The Heat opened the game strong, as the Chill needed 20 minutes to settle into its game plan. In that span, the Heat pressed offensively, but all of its shots were blocked by the well-placed Chill defense.
The Heat’s Raul Quinones figured big in the opening minutes of the contest. The Chill’s ScottMilroth saved his first shot on goal before it crossed the goal line in the seventh minute. In the twelfth Quinones was a couple of inches short from redirecting a Cruz centering pass into the back of the net. His final attempt came in the closing minute of the first half, after Ibarra air mailed a pass as he ran into the area. This time the Chill’s Stephen Patterson saved his shot with his stomach, as he dove in the middle of the box. The Chill's only threat on goal came on a counter attack around the 16th minute when Brandon Swartzendruber broke free and found a streaking Jeremy Gold down the right side, the Heat’s Ryan Cooper saved Gold’s shot.
MINUTES 20 to 30
The Heat and Chill traded shots on goal with the Heat sending a free kick to the keepers hands in the 20th and the Chill creating a shot in the 23rd. The game began leveling out as the Chill became more aggressive. The team's traded some shots on goal, but the game itself took on a more physical tone which was the overriding theme along with good defensive play.
MINUTES 30-45
The first yellow card of the night was given to the Heat's Leone Cruz. The second came a minute later, given to the Chill's Anthony Putrus. (In all, there were ten yellows, one player earned two to get ejected). The stout defensive play by both teams continued.
SECOND HALF
Things started great for the Heat, as they scored the opening goal in the first minute of the second half, but things couldn't of ended worse.
The scoring play began innocently enough, until Leone Cruz spotted Felix Garcia moving down the left area and sent a well placed pass that was chested down perfectly by Garcia. Who unleashed a blast that ricocheted off the cross bar and landed in front of him again. This time the shot was misplayed by the goalie and Juan Dios Ibarra capitalized. For the next series of plays the Heat looked to ride the momentum swing and were hoping to take control of the contest, but the momentum came to a halt in the 51st minute when the Chill's Robert Swann nearly knocked in the equalizer, his shot sailed just wide of the left post. At the 60th minute Heat goalie Ryan Cooper made a good save off a Scott Milroth header, three minutes later though his luck would change. As sub and 2008 Championship MVP Gustavo Oliveira scored the equalizer with a lob over Cooper.The Heat’s Silas Blackwell had a solo effort in the 67th minute, but his shot sailed safely into Patterson’s hands.
MAN ADVANTAGE
The Chill did a great job of minimizing the effect of being a man down, they stayed with eight men in their side of the field at all times. The Heat was able to create scoring chances, but the shots were either blocked or off target. Isaac Morales came close in the closing seconds where Paterson saved his mid range shot.
EXTRA TIME
The Chill’s game plan was simple, withstand the barrage until its time for penalty kicks. Laredo did not make it easy. Morales froze the crowd for a second time when his shot landed atop of the net, tricking some of the fans into thinking it was a goal. It was the second time that a Morales shot landed atop the net. Dionisio Infante came close to heading a pass in the 111th minute when Silas found him in the far post. Felix closed the game with a shot that sailed over the cross bar.
PENALTY KICKS
The Chill's Stephen Paterson was the mind reader on Saturday. He missed Daniel Galvan's low liner to the left post. He made up for it by not biting on the double move that Carlos Ordaz tried and dove correctly to the left to block the shot.
Against Steve Su he managed to get a foot on Su's Roller as it rolled down the center.
The Heat's Ryan Cooper one year removed from his MVP performance in last year's championship game, had another outstanding year, but wasn't as fortunate this time. The penalties were knocked in by Gustavo Oliveira with a mid-line shot to the left. Brandon Swartzendruber followed with a liner to the right post. Casey Gold went back to the left and the cup clincher was knocked in by Nolan Intermoia who sent the ball down the left center.
If the Heat return most of their core group of players, they have an excellent shot at returning to the championship game. It'll be interesting where Cooper lands. He has the tools to be moving up the soccer ranks. Garcia is sure to be joining his Under-20 U.S. teamamtes in Florida some time soon. Most of the Heat players can be playing in higher level leagues this time next year.
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