Temecula FC Tie San Diego Flash With Goal in 94th Minute

SAN DIEGO - May 12, 2014 - PRLog -- Saturday May 10, 2014 - The San Diego Flash (6-2-0) played host to the Temecula Quail FC (1-3-4) in a rematch of a contest that last time netted the Flash the only blemish on their 2014 record.

As the sun set in the evening sky over Mira Mesa High School San Diego and Temecula played to a nil-nil tie at the end of the first half.  In a first half that can be described as physical with missed opportunities for both sides a total of 4 yellow cards were issued 3 for the Flash and 1 for the Quail.  Yellow cards were issued to # 16 Edgar Mendez, #8 Andy Ortega, and #3 Nate LeBaffe for the Flash and #18 Eric Lopez for the Quail.

The first half was marred by missed opportunities as each team took 6 shots on goal all missing wide and high.  The Flash had a major chance in the 30th minute but a header by #16 Edgar Mendez was missed inside the Quail box. On the rebound the Flash looked to capatilize on another opportunity and the ball was struck by # 11 Ryan Guy on a line but missed high over the cross bar.  The Quail also had their own opportunities missed as they had multiple corner kicks that sailed by all the players garnishing no goals.  On a corner kick from the left side with just over 3 minutes left in the half #10 Josh Salas for the Quail sent the ball high and over the heads of all his teammates.

Before the game and physical play could get too out of hand in the second half cooler heads prevailed and great soccer took center stage.  In the 60th minute the Quail had a golden opportunity as #11 Mark Ebanks shot on goal but missed hitting the top cross bar bouncing back in perfect position for #7 Santiago Warren who’s shot hit the far post and bounced mercifully to the Flash goalie #1 James Stroud.  As the momentum began to swing back to the Flash in the 68th minute #20 Tim Roby for the Temecula took a shot from just inside midfield that most thought was a through ball but soared through the air into the back of the Flash net giving the Quail a 1-0 advantage.

As the Flash seemed down and desperate they charged back scoring in the 71 minute off of a free kick from #8 Andy Ortega that bounced around finally finding the head of #7 Nathan Medina tying the score at 1.  In the 77th minute a free kick was given to the Flash on the left side and taken by #8 Andy Ortega.  As it crossed through the box it was headed perfectly back into center of the Temecula box by Brennan Tennelle finding the right foot of #16 Edgar Mendez for the go ahead goal.  Feeling the pressure the Quail went back on the attack and would not let up.  In the final seconds of the 94th minute with the ball bouncing around the Flash box and the goalie James Stroud laying on the ground #11 Mark Ebanks was able to put his boot on the ball escorting the ball into the back of the empty net tying the score with barely 30 seconds left in the match.  With this last minute goal Mark Ebanks was able to secure himself the man of the match honor, and for the Flash #16 Edgar Mendez was given the same award.

When asked after the match about the result Temecula coach Paul Byrne stated that he is very proud of his team and how far they have come.  “Seven matches ago we were no where close to where we are now.  We are a new club one without the history like the Flash but we are making great strides in the right direction and are really happy to be able to play at their level.  We are really happy with this result as it places us in good position going forward for the NPSL playoffs.  I always want the win but for us to come back at the last minute like that we can be happy with tie and leave here with our heads high.”

Flash Coach Jerome Watson did not have the same sentiment as the Temecula coach.  “We played our tails off for the whole match and put ourselves in a good position to finish the match.  We need to be able to close out matches like that at the end.  Our team was able to play really well together and fought through many challenges during the match but lost our focus and consentration at the end.”

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About:

The San Diego Flash are coached by legendary former Newcastle United and English National Team Player Warren Barton; who is also a TV Analyst for Fox Soccer. The Flash is an American soccer team based in San Diego, California, United States. The team currently plays in the Southwestern Conference of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is the largest developmental soccer league in North America, with teams in 80+ markets across the country. The NPSL operates in the 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. Teams in the NPSL are eligible to participate in the prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; through their affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF).

SDSP Soccer Marketing, Inc. (SDSP) owns and operates the San Diego Flash Soccer Club and other soccer-related projects. SDSP is a marketing and consultant company that assists various soccer organizations with acquiring sponsors, website development and social media marketing.

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