Men's First Team Draws Against RKC Third Coast II
- Gareth Mullins
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
The Men's First Team drew in their match against RKC Third Coast II last Sunday night at Hoyne Field in a tense back-and-forth affair that brings the fight for the Midwest Premier League Heartland Division 2 trophy closer than ever.
GOALS:
Edgewater Castle FC: Rubio 88'
RKC Third Coast II: 90+5'
First Half
With the Rooks holding the #1 spot in the MWPL Heartland Division 2 table with only one more match to go in their season schedule after their bout with RKC, the Men's First Team knew of the importance of the game they were entering. If the Rooks win, they are in prime position to clinch the league. If RKC wins, they also become one step closer to becoming champions. Before kickoff, Rooks captain Quinten "Q" Benedetto talked with his team about his outlook on the coming 90 minutes.
"In my 3 and a half years at this club, this game is the most important game I've been a part of, so let's win it," Benedetto said.
Once the first half started, how even Edgewater and RKC were quickly became apparant. While RKC started strong, holding the majority of possession in the opening minutes, the Rooks soon adjusted and became strong on the ball themselves thanks to Alan Alonso's playmaking, Enzo Dagatti's and Rafael "Rafa" Santos' defensive presence on the wing.
Both teams traded the ball multiple times in the midfield throughout the half, neither team being able to make meaningful strikes on goal. Both teams on the field understood the stakes that the game presented and kept the game as neck-and-neck as possible.
Second Half
After halftime, both teams picked up right where they left off. Both the Rooks and RKC had cornerkicks in the first two minutes of the match, neither making it in thanks to goalkeepers on the field. Edgewater's goalkeeper Joey Galante deflected a successful RKC header with his body at 2', putting himself to the test as RKC remained persistent in the Rook's third.
Galante was not alone in keeping RKC away; Ameer Abdullah and Benedetto's slide tackling prevented RKC players from shooting multiple times as they pushed forward. Neither team were able to beat each other's defense, leading to increasing tension on the pitch as the clock started to wind down.
The Rooks would be the first team to break the tie in the closing minutes of regular time. In the 88th minute, Alan Rubio would pass the ball up to midfield to Murtadha Kamil, who would then pass the ball to Khris Darrell Turcios through an opening in RKC's defensive line. Turcios shot the ball at RKC's goalkeeper, who deflected it using his body and sent it back towards the Rooks' offense. Rubio managed to snag the ball off of the keeper and shot it left to give the Rooks the lead and to get the first goal of his Rooks career ever since joining Edgewater Castle in the fall of 2024. The crowd at Hoyne erupted, and the Men's First Team all celebrated with Rubio by dancing with him on the sideline.
The pressure was now on for the Rooks to maintain that lead in the dying embers. 6 minutes of added time was awarded by the officiating team, making the match as tense as ever.
In the 92nd minute, the Rooks had a chance to extend their lead to seal the victory for themselves. After getting the ball away from RKC in his third, Milos Vucic passed the ball up the right wing to Alonso, who had a clear path to goal. Using his speed, Alonso ran the length of the pitch into RKC's territory, getting there without any resistance from RKC's defenders. Alonso would then pass a through ball to Turcios, who would then kick the ball left into the bottom left corner. However, while both the Rooks on the field and their fans were celebrating after the fact, a line judge signaled that the goal as offside, an outcome that would have lasting implications in the closing minutes.
Shortly after the offsides call, RKC would send a cross from the left into the Rooks' box at 95'. An RKC offensive player would meet the ball inside, heading it into goal but was initially stopped by Galante between the posts, deflecting the ball off of his body. Another RKC player would be at the right place at the right time, receiving the ball from the deflection and tapping it in to tie the game 1-1.
The Rooks would take multiple chances at RKC's net in the final minutes of added time, but were unable to find the net. The intense competition would end in a draw, making the Rooks' next MWPL game a must-win scenario to win the league and secure promotion:
The Men's First Team will be playing for other silverware this week, competing in the ISSA State Cup Final on July 26th at 3:00 PM at Techny Park in Northbrook, Illinois.
