By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
BROWNSVILLE — The Laredo United Longhorns defeated the Laredo LBJ Wolves 4-2 in a penalty shootout to win the Brownsville ISD Raising Canes Classic on Saturday at Brownsville Sports Park.
Goalkeeper Hector Tapia pulled off a massive save on LBJ’s second penalty attempt that tipped the shootout in the favor of the Longhorns. An LBJ miss to level the shootout gave the Longhorns the opportunity to finish, and they did.
“My specialty is penalties,” Tapia said. “I love penalties. It is very simple, just pick a side, and if you get the ball you get the ball. If I get a save it is very important for the team. It gives them confidence, and it helps them score.”
Both sides were calm during the first half when in possession. LBJ was willing to concede possession at times and countered well when getting on the ball.
The Wolves were the more likely side to score during the first half, having more possession in the Longhorns’ attacking third. Both sides lacked that final pass, but credit goes to the defenders as most teams will keep it tight in a tournament final.
The Wolves forced a good save out of Tapia, who had to get low to parry the well-struck shot wide. Either side of the goalie, and the Wolves would have taken the lead.
Laredo United came out in the second half dominating possession again, but LBJ was hard to break down. The Wolves were disciplined without the ball and kept their shape.
The game sprung into life during the last few minutes of the match. The Longhorns carved out one of their best chances, but Jorge Rivas’ shot was straight at the keeper from a difficult angle.
LBJ almost stole the match at the end. A shot was struck well into the corner, forcing a good save out of Tapia.
During the last few seconds LBJ had another chance that was sent well over after the attacker got into the box.
“We love to come over here to Brownsville because all of the teams are really good and we like the competition,” Laredo United coach David Gutierrez said. “Coming to Brownsville and winning a championship feels so awesome.
“In district if we tie, we take penalties, so having that experience is good. This game against LBJ is a ‘classico,’ the games are usually close. It was a good game, and they played great, too.”