A last-minute goal and then a gift from the post helped Juan Diego secure its 10th straight victory on Wednesday night.
The gift came on the final kick of the game as Ogden’s fifth penalty kick caromed off the right post, punctuating a 3-2 edge in the shootout after the teams remained even at 2-2 after 100 minutes of soccer.
It was a particularly tough loss for visiting Ogden as it was less than a minute away from snapping Juan Diego’s winning streak, but it conceded a penalty kick on a foul in the box with just 43 seconds remaining on the clock.
Juan Diego’s Tekaki Sangue calmly stepped up and buried the PK to send the game into overtime despite his team going down two goals just 12 minutes into the match.
“There is a calm assertive energy, but they never really lost their heads. Even when there was five minutes left in the game you didn’t feel a sense of panic,” said Juan Diego co-head coach Joseph Alamilla.
“It just says that we don’t panic. There’s an expectation of the way we play, the way we move the ball around, and just an expectation to win. That wasn’t there two years ago, that wasn’t there a year ago.”
Ogden had the best chance in overtime on a breakaway, but the shot was chipped just wide of the post. Despite playing a man down in the second overtime after a red card, Ogden still created its fair share chances as Juan Diego wasn’t that threatening despite the man advantage.
In the shootout, Juan Diego keeper Matthew Osmundson and Ogden keeper Josh Whelan both stopped two of the first four shots they faced, sending it to the fifth round tied 2-2.
“We have one of the best keepers in the state. He’s won championships for his club, national championships, so having our keeper back there is phenomenal. All hats off to him, he’s a wild man. His forte is stopping shots,” said Alamilla.
Juan Diego went first in the fifth round, and Michael Durazo calmly stepped up and hammered his shot straight up the middle as Whelan dove to his right.
Durazo has played sparingly in varsity this year as he works his way back from a fractured ankle. He again saw limited action on the field against Ogden because of the physical nature of the game, but Juan Diego’s coaching staff made sure to put the lefty at the fifth spot in the shootout because of his clutch mentality.
On Ogden’s fifth kick, Osmundson got a little help from the post to secure the team’s second victory of the season in a shootout.
In the previous region meeting between these teams last month Juan Diego scored three second-half goals on to pull away for the 3-0 win. In the rematch, Ogden had a dream start in its bid for the upset.
Eli Paredes scored on a volley in the eighth minute giving the Tigers the 1-0 lead, and then four minutes later Eric Estrada buried a penalty kick for the 2-0 advantage.
Juan Diego didn’t panic despite the early deficit and patiently started creating chances later in the half. It finally capitalized just before halftime as Max Merhi headed in a cross from Keegan Gilbert to whittle the deficit to 2-1 at the break.
“Getting that one back gave us the momentum going into the half, and I think on the other side I think forced them to change their game plan starting out the second half,” said Alamilla.
It wasn’t until the final minute of regulation that Juan Diego broke through for the equalizer, sending the game into overtime.