BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
LA JOYA — After Tuesday’s area round matchup, the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies admitted they didn’t play up to their usual potential.
Senior striker Gerardo Reyes remembers last year’s playoff run being a little bit easier to start.
Juarez-Lincoln coach Victor Ramos thought the Huskies may have been a bit overconfident heading into their matchup with Edinburg Economedes on Tuesday at La Joya ISD Stadium.
“They were unstoppable for the first 20 minutes,” senior midfielder Manuel Castrejon said.
The Huskies needed some last-minute heroics from the floppy-haired freshman sensation Edson Fonseca to get past the Jaguars 3-2.
“It was a great feeling,” Ramos said. “You don’t like being in those games, but they help you be at your best. It was a great game.”
With 5:11 left in the game, The Huskies were awarded a free kick from just outside the box, and senior forward Gerardo Reyes took the attempt.
“I wanted a go through the bottom, but it hit a guy from (Econ),” Reyes said. “It took a strange bounce and went to Edson.”
Fonseca, fresh off a four-goal performance against Del Rio in the bi-district round, collected the bounce and fired a shot past the keeper for the game-winner.
“I was so relived, because today was a fight,” Fonseca said in Spanish. “We really want to keep playing and go further. I knew we had a chance to get the win after that goal.”
Last year, the Huskies topped the Jaguars 4-2 in the area round, but Reyes said Tuesday’s team was much improved from the one Juarez-Lincoln faced a year ago.
“We knew that they were a tough team,” Ramos said. “They have been showing it over the last few years. I think we were a little bit overconfident, and we just let the game get to this situation. We showed a lot of character, and we came from behind, which is a good thing for the team.”
The winner was Fonseca’s second goal of the game.
Fonseca scored first with 13:58 remaining in the first half. He was delivered a perfect ball into the box, and he brought it to the ground under control. From there, he was never going to miss. Fonseca fired the ball to the left of the Economedes keeper and just under the crossbar from less than 10 yards out.
“When I shot it, I thought it would get stopped,” Fonseca said. “I thought the keeper could reach it with his arm. He dove the other way, and I scored.”
Fonseca’s first golazo woke up Econ, which was game for a heavyweight slugfest.
Economedes forward Jonathan Segundo responded four minutes later. He entered the box from the left wing and had a step on the defenders, leaving him one-on-one with the Huskies’ keeper, junior Christopher Banda. Banda couldn’t stop the slow ball that curled just inside the right post to tie the game at 1 with 9:06 left in the half.
Econ took the lead two minutes later on a freaky play. The Jaguars had a throw-in about 15 yards from the byline. The Jaguars appeared ready to take the throw quickly, but defender Juan Iracheta came over and took the ball, giving his team time to push up and get into position. Iracheta’s throw came in toward the near post, but the ball took a deflection high up into the air. The ball came down right at the feet of Economedes defender Marlon Galicia, and he poked it into the net past Banda, who was on the other side of the box trying to protect against a header. Economedes led 2-1 with 6:57 remaining in the first half.
“They surprised us,” Castrejon said. “It cost us. It was tough to get settled.”
A minute and a half after Econ’s second goal, the Huskies evened the game. Sophomore midfielder Johan Arevalo was on the break down the left wing. He darted into the box and was tackled hard inside the yellow lines on the field. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and, moments later, senior forward Reyes was over the ball for a penalty kick. The Econ keeper guessed right, but Reyes went left and drilled the shot home to bring the game back even with 5:25 left in the first half.
“He’s a senior, and he’s been here for a while,” Ramos said of Reyes. “So, when he stepped to the spot, we were confident.”
Reyes, who is no stranger to being on fire on the pitch, has been excited by the play of Fonseca.
“He’s an awesome forward,” Reyes said. “He’s the one who helps me a lot, up top. He’s very good already.”
Ramos said the only problem with Fonseca right now is his conditioning. As a freshman, Fonseca is still getting used to the demands of varsity playoff soccer.
“We need to make sure to give him the exact time,” Ramos said. “Otherwise, he gets tired, and he is out on the field, not able to run when we need him to.”
For stretches of the game, Fonseca came to the sidelines for a breather. But, when he was out, Juarez-Lincoln’s game plan seemed to be long passes up to Reyes, who was usually blanketed by the Econ defense.
The Huskies will face Brownsville Hanna in the regional quarterfinal. Despite describing Juarez-Lincoln’s play as less than stellar, Ramos believes this win will be crucial down the line.
“We had opportunities, but we couldn’t score,” Ramos said. “We missed on some very clear chances, but to have all of that and still get the win, that will help us as we face tougher situations in the playoffs.”
For Fonseca, he is relying on the advice of his experienced teammates, and he has one main motivating factor.
“We don’t want this year to end. Last year, those guys came so close,” Fonseca said in Spanish. “I listen to whatever they tell me, and they have given me a lot of confidence. Those guys are seniors now. We want their careers to end the right way. We are fighting for them this year.”