SOCCER (M)

10/3/09 - Royals Fall on a Penalty Kick in Double Overtime

Fullerton, CA- Men’s Soccer found themselves in the familiar place of overtime but Saturday was the first time in four opportunities the Royals did not come out the back end with a tied result.  The Vanguard Lions walked away with the 2-1 double overtime win on the benefit of a made penalty kick to end the match.  Sophomore Danilo Pereira scored the Royals’ lone goal of the day in the 75th minute.

The first ten minutes of the match the Royals (5-3-3, 0-2-1 GSAC) knocked on the door several times on the strength of three corner kicks but could not find the goal.  Finally on the third corner, Sophomore Jesus Ramos put a head on the kick and directed it toward the goal.  However, Lions’ Goalkeeper Trevor Herrera was there to make the save.

Unlike the first ten minutes, the next 30 minutes pretty much belonged to the Lions (5-4-1, 2-1 GSAC) as they fired off six shots and five corner kicks before the Royals took another shot in the 44th minute.  However, Freshman Edgar Bran almost made that shot count after receiving a cross from the right side, controlling the ball and while turning hitting a half volley hard toward the goal.  Herrera made a diving stop to his right to deny Bran and the Royals and keep the game tied at 0-0 going into the break.

After the break, the Lions peppered the goal time and time again but could not get one past Royals’ Goalkeeper Matt Fike who had all three of his second half saves within the first 15 minutes after the break.

The 66th minute found the Royals with a chance but Bran’s header off a free kick went wide left.

Finally in the 75th minute, the Royals did not miss their chance as Bran crossed a ball into the box from the left side that found Pereira who flicked the ball over the head Herrera and just under the crossbar.  Pereira’s fourth goal of the season gave the Royals a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead was very short lived as the Lions responded exactly a minute later as Adam Holstein headed in the equalizer off a free kick from Tomislav Colic.

The Royals had a chance to break the tie in the 80th minute when they went on a counter attack after a Vanguard corner.  Freshman Matt Howard lead Bran with a pass behind the defense and Bran hammered a good look wide right.

After two shots by Vanguard sailed high, the Royals found themselves in overtime for the third time in the last four games.

Bran had a chance on a semi-breakaway to end it but his shot sailed high in the first overtime.

The second overtime almost ended as soon as it started.  Colic took the opening kickoff for the Lions and hit a shot from the mid field stripe that was headed into the goal just under the crossbar before Fike reached up and knocked it over the top.

After the ensuing corner kick, the Royals were never able to clear the ball into the Lions end of the field and thirty seconds later a ball was played into the box for a Lions player who was pushed to the ground by a Royals defender.  Colic hit the game winning penalty kick into the left side of the net and the Lions walked with the 2-1 win.

The Royals will play the second of three straight home games on Tuesday against The Master’s with kick-off scheduled for 3:00 pm.

>> Back to Men's Soccer Home Page