Here is the final match of the day featuring Cardinal Newman in all white facing the Wando Warriors in an all black kit. Wando will be attacking into the wind and sun of the west end of the Cage.
And right off the bat we have a goal by Wando! A laser from just outside the 18 careens of a defenders head and into the net! So in the 2nd minute of play Wando will take the lead 1-0.
Now, opportunity lost for CN, as a ball ends up on the foot of a Cardinal facing an open goal, but he sends it high over the bar!
Oh! We have a collision in the box! One from each team is down, but both will rise from the smoke and walk away. That was possibly the 2 biggest guys on the field!
Nearly 15' in and CN is knocking! Controlling the play for now.
Here we are in the 18th minute, a corner is served into the box, shot, blocked, and the rebound is pounded into the back of the net! GOAL Cardinal Newman! That will knot it up at 1 each.
And Wando looks PO"ed! They are getting after it!
We are now back into some 2 sided action as both teams are battling back and forth.
WOW, the speed...a breakaway puts a Warrior on the run and in a 1 on 1 with the CN keeper....and he slips it past for a Wando goal! Wando will take the lead in the 25th minute 2-1.
Wow, another wasted opportunity for CN as the ball is played perfectly into the box for a waiting Cardinal who again sails it over the crossbar!
The speed of the counter, gives the Cardinals a chance and they finish! GOAL Cardinal Newman! That will tie this thing back up at 2 apiece with 9 minutes left to play in the half.
This time the Cardinals come back out wanting more as they are beating the leather off these defenders of Wando!
Man, this Cardinal Newman team wants this match, they are attacking the goal with ferocity!
There is the whistle to break play for the half with the score Cardinal Newman 2-2 Wando.
We are back on the pitch....
Cardinal Newman is all over it! They look like they want to win their second tournament in as many weeks.
Here in the 55th minute we will see a yellow for Wando.
and a Wando striker breaks a defenders ankle and blast a shot underneath a diving keeper, but it's off the post!
Wando is on this now...putting the pressure on the Cardinal defense and their keeper.
In the 67', we have a goal for the Cardinals! A free kick served into the box, caught, then dropped by the Wando keeper, and then he payed for it when a Cardinal ripped it through the back of the net! Making the score Cardinal Newman 3-2 Wando.
Less than 10 to play here at the Cage.
Less than 5' to play, still back and forth, to and fro. Good physical match.
Here we go, game is on the line in the final seconds.......and there is the whistle! Cardinal Newman with another excellent showing, never giving up and fighting back for a 3-2 win over Wando!
Cardinal Newman wins the group and will play in the semifinal match tom morning against tournament host Brookland-Cayce.
And a well-deserved win it was. They never stopped playing and competing. In my opinion, the CN/Wando game probably should have ended in a draw, based on play, but CN just deserved it a bit more. Funny how that works, eh?