Briley Guarneri guessed the wrong way. It didn’t matter.
The FC Tucson goalkeeper watched the ball smack off the post in the fourth round of a penalty kick shootout on Friday night, sealing the club’s 3-1 win in the PK shootout to defeat FC Golden State Force in the Western Conference semi-final at Rio Hondo College in Whitter, Calif.
Guarneri’s teammates flooded the pitch and washed over him, the emotions of a two-goal comeback and extra time thriller released in an instant as FC Tucson booked a place in the Western Conference Final for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
FC Tucson was floundering an hour earlier with its season on the brink.
Though Tucson created a string of chance in the opening half against FC Golden State Force – the top seed in the Western Conference — it was the hosts that jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead, scoring goals in the 20th and 26th minutes. FC Tucson appeared to have scored just moments before halftime when midfielder Angel Heredia poked in a rebound, but he was ruled offside and the goal was negated.
In the 63rd minute, Heredia got FC Tucson back in the game. A cross from the right flank found midfielder Dalton Pando in the box, who thought about shooting before turning and delivering a perfect drop pass to Heredia in the middle of the area. Heredia looped a low strike into the bottom corner, cutting the FC Golden State Force advantage in half.
The equalizer wouldn’t come until the death.
In stoppage time, midfielder AJ Valenzuela got to a loose and bouncing ball in the box, launching himself into the air to unfurl a bicycle kick that caught the Golden State keeper by surprise and bounced into the lower left corner, a miracle strike that saved the club’s season.
After a scoreless 30-minute extra time period, FC Tucson forward Damian German opened the penalty shootout but had his attempt saved. After German though, three Tucson players converted in a row, while just one of FC Golden State Force’s four penalty takers scored and two hit the woodwork, including the final and deciding kick of the night.
FC Tucson will try for its first conference championship tomorrow night when it faces Calgary Foothills FC – the Northwest Division Champion that won the other Western Conference semi-final on Friday night with a late goal of its own – at 7 p.m. back at Rio Hondo College.
Briley Guarneri guessed the wrong way. It didn’t matter.
The FC Tucson goalkeeper watched the ball smack off the post in the fourth round of a penalty kick shootout on Friday night, sealing the club’s 3-1 win in the PK shootout to defeat FC Golden State Force in the Western Conference semi-final at Rio Hondo College in Whitter, Calif.
Guarneri’s teammates flooded the pitch and washed over him, the emotions of a two-goal comeback and extra time thriller released in an instant as FC Tucson booked a place in the Western Conference Final for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
FC Tucson was floundering an hour earlier with its season on the brink.
Though Tucson created a string of chance in the opening half against FC Golden State Force – the top seed in the Western Conference — it was the hosts that jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead, scoring goals in the 20th and 26th minutes. FC Tucson appeared to have scored just moments before halftime when midfielder Angel Heredia poked in a rebound, but he was ruled offside and the goal was negated.
In the 63rd minute, Heredia got FC Tucson back in the game. A cross from the right flank found midfielder Dalton Pando in the box, who thought about shooting before turning and delivering a perfect drop pass to Heredia in the middle of the area. Heredia looped a low strike into the bottom corner, cutting the FC Golden State Force advantage in half.
The equalizer wouldn’t come until the death.
In stoppage time, midfielder AJ Valenzuela got to a loose and bouncing ball in the box, launching himself into the air to unfurl a bicycle kick that caught the Golden State keeper by surprise and bounced into the lower left corner, a miracle strike that saved the club’s season.
After a scoreless 30-minute extra time period, FC Tucson forward Damian German opened the penalty shootout but had his attempt saved. After German though, three Tucson players converted in a row, while just one of FC Golden State Force’s four penalty takers scored and two hit the woodwork, including the final and deciding kick of the night.
FC Tucson will try for its first conference championship tomorrow night when it faces Calgary Foothills FC – the Northwest Division Champion that won the other Western Conference semi-final on Friday night with a late goal of its own – at 7 p.m. back at Rio Hondo College.
