Saturday Afternoon in Tonganoxie

Game 5: 16 September vs. Tonganoxie (2-2, lightning-shortened) 

Well, I hate to bring Coach Brown's favorite saying up, but "2-0 is the most dangerous score in soccer." And we certainly proved that today. We needed to get to 3 before they got to 1.  

Tongi is obviously a solid team as they entered the match, 5-0, and they are well coached. Having said that, they barely crossed half-field the entire first half, a half where we failed to finish several chances. So it was that dangerous 2-0 at the half.

And to their credit, we basically went with our starting lineup second half, minus an injured Reid Howard. They got within one on a T-ball and then earned a corner to tie it soon after. 

I did think we responded with some pretty good soccer after they tied it.  So obviously it was disappointing not to finish the match that also offered up possibly two ten-minute overtimes. We seemed on the verge of a goal right at the delay.

My guess is Tongi will get to the final four along with Miege. So we might well see the 4A state finalists in back-to-back matches.

BWhite chose not to name a BWhite Player of the Match; I sure liked the fact that Landon got us 3 second-half corners (and that was half of a half really), each of which could have won the game. I also thought Arquez had a fine, fine game coming up from JV.  He and Weissend teamed for just a great goal, and then Arquez hit the top of the bar on a shot shortly thereafter.

STATS:

First Half:

Saints: Shots: 9 (7) Corners: (Mason, Biggins, Vance 2, Wirt, Arias, Holland) 

38:48 Mason (Holland T's it after overlapping Esteban.)

23:03 Weissend (Morrisette D's the back post)

Chieftans: Shots: 0 (0)  Corners: 1

Second Half:

Saints:  Shots: 2 (1)  Corners: 4 (Wirt 3, Vance 1)

Chieftans: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 0

32:50 Ahlen (Ball is T'ed)

27:35 Caldwell (shoulders in on the corner where we have no one on front post)