Games 8 and 9: Redemption and Heartbreak

The Duncan Indios have been Ada's nemesis for a long time. They are good. When we played them during the first week of the season, one month ago, they beat us 6-3. Ten minutes into the game, Emilio goes in at forward, charges hard, and leaps over a slide tackle. The photos below were taken by the parents of other team members.

Two minutes later, Sam drives through the center of the Duncan defense and puts us up 1-0.

Emi is still charging hard ten minutes later when he absorbs another slide tackle. 

Three minutes later, Emi makes a great pass to Caden, but the Duncan keeper just manages to thwart Caden's shot.

After Duncan gets on the board to narrow the score to 2-1, Isaiah draws a foul in the box, and Coach Vaughn sends Sam in to take the penalty. He nails it, and we go into the half up 3-1.

In the second half, Emilio gets time at center mid.

Late in the second half, Emilio is not in when Duncan scores and then, moments later, scores again to tie the game 3-3. 

Hoping for a late score, Coach Vaughn sends Emilio in at forward.

In the 88th minute, Taylor launches a hard shot on the goal that the Duncan keeper bats down. Emilio rushes in and back heels the ball towards the net. The ball rebounds off the prone keeper and finds Isaiah, who gets off the shot that puts Ada back up: 4-3. 

In the final minute of play, Emilio is still charging hard when the Duncan keeper trucks him. Never one to lie on the ground, Emilio gets up, the game is over, and the upset win is ours!

Immediately after the game, we head to Midwest City for a U-16 battle against a 4-0 unbeaten that had Avoiding traffic jams on I-40, we make it to the field just before kickoff.

Midwest City had put up 54 goals in their first 4 games and only given up 2, but at halftime, we're down 1-0.

Midway through the 2nd, Noah scores to tie the game 1-1.

One minute after Noah scores, Emilio delivers a cool pass to Caden, whos sails a shot over the post.

Midwest City then goes up 2-1.

Twenty-one minutes later,  with three minutes to go in the game, Emilio delivers a clever pass to Noah, but a Midwest defender rushes in to stymie our last chance at victory.

And so the day ends with heartbreak.

We've got two more games tomorrow.