-0 deficit.
The lead was short lived however as Paul Vance evened the match less than 5 seconds later. Vance took a pass from Ron Thomas off the kick-off and nailed a shot from half field. The Bulls dominated the rest of the half and went into halftime confident they would prevail. The second half saw more El Toro domination as the central midfielders and the back line stifled any Capital attack. The offense did well to keep possession but finishing was still an issue until the 55th minute when El Toro newcomers Nate Markee and Danny Tijerina combined for a beautiful goal. Markee made a brilliant run to the byline and slotted the ball back to Danny T inside the 6 yard box. Danny buried the chance and the Bulls went ahead 2-1.
El Toro continued their domination of possession for the next 20 minutes. Growing more desperate by the minute, Capital began to move players forward looking for the equalizer. With 15 minutes left in the game, Mikey "Twin 2" Farrar was called for a trip inside the penalty area and a spot kick was awarded. Geoff "The Chief" Gale made a great stop but the referee gave Capital a "do-over." Gale stopped the penalty shot AGAIN to preserve the lead. The Bulls defense held up for the remaining of the game and El Toro prevailed 2-1.
In the other match, Cash Now defeated FOGS 1-0. El Toro will meet Cash Now on Sunday at 9pm with the league championship on the line.
Box Score:
CK - Omar, 20'
ET - P. Vance (Thomas), 20'
ET - Tijerina (Markee), 55'
Man of the Match: Geoff Gale
1 comment:
Guys, it felt great to be part of a nice victory that brings us back to where we belong, an opportunity to win another championship. It has been along, trying year. We need to focus on what we can do together and not our or anyone else's shortcomings. Guys let's look forward and not backward.
Geoff
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