MiraCosta College scored twice in the final two minutes to stun El Camino College men’s soccer team, 3-2, ending the Warriors’ season despite a strong second-half performance and a highlight free-kick goal.
The Warriors (12-6-6) fell to the Spartans (13-4-6) in the second round of the 3C2A Men’s SoCal Regional Playoffs in a neck to neck battle Saturday, Nov. 22 at the ECC Soccer Field. According to the ECC athletics website.
The match kicked off with the visiting side applying high pressure, and it paid off early as forward Lincoln Newcomer netted the opener for MiraCosta in the second minute, capitalizing on a midfield turnover.
Following the goal, the Warriors seized control of the proceedings, dominating the midfield.
In the 42nd minute, Warriors forward Juan Tibocha was awarded a penalty kick after a challenge inside the box, a decision heavily criticized by the MiraCosta bench against referee Nathan Max.
Warriors midfielder Jaden Hancock stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, leveling the score and chalking up his 17th goal of the season.
The teams headed to the half-time interval with the score all square.
The Warriors came out blazing at the start of the second half. In the 56th minute, midfielder Alexander Salas scored a stunning free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box.
The game appeared to be under control for the Warriors, but the game shifted dramatically in the 67th minute when defender Noah Edwards was shown a straight red card for a heavy tackle.
Playing with ten men, the Warriors completely changed their setup, dropping deep into defense and looking to hit on the counter-attack.
They held on until the 88th minute when Danny Barbosa found the equalizer. Just two minutes later, in the 90th minute, defender Cesar Cruz completed the comeback for Mira Costa, delivering a cruel blow to the Warriors’ hopes.
The refereeing crew was heavily questioned by the crowd after the final whistle.
The Warriors finish the season with an overall record of 12-6-6.
