BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — If the outcome for Thursday’s Class 6A bi-district playoff soccer match between Brownsville Hanna and Edinburg Economedes came down to penalty cards, the Jaguars would have scored more.
During a heated match that saw both teams assessed red cards and seven yellow cards combined, the Jaguars lost on a late score from Hanna’s Jorge Cantu, a senior defender who scored in improbable fashion.
“When I saw the ball coming, I don’t know, but I never close my eyes when I head the ball.” Cantu said. “I don’t know why, but I closed my eyes and I felt (the ball) hit my face. When I opened my eyes, the ball was in the net. I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting it to be a goal.”
Cantu’s blind header occurred with 3:56 remaining and essentially sealed Econ’s defeat.
“We’re a good team and they’re a good team,” Econ coach Sam Gonzalez said. “They ran a play and it worked. It’s so hard to score in this game, so whoever gets (the ball) in is going to win.”
More surprising than Cantu’s late score was the fact it happened while the Eagles were a man down, the result of a red card penalty assessed to Oscar Cordova with 7:24 remaining during the first half for shoving an elbow into an Economedes defender. With Cordova sidelined, Hanna played 10 on 11 the rest of the way.
“I started walking from half field (on the scoring play), and I knew there were three or four minutes left on the clock” Cantu said. “I knew we had to score, I was like, ‘Please, let us score.’ We only had 10 guys.”
Economedes was dealt a red card as well after Cantu’s score. Luis Ortiz was ejected at the 3:38 mark during the second half. Both red-card instances summarize what was at times a physical game with plenty of verbal barbs traded by both sides. In all, seven yellow cards were assigned (four to Hanna, three to Econ).
“We knew it was going to be a physical game,” Hanna coach Reyes Prado said. “We knew it was going to be physical. I told the kids not to react to some of the things they were going to do, but even the pros mess up. I’m not that upset about it.”
For Cantu, the match’s chippy nature was the result of Hanna’s high expectations. The Eagles, who have six seniors on the roster, were state runner-ups in 2013 and have every intention of returning to the championship game.
“We have to make history,” Cantu said. “We have to repeat like we did in 2013. This is the game in our trip to state. Hopefully we get there.”
Despite the fact Thursday didn’t provide Gonzalez with the outcome he wanted, he’s nonetheless pleased with his team.
“I just ask my kids to compete,” he said. “If they came out here and played to their best, I’m O.K. with the end.”