By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Nearly one year ago, the Laredo Alexander Bulldogs ended the Del Rio Rams soccer season with a 4-0 loss in the Class 6A, Region IV quarterfinals.
Those same two teams will meet again two days shy of the one-year anniversary of that loss with another trip to the regional semifinals on the line.
Del Rio and Alexander meet for round three Friday night at San Antonio’s Alamo Stadium. The Rams will be the visiting team. Tickets can be purchased online at https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/0860c4d5-ec4b-4a34-986d-e515203c55c8/events/a2399251-cff2-4339-b0b9-66a65762a6b6
Playoff tickets can only be purchased online. Tickets will not be sold at the stadium.
Friday’s Bulldogs/Rams will be third meeting of the year for the two teams, and Rams head coach Tani Canchola figured the two teams would meet again when the regular season ended.
“I told (Alexander head coach Daniel Hermosillo) when we were at the all-district selection meeting that I would see him again in the third round. Coach Hermosillo, in good sport, laughed at the possibility. I told him I wanted that rematch, so it seems the soccer gods have granted that request,” Canchola said Wednesday. “So I feel like it is our time to battle and to take that win.”
This year’s Rams already matched last year’s squad by reaching the third round of the playoffs after dispatching Mission 4-0 at Laredo’s Shirley Field Tuesday night.
Alfain Peñaloza scored the first Rams goal off an assist by Salvador Sanchez. Demian Fernandez then put Del Rio ahead 2-0 in the first half with his second goal of the playoffs, this one off an assist by Roberto Garcia.
In the second half, Peñaloza tacked on his second goal of the match, this one with a Garcia assist, before Garcia closed out the scoring with the Rams’ fourth goal. Roberto Garza assisted on the final goal.
If Del Rio makes history by becoming the first Rams soccer team to reach the regional semifinals, they’ll have to do so with out their leading scorer. Peñaloza, who has four goals in two playoff matches this season, was hit with a red card for taunting in Del Rio’s match against Mission and will automatically miss the playoff game against Alexander.
“We felt the incident was unjustified for a red card,” Canchola explained. “He was hit by another player and (Peñaloza) was carded for taunting. He didn’t hit the other player back. He was in a play when he was hit and they called him for taunting. Both their players that started the incident got reds. On film, it just wasn’t right. Even the other coach said it should have been a yellow for being verbal.”
Del Rio and Alexander split their two regular season matches. Alexander dominated the Rams in their first meeting, 4-0, but the Rams edged the Bulldogs in their second meeting 1-0 on a Peñaloza goal.
Alexander reached the third round by defeating La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4-2, in extra time Tuesday night. Fernando Soldevilla scored three of the Bulldogs’ goals, two of which came in extra time, while Emiliano Castellanos scored the other Alexander goal.
Del Rio and Alexander join district champions Laredo LBJ as 30-6A’s representatives in the quarterfinals. LBJ, which defeated Donna North, 2-1, will face San Antonio Harlan in the third round.
The Rams’ return to the third round didn’t seem feasible after back-to-back shutout losses early in the district schedule, but Canchola said his team showed its resiliency and fight in rallying to win four of their last regular season matches en route to taking the district’s third seed.
“I’m honestly proud of the boys. They were able to turn around a season that we struggled in early on,” Canchola said.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
