Seahawks rally to down Tritons 5-3
“I said this would be an ‘El Classico’ and it certainly was,” said Cape Coral Seahawks coach Aldo Nardiello at the conclusion of the District 3A-13 boys’ soccer championship game at Mariner Monday night.
Cape prevailed over their city archrivals 5-3 in a hard fought match.
“Three lead changes, spirited and intense. You have no idea how it’s going to turn out,” Nardiello said.
Both teams advance to the regional quarterfinal playoffs on Thursday. Mariner travels to Immokalee while Cape Coral earned the right to host Golden Gate. The crowd, estimated at 850 by Mariner AD Steve Larsen, and the players were certainly spirited and intense. Both teams’ supporters were not afraid to let their allegiances be known.
Cape started the scoring in the eighth minute when leading scorer Jonathan Jimenez received a good through ball and put it to the keeper’s left and underneath where he could not reach it.
Mariner answered in the 20th minute as Eric Rivera took a pass and raced with the ball up the right center of the field and scored from the 18-yard line.
At the 37-minute mark, Rivera shot a through ball assist to Juan Guevara who stuck it in for a 2-1 Mariner lead at halftime.
As the second half began, Mariner continued to play well. Meanwhile, Jimenez was given a caution yellow card six minutes into the second half.
“He was upset after the yellow card,” Nardiello said. “I told him it’s not too late to lead your team to victory. That’s what he did.”
It got worse for the Seahawks before it got better. Rivera scored his second goal for the Tritons in the 53rd minute with an assist by Joseph Lane. Now the Tritons faithful were emboldened, and the Seahawks fans were unusually quiet.
Ironically, at a point of great intensity, the crowd and players were treated to a bit of comic relief when the playing field’s water sprinklers came on briefly.
During the next 12 minutes of play, the game’s complexion totally changed. Jimenez scored three more times in this span, and what looked like an exciting upset for the Tritons turned into a show of strength by the Seahawks.
Jimenez scored at the 59th and 65th minutes with headers into the net. The first came from a long through ball, and the second off an indirect free kick from 40 yards out. Then, just two minutes later, he stuck in a rebound after the Mariner keeper deflected away another shot, but right in front of Jimenez.
Suddenly, the Seahawks led 4-3, and the Tritons were stunned. The crowd noise changed just as dramatically.
Gianni Cognata aded an insurance goal with a left-footed boot past the keeper at the 76th minute.
Overall, the Seahawks had 16 shots on goal compared to six for the Tritons.
“Mariner played a terrific game.” Nardiello said. “It was a great match. They tested us more than any other team we’ve played this season. I told my boys, if you’re going to make a run during the playoffs, you have to be able to come back.”