Pacheco's Golden Goal Beats KC
Jesus Pacheco’s golden goal six minutes into overtime propelled the San Diego Sockers to a crucial 6-5 win over the Kansas City Comets at Cable Dahmer Arena on Saturday night, in the first match of a home-and-home series. The teams return to Frontwave Arena for a match on Sunday, 4:00pm kickoff.
San Diego (13-5-2, 38 points), who was playing with another depleted roster due to injury and travel concerns, earned two standings points and now sits one point behind the streaking Baltimore Blast (13-6-2, 39) in second place, with a game in hand.
The win was the Sockers’ league-leading eighth win on the road (8-3), and second in overtime at Kansas City. San Diego head coach Phil Salvagio earned his 200th career MASL victory, the most in league history. The Sockers outshot the Comets (10-6-4, 32 points) in the match 46-28, including 5-0 in overtime.
Six minutes into sudden death, a wide-open Pacheco drifted near the left edge of the box, took a pass from defensive captain Cesar Cerda from the boards, and notched the game-winning golden goal and his eighth of the season with a hard shot inside the right post and past goalkeeper Nicolau Neto (23-of-28 saves). Pacheco and the team celebrated at midfield as the Sockers improved to 2-0 against the Comets this season.
Despite Kansas City having most of the possession in the first period, Nilton De Andrade opened the scoring after he stole and controlled the ball on the right wing and then dribbled to the top of the box and took a point-blank shot, which was saved by Neto, but he collected the rebound and put it past the sprawling goalkeeper at 12:25 of the first.
Off a restart, Tavoy Morgan tapped in a Jesus Pacheco pass at the back post to give San Diego a 2-0 advantage only 19 seconds later. Nick Perera started the play with the corner kick pass to Pacheco, who squared a ball across the goal mouth that Tavoy was waiting to knock home.
The night belonged to the goalkeepers. Chris Toth (4-1-1) made 14 saves and had an early key save on a Reget turn at the top of the box at the 7:52 mark of the first. Five minutes into the second, Toth’s one-handed save on a Reget bicycle kick attempt was a save-of-the-year candidate and kept the Comets off the board. Neto made 23 saves in his first start of the season and played very well despite the loss.
The Sockers killed off a Comets power play that carried over from the first period after a Cesar Cerda elbowing penalty. Following the penalty kill, the Sockers thought they added to the lead with a Sebastian Mendez goal, but the play was whistled dead prior to the ball crossing the line when San Diego’s Felipe Gonzalez and KC’s Rian Marques got into a confrontation behind the play. After a review, the call was upheld, and both players were issued severe unsportsmanlike penalties, with Felipe earning a second yellow card for dissent.
Another goal was disallowed at the 8:35 mark of the second. This time it was Kansas City’s turn, as Nacho Flores drove a blast into the back of the net from the yellow line. However, Chad Vandegriffe wrestled down de Andrade in the box in front of Toth and was issued a red card for violent conduct. After a video review, the call of no goal and a red card were upheld. Vandegriffe, the Comets' leading defender, will now miss the return match in San Diego on Sunday. The Sockers failed to convert the power play that followed the penalty.
San Diego started the second half with a quick Mitchell Cardenas marker, with the helper from Morgan off another set piece started by Perera. Cardenas softly bounced in a Morgan rebound at the side of the goal for his fourth of the season and a 3-0 lead at 1:40, the Sockers in seeming control. However, the Comets would respond with three quick goals in the next four minutes to level the score.
Kansas City got one back on an Ignacio Flores long-distance strike off an assist from Lucas Sousa at 2:26.The Comets pulled another goal back when the ball ricocheted off Pacheco in the midfield and straight to the onrushing Dominic Francis, who put the ball past Toth and cut the lead to 3-2 at 4:18. The game was leveled at 3-3 after de Andrade’s pass was intercepted by Michael Lenis on the Kansas City’s high-press in the Sockers defensive zone and converted into the tying goal at 5:30.
A handball in the box by Flores on a Sebastian Mendez shot led to a Perera penalty kick at 6:34. San Diego’s leading scorer calmly slotted the ball into the side netting past Neto to make the score 4-3 in favor of the visitors, notching his team-leading 17th goal of the season.
With under four minutes remaining in the third, Reget battled Ben Ramin in the corner before releasing a cross to the far side for a Dominic Francis header goal that squeaked by Toth to even the score at 4-4 at 11:15. The tie held through the 45-minute mark.
The sides traded scoring chances throughout the final stanza, but both defenses were strong in front of Toth and Neto. After nine tense and scoreless minutes, Kansas City took its first lead of the match at 9:49 on a Christian Anderaos walla-scora goal off an assist from Sousa. Anderaos ran onto the off-the-boards rebound and smashed his half-volley first time to give the Comets the one-goal edge, 5-4.
With Cesar Cerda in as the sixth attacker, Nilton de Andrade was led into the attacking zone on the left wing by a Perera pass and fired a surprise toe-poke shot just inside Neto’s near post, equalizing the match at 5-5 with his second tally of the night at 12:27. Despite a handful of additional set-piece opportunities, the Sockers could not find the match-winner, sending the game to golden goal overtime.
Early in overtime, San Diego was initially called for too many men on the field; however, after a video review, the call was overturned. Moments later, Pacheco and the Sockers were dancing, and both teams began the quick process of recovery before a West Coast flight early Sunday morning.
Tickets are still available for Sunday’s Hispanic Heritage Day contest at Frontwave Arena at SDSockers.com or AXS.com.
