Abrupt End
Amber Guerrero | Multimedia Editor
Rio Hondo knocks out #4 seed Corsairs in first round of men’s soccer playoffs.
The Corsairs men’s soccer team played against the Rio Hondo College Roadrunners on Nov. 18 in their first regional playoff game at Corsair Field. While the Corsairs tied with the Roadrunners 3-3 at the end of regulation and extra time, they ultimately lost the penalty kicks session 6-5, which decided which team advances in the playoffs.
Before the game, the team was buzzing with excitement. “We definitely go into every game excited. Even today, I was confident. I always go into the game comfortable — I never go in too serious because you always need to have fun at the end of the day because that’s what it’s all about,” said forward Philip Hephzibah.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, the first half did not start well for the team, with the Roadrunners scoring two goals in the first 30 minutes of the game. Both teams, as well as the crowd, appeared unhappy about certain calls made by the referee, and a few players ended up injured by intermission. The Corsairs finished the first half down 2-0.
When asked about the rough start, Head Coach Tim Pierce said, “I thought, unfortunately, we came out and did not start the game well, and had a really awful first half. I think we were a bit nervous, and we did not complete passes or play nearly to the level that we were capable of playing, so I was bummed out about that. But we got into the locker room at halftime, and we had a nice conversation with the boys, and they came out and had a heck of a response.”
While the start did seem troubling, the Corsairs picked it up in the second half. Hephzibah scored an early goal, followed by nearly fifteen minutes of more conflicts, injuries, and substitutions. Defender Jose Arias then scored another point, catching up to the Roadrunners. From there, things were looking up for the Corsairs. It was towards the end when the Roadrunners scored once more. With six minutes left, forward Jose Urdiano balanced the scoreboard out with one more goal, bringing the final score to a tie at 3-3.
“We won the second half 3-1,” said Pierce, about the turnaround in the second period. “We lost the first half 2-0, final score 3-3, and the boys battled. We came up with some spectacular goals. It was a bummer to give up a goal when we got to 2-2. I thought we had all the momentum and I thought we were going to go on and win the game 3-2, but then we got scored on again. Then it was just grit and fight until the end.”
After the tie, two extra fifteen-minute halves were added, in which neither team scored any additional points. The final penalty kicks session decided which team advanced in the playoffs, and after scoring five consecutive kicks, the Corsairs lost to the Roadrunners’ six.
