Last-minute goal sinks Idaho’s final chance at elusive Far West soccer championship
Two Idaho youth soccer teams finished with silver medals at the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships on Sunday, continuing the Gem State’s run of runner-up finishes in the championship tournament of 14 Western states.
The Boise Thorns surrendered a lead in the final minute of regulation before falling to Utah’s La Roca 2-1 in overtime in the U-16 girls championship at Boise’s Simplot Sports Complex.
And the Boise Timbers struggled to capitalize on a bounty of opportunities in a 5-3 loss to Los Angeles’ Total Futbol Academy in the U-14 boys final.
The two losses leave Idaho with just a single Far West champion in state history, the U-19 Nova-Nationals girls in 2015. FC Nova and the Boise Nationals later merged to form the Boise Timbers Thorns club represented in Sunday’s final round.
Sunday marked the first time since 2013 that Idaho sent two teams to the championship round at Far West. And it was the first time since 2013 that an Idaho boys team made it to the final day. But the state is 0-4 in championship games since its lone title six years ago.
BOISE THORNS 1 MINUTE AWAY FROM TITLE
The U-16 Thorns stood one minute from an elusive Far West championship. But La Roca’s Berkley Binggeli headed in a corner kick from Afton Perry in the 79th minute. And then Nevaeh Peregrina made a 30-yard run before tucking the game-winner under the crossbar in the 98th minute to deny Boise a spot atop the podium.
“They just didn’t give up,” said Thorns coach Max Weber, the associate head coach with Boise State women’s soccer. “... You got to give kudos to them. They came, and they fought their way back into the game.”
Asia Lawyer netted the Thorns what looked to be a history-making goal in the 73rd minute. With both teams struggling to create opportunities, Boise dropped Sammy Smith back into the midfield looking for a spark. And Smith delivered one, springing Lawyer for a run down the right wing.
Lawyer one-touched the pass past a defender and broke into 30 yards of open space before sneaking the ball over goalkeeper Emmalene McKeon and under the crossbar.
The Thorns just needed to hang on for seven more minutes. But La Roca’s equalizer and eventual overtime game-winner saddled Boise with the heart-breaking loss and second-place medals.
Weber said expect to see the Thorns back competing for regional titles again. The U-16 Thorns remain one of Idaho’s most talented groups. They won a national President’s Cup title in 2018 when they opted out of Far West due to the cost of traveling to Hawaii for the tournament.
“This is a really special group for our club,” Weber said. “The game didn’t go our way today, and it’s part of our journey. I believe that we’ll be back next year here and have an opportunity to right that. But we learned an immense amount.”
BOISE TIMBERS CAN’T CONVERT CHANCES
The U-14 Boise Timbers peppered the net Sunday. But Total Futbol goalkeeper Kevin Rafael made sure they had little to show for it.
Rafael stopped 10 of Boise’s 12 shots on goal, including several diving saves that turned away at least three sure-fire goals in Los Angeles’ 5-3 victory.
“He was a good goalie,” Boise Timbers’ Grayson Carter said. “We were shooting it higher than I think we should have. I think if we shot it lower, we would have had more goals. But you can’t score every one. And I think he did a fabulous job.”
Carter gave the Timbers the early lead, cleaning up a contested ball from a corner kick and poking it through the crowd in the 16th minute. But Los Angeles answered two minutes later and took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
Boise’s Hasan Alaali netted an equalizer in the 41st minute, finishing a run down the left side by burying a shot in the top right corner. But Los Angeles answered again with a lethal and efficient counter attack to score in the 43rd, 55th and 65th minutes.
While Boise could only convert two of its 12 shots on goal, Los Angeles saw five of its six shots on goal find the back of the net.
“I think a lot of it was us getting away from our identity a little bit,” Timbers coach Eric Simmonsen said. “So we were a little pulled apart. We were kind of rushing some things, rushing some sets to where we didn’t collectively have our shape, which then opens you up for the counter.”
Carter wrapped up the scoring by converting a penalty kick in stoppage time for his ninth goal of the tournament.
This story was originally published June 27, 2021 at 4:38 PM.
