This Wednesday, Sept. 25, Manual’s varsity boys’ soccer team went up against the Fern Creek Tigers. The game was stopped due to thunderstorms in the area, but before it was called off, the score was tied 1-1.
First half:
The first few minutes of the game were mostly uneventful. The Crimsons and Tigers battled for possession, but neither team could hold onto the ball for very long. The Tigers attempted a goal but were successfully blocked by the Crimsons.
Jackson Bean (#8, 12) attempted to get the ball, but the Tigers kicked it out of bounds. Abdel Bandaras (#16, 12) threw it back in, but the Tigers stole it. A few plays later, Bryan O’Toole (#28, 11) managed to keep the ball from going out of bounds. He passed it to Bandaras, who then passed it to Bean. Shortly after, Bean earned a corner kick for the Crimsons. He then attempted to score, but his shot went wide.
A few minutes later, a Fern Creek player received a yellow card. Bandaras then received a free kick but was unable to score. Isaac Given (#1, 10) and Bean worked together to steal the ball from the Tigers. Benson Green (#4, 12) gained possession of the ball, and passed it to Elliott Case (#17, 11). The Crimsons maintained possession, and Bean earned another corner kick.
The Crimsons nearly scored, but the Tigers saved the ball. As Hamza Barbour (#5, 11) and Bean both tried to regain possession, Bean went down with an injury. A timeout was called, and Luca Berrisford (#7,11) substituted in Bean’s place. With about 15 minutes remaining, Bandaras scored the first goal of the game.
Owen Singer (#12, 11) and Mohsin Wiseman (#24, 11) substituted into the game. A few minutes later, Singer attempted a goal, but the ball went wide. Barbour also tried to score but was unsuccessful. The half ended with a score of 1-0, in the Crimsons’ favor.
Second half:
When the second half began, the Crimsons quickly made their way toward the Tigers’ goal. The Tigers stole the ball and held onto it. Bean had reentered the match, but a few minutes into the second half, Berrisford substituted for him. The ball transferred rapidly between teams, and neither was able to make much progress.
Soon, the Tigers earned a corner kick. They were close to scoring, but goalie Andrew Mlincek (#0, 11) saved the ball. Alexander Popa (#9, 11) came close to scoring but was ultimately blocked. The teams continued their battle for possession over the course of several minutes. Jake Olash (#14, 11) ran and kicked the ball back in after it went out of bounds.
The Tigers attempted to score, but Mlincek threw the ball out. Braxton Cox (#25, 12) received it, but the Tigers stole the ball. A few plays later, Bandaras received a free kick, but was unable to score. With 20 minutes remaining, Fern Creek made a goal, bringing the score to 1-1.
Shortly after, it began to rain. The match was initially delayed 30 minutes due to the thunderstorms, and spectators headed under the bleachers to get out of the weather.
“I think the team is playing pretty well. Unlucky goal off of a free kick, but I feel like they can still come back if the game gets played,” Zachary Newport (#30, 10) said.
He added that due to the rain, the pitch would likely be slippery and more difficult to play on if the game resumed. The game was eventually cancelled as it became evident that the weather wouldn’t be clearing up. The ending score, before the game was canceled, was 1-1.
