CELEBRATION — Humberto Faria stole a pass and hit a golden goal from just inside the penalty area with 1:39 left in the first overtime to give Celebration a 1-0 victory over George Jenkins in the Class 5A, District 9 boys soccer championship match.
George Jenkins (13-4-5) will travel to Jupiter, a 1-0 winner over Vero Beach, on Wednesday in a Region 2, 5A quarterfinal. Celebration (13-2-4) will host Vero Beach.
Both teams struggled to finish their chances, but the Storm kept constant pressure on George Jenkins’ defense.
Faria outdueled a couple Eagles defenders before launching a shot into the top right corner of the goal.
“There was a lot of emotion,” said Faria through a translator. “You can’t describe it. We knew it’d be a difficult game. We knew they had good players, and we’d have to fight hard.”
In the teams’ 2-2 tie on Dec. 15, the Eagles surprised Celebration with a pressing defense.
This time, the Storm pressured George Jenkins nearly all game. Luis Mora sparked several Storm chances throughout the game. They forced Eagles keeper Jonathan Martinez into six saves.
“We couldn’t make the right adjustments quick enough,” said George Jenkins coach Tanner Mosher. “They were the same team we played last time.”
Mosher said that the Eagles tried to counteract by getting several defenders behind the ball.
“Each one of their players is potent on the ball, exceptional dribbling skills, exceptional 1-v-1 skills,” he said. “They were able to open us there at the end. Other than that, my guys contained them for the entire duration.”
George Jenkins did have several chances to score. After withstanding the Storm through most of the first half, Jordan Heckler passed to Tyler Fine, who shot it off the post with about 10 minutes left in the first half.
About a minute later, Fine set up Colton Eliasen right in front of the Celebration goal, but he chipped it high.
“A millimeter this way or that way, and we’re in the driver’s seat,” Mosher said. “That’s the way it goes. Those balls don’t take the bounces you want, and stuff happens. We have to work on finishing our chances. When we don’t finish our chances, we leave it up to chance or the other team capitalizes.”
Celebration got most of the attacks in the second half. Five minutes into the second half, Martinez had to make a point-blank save on Matheus Machado.
Then in overtime, Luis Mora got a couple shots after receiving a pass from Inti Antunez. Mora’s first shot was blocked and the second went high with 1:55 left in the first overtime.
“We worked the past few weeks on putting pressure on the defenders, so they don’t have time to get the ball up. If they do get it up, get back as fast as we can,” said Celebration coach Chad Boudreaux. “Once we win the ball, we needed to get the ball back to the forwards, so we could put pressure on them.
But the Storm kept the ball in and sent the ball to Faria for the winner.
“I can’t ask any more from my guys,” Mosher said. “That shot they took over there, it was an unsaveable shot.”