Men's Soccer 9/23/2012 3:36:00 AM

Red Cards Galore, Men’s Soccer Upset

Box Score LAREDO, Texas - In a game highlighted by controversial calls, Oklahoma Christian scored two unanswered goals in the second half to upset TAMIU men’s soccer 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Dustdevil Field.

Four total red cards were issued in the match, three of which went against the Dustdevils. The three red cards received by TAMIU in Saturday’s game surpassed their entire season total from 2011.

The first came as time was winding down in the first half with TAMIU leading 1-0. Adan Villavicencio made a sliding tackle from behind an OCU forward which looked to warrant a yellow card. Instead the referee drew the red sending Villavicencio to the bench for the remainder of the game and Head Coach Claudio Arias was soon to follow after protesting the call.

Video Here courtesy KGNS-TV

During the exchange, junior defender Joan Vallejo was issued his fifth yellow card of the season for dissent, meaning he will also be forced to sit during TAMIU’s next game.

Playing with an 11-10 advantage, the Eagles were able to capitalize in the 64^th minute when Tommy Guernsey headed in a ball that ricocheted off the post after a shot by Domenico DeGrazia.

At the 75 minute mark, OCU midfielder Ricardo Chinchilla was issued a yellow card for a hard tackle on Elkin Marin-Tobar. Tobar was then inexplicably issued his second yellow of the game – thus a red – and was sent off leaving TAMIU at an 11-9 disadvantage. Not three minutes later, Eagles defender Sam Guernsey was issued his second yellow of the game and was also forced to sit for the remainder.

TAMIU keeper Jesus Cisneros was able to keep the game level with a diving save in the 83^rd minute, but with only three minutes remaining in regulation Cole Rinke’s well-placed shot from the right side of the box slipped past Cisneros to seal the Dustdevils fate.

TAMIU’s lone goal was scored in the 28^th minute, when Tobar took a pass from Diego Manzano-Cano and bent it inside the right post from 23 yards out. Tobar finished with three shots on goal and Cano added two.

While the Dustdevils overall record slips to 2-3-2, their conference record remains at 1-0-1. Thursday night the Dustdevils will travel to Odessa, Texas to face UT-Permian Basin, without the services of Villavicencio, Tobar, Vallejo, and Coach Arias.

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