The UVU men’s soccer club held their own on Saturday evening against the mighty Olympique Montreux with a 3-1 win. The match was tipped to be a cracker and it did not disappoint. This was a major match for the Wolverines as they were facing a daunting task against the best team in the premier league.
Olympique Montreux had not lost a single match in over 20 league games, but this did not deter the Wolverines from aspiring to change the course of history.
Olympique Montreux was favored to win, but it was not to be. The Wolverines saturated the midfield with five midfielders, including George Zuniga, Chris Anderson and Yuhei Nagato who formed a formidable wall in the defense.
As time whiled on, frustration was evident on the Olympique players’ faces. Meanwhile, UVU kept their discipline, defending hard and counterattacking with a policy of one-touch play that was mouth watering.
Mario Lopez and Cameron Brink attacked on the wings and came back to defend with impeccable transition when the ball went to the other team.
And it was not long before the Wolverines’ patience paid off. Mario crossed from the left hand corner and Gabriel Miter headed on target, to give UVU the lead in a well-worked and perfectly executed goal.
It was not long after the break that a defensive blunder by Olympique led to a chance for the wolverines to score; Tidwell quickly dashed to the ball and was fouled in the penalty box. The referee quickly blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty box, as outrageous fans demanded a red card. Nonetheless, the yellow card was given, and Lopez scored the penalty in superb fashion, extending the Wolverine lead 2-0.
Olympique continued to attack with disappointing results. Frustration and surprise seemed to engulf them, as they were unable to fathom defeat for the first time. Success had been their habit. But the odor of defeat was increasing. However, they got a consolation goal from a dead ball situation in the box, and the score was now 2-1, with tensions rising.
Francisco added another goal by penetrating from the midfield after a sharp turn and skillfully cracking the ball to the far corner.
The clock edged closer to the final whistle as UVU’s bench and fans engaged in celebrations. The win was important, but the ambience of the success was even more impressive, after weeks of hard work, strategies and challenges.
Indeed, the mighty Wolverine soccer men held their own and proved to be champions, having beaten the best team in the Premier league of Utah.
