OROSI – In a game that became contentious at times, with tense moments and questionable calls, it proved fitting that the Cardinals first win of the season hinged on one penalty shot.
El Diamante nearly downed Orosi’s chances at victory after Cardinal goalie Brian Garcia stepped out too far in front of the box in the final minute. The referee reflexively raised his penalty flag and set up the Miner’s penalty attempt.
Both sidelines were on their feet as El Diamante’s Daniel Batre took two large lunges, and let loose a booming kick. Garcia didn’t let his best chance to redeem himself pass by and instead secured the ball firmly to guarantee his team’s hard-fought 1-0 victory on Dec. 18.
“We made a mistake, our goalkeeper decided to come out way too early, but he was able to come up big for us,” said Orosi head coach Rey Perez.
This game felt like a true grudge match for the Cardinals. After Jonathan Nemecio’s goal in the 11th minute of the first half, Orosi found themselves involved in a quick and physical shoving match that almost resulted in another costly loss.
Orosi’s defense had played tenacious against the Miners’ offense that pressed the play on the Cardinals’ side of the field for most of the second half. El Diamante continued to dig for points any way they could. The Miners penalty shots proved futile. And the corner kicks got swatted away by walls of Orosi defenders.
And when El Diamante had open looks, Garcia and Anthony Zepeda, who started the game, refused to allow any shots into the goal.
The Cardinals started to lose their composure when the refs penalized them for several questionable calls. With victory so close, Orosi couldn’t allow their emotions to determine their fate.
“I don’t really like to get into the whole referee situation, but I mean, it’s tough at times,” said Perez. “Some calls did affect the game in certain ways, but we survived.”
This could be the one defining moment that gets Orosi’s season back on track. Coming into the game, their 0-8-2 record hasn’t left them with a lot to chirp about. Inconsistent and erratic play has resulted in blowout losses.
During the game, Perez shouted emphatically to his team, “win the first!” The Cardinals had to play consistently the whole game in order to finally win.
“This season, for whatever reason, we only play the first half,” said Perez. “And then it comes down to the second half, and it’s like we forget to play. We finally played a full 80 minute game today.”
The Cardinals complete effort definitely helped them fend off a Miners’ team that came in ready to strike it rich with their own play. El Diamante matched Orosi’s speed on the outside and near the corners. And when the Cardinals started to push them around, the Miners pushed right back.
“They’ve been getting some good results against some really good teams,” said Perez. “We went to the tactical board and we were able to pretty much hold them down, but they have a great squad.”
After Garcia engulfed himself around the penalty shot to secure the victory, the Cardinals jumped into the air and embraced each other as if they had just won a section championship. Orosi truly felt excited to finally have that first win under their belt.
“It feels good man, the boys have been working hard,” said Perez. “There’s been a lot of games where we just kind of slipped up, but they’ve been working hard at practice and they earned it today.”
