Still flying high
The Coosa soccer team gets a surge in the second half to defeat Berrien, 4-2.
Coosa soccer coach Ruben Maldonado was as exhausted as his players when he stepped off the field Wednesday evening. But after watching his team take over in the final 30 minutes of their state playoff game, he still was able to smile and be proud.
The Eagles attacked visiting Berrien through long shots and constant possession as they outlasted the Rebels for a 4-2 win in the second round of the Class AA playoffs in Coosa. It is the first time in more than six years the team has reached the Elite Eight.
“All I can add today is that our guys were in top physical condition today,” Maldonado said. “We were getting cramps in those final minutes but we fought hard and kept going. Just shows the condition
we were in when we needed goals down the stretch.”
Jorge Lopez scored two goals, both of them coming in the second half. Chandler Hubbard and Julian Perez each scored a goal on long shots in the first half, while goalkeeper Joan Cornejo recorded seven saves.
After Berrien tied the game at two-all early in the second half, Coosa began to take over possession and force more attacks on its opponent. This started with a perfect pass that gave Lopez a breakaway and easy score in the 55th minute.
Coosa (18-2) scored again when Lopez got an empty net after the Berrien goalkeeper mishandled a shot from the right side. In between those scores, the Rebels had very few chances as they never held the ball for long.
Maldonado was quick to not only compliment his players, but his assistant coach Richard Medlock for helping push the team as the match wore on.
“Everything is thanks to coach Medlock, all these wins we have had,” Maldonado said. “These kids believe in him the same way they believe in me, and he deserves all the credit for these wins with what he’s provided, no doubt.”
The first 20 minutes of the match did not produce a dominant attach as both teams fought over possession and had their brief chances near the goal. It was clear the Eagles were not due for another 10-0 win like it had against Jordan in the first round.
The Rebels (11-8-1) finally broke when Perez scored on a free kick from the left corner of the box in the 32nd minute, just beyond the reach of the keeper. But Berrien responded as Christian Faulkner scored the first of his two goals on a rebound just two minutes before halftime.
Then, seconds before halftime, Hubbard let off a strike from near midfield that fell perfectly in between the goalie and the net. The sudden momentum for Coosa carried over into the second half as the Eagles finished off the match.
“We had seen a few
times that their goalie came out pretty far when he punted the ball,” Maldonado said. “He hit the ball right to Chandler, and I told him from the sidelines to crank it. He did and it worked out pretty well.”
Coosa plays at home again this Saturday when it hosts Putnam County. While finishing second in its region, Putnam has won its first two playoff matches by scores of 8-0 and 7-0.