Tacoma Press Release - www.tacomafc.com

Saturday, June 14, 2008

TACOMA - The Tide has never gotten a point on their venture down to Utah. The 2006 season brought two losses, 2007 brought two losses against Ogden and BYU, and 2008 yielded two big wins. Two nights in a row, the Tide battled for a one goal victory over their Utah based opponents. In hot weather, the Tide needed an entire team effort to hold onto a slim lead for the win.

The Tide players are gelling well together and it showed in possession. While both teams created chances in the first half, it was the away side the most dangerous opportunities. In the 15th minute, Rafael Cox knocked a diagonal ball across to Chase Tangney who slipped a nice through ball to Rory Agu, but the forward’s touch was not enough to redirect it into goal. So the Tide reloaded. In the 22nd minute, Machael David hit a nice drive low to the corner through traffic but had it saved.

Then the breakthrough came in the 36th minute. Cox and Machael David worked a nice combination to buy David a few yards of space. The space was used to push a through ball onto Spencer Schomaker’s nicely timed run and Schomaker released a shot before the recovering defender could block the goal. Schomaker’s goal was his fourth of the season. It looked like the Tide would put the game in comfortable graces six minutes later when a free kick from 35 yards out was taken short. Dennis Sanchez passed to Cox at the edge of the wall and from a tight angle the left sided midfielder laced one off the far post and back across the goal before it was cleared.

While the Tide will certainly take three points however they can get it, they had a number of chances to put the match on ice in half number two and couldn’t convert. The door was kept open and BYU, an especially formidable side at home, and they almost equalized a few times. In the 85th minute, BYU beat the offsides trap and even beat goal keeper Jordan Jennings. With ten of the Tacoma side beaten, the lone man left was Mark Lee with a dramatic volley off the goal line.

The Cougars kept coming with long balls into the box off free kicks and regular play. One long chip into the box was grabbed by Jennings on his goal line. He was immediately barreled into the net while still holding the ball. The BYU fans thought they had tied the match up, but a quick whistle for the foul calmed the crowd and the Tide was able to hold on.

The win keeps the Tide on top of the Northwest Division with 22 points after 10 games. The Tide have now won six of their last seven matches and recorded seven shutouts on the year. Next Friday the Tide play at home, Friday against Spokane, and away Saturday against Cascade.

Tide Get First Away Win of ‘08: Tacoma Tide 1 – 0 Ogden Outlaws

Friday, June 13, 2008

OGDEN - The Tacoma Tide’s longest road trip of the regular season began with three points. The trip down to Utah to take on the Ogden Outlaws and the BYU Cougars started off with the first win away from Curtis High School Stadium this year. Chase Tangney continued his strong run with his 3rd goal in two matches. The goal came in the 63rd minute after dominating possession from the second half kickoff. The Tide were able to hold on a late surge to notch a win and stay atop the Northwest Division.

The first half at Ogden High School Stadium was an exchange of light jabs and half chances. Machael David had a good opportunity with his head off a corner kick in the 22nd minute and each team had good drives on goal blocked before they could test the opposing keeper. In the 34th minute, a through ball found Daniel Scott out on an island. His challenge seemed to collect the ball but also made contact with the attacker and a foul was given along with a yellow card. To begin the second half, the decision was made to pull Scott to not risk him with a yellow card and to rest him for the BYU match.

The second half saw a Tide team with a purpose. The Tacoma side kept pressure on Ogden so much so that the Outlaws did not have possession in their attacking half until the 65th minute, a full ten minutes into the half. The extended pressure almost resulted in a goal in the 62nd minute when Spencer Schomaker’s blast was blocked straight into the air. Rory Agu, looking for his seventh goal of the year, nudged a defender off the ball and had an open net to score.

The shot hit off the upright and was cleared out. The Tide opportunity was lost, but quickly made up for. Less than a minute later, Schomaker held up the ball about 40 yards out, played a square ball to Machael David, who dummied the ball through his legs over to Chase Tangney. Tangney picked up the ball with pace, took a touch and laced one into the bottom right corner past the outstretched keeper’s hand.

The Tide were on their heels for the final ten minutes of the match. The task was made a bit easier when Tucker Maxwell, who was vibrant at his left back role, touched it past an Outlaw wing and was hacked down. The cleats up challenge caught Maxwell’s ankle. Flynn Stewart-Franzen, the tackler, was given a straight red card in the 88th minute. Even a man down, Ogden pushed on and a late free kick yielded two goal keepers in the Tide box. The Ogden goal tender came up to attempt a finish, but the rush was evaded and the Tide got an essential three pointer.