Benefield: Montgomery wins stormy soccer showdown at Rancho Cotate

ROHNERT PARK - It's the beautiful game but Monday night's game between host Rancho Cotate and Montgomery was anything but beautiful.

It was chippy - sometimes dirty - soccer that showed little of the talent both teams have to offer.

What it did show, however, was what was at stake: early supremacy in what promises to be a tough race for the North Bay League pennant.

Montgomery came away with the 3-2 win, courtesy of a Carson Wyatt penalty kick in the final two minutes that ended what had devolved into a messy skirmish that saw three yellow cards and an ejection of an assistant coach.

These two teams have had heated contests in recent years but Monday night eroded into less an impassioned display of competitive spirit than an onslaught of fouls and hollering.

When asked about the officiating, Montgomery coach Jon Schwan called it “an atrocity.”

“Absolutely disgraceful,” he said. “The game was out of hand.”

It only took about 10 minutes of competition under the pouring rain for both teams to heat up. But whistles were relatively infrequent and shoving, jawing and hard tackles were a-plenty.

“There was a lot of animosity,” Rancho coach Eamon Kelly said. “I think they are battling for the top spot. I think this game was to make a statement.”

The home team got on the board first just nine minutes into the game when junior Zach Zurevell headed in a corner kick sent into the box by junior Adrian Fontanelli.

It was the first goal given up off a corner by Montgomery in more than a year, according to Schwan.

It would not be the last of the night.

But first came Montgomery's equalizer from junior Jay Schlessinger from an assist from sophomore Calvin Perkins 25 minutes into the first half.

Late into the first half, Fontanelli was the first of three Cougars to be shown yellow cards when he put a forearm shove into the back of a Viking in front of Montgomery's bench.

With seven minutes to play in the half, Montgomery assistant coach Kyle Boyd was ejected after the Montgomery bench erupted over what they contended was a series of no-calls from the officials.

After sending Boyd off, the center referee then pulled captains Wyatt and Rancho's Mario Enrike “Kiki” Gomez aside for a discussion that put a stop to play for nearly two minutes.

With two minutes to play in the first half and the rain still dumping, Montgomery junior Ben Cawood put his head on a ball that was ricocheting around the box after a corner taken by sophomore Alan Soto. It put the Vikings up 2-1 heading into the break.

But the Vikings could not sustain the momentum at the opening of the second half, despite a let up in the weather.

The visitors came out flat in the second half but who could blame them? The ensuing 40 minutes was nothing close to a display of skill from perhaps the best two teams in the region, but rather a slug fest with drawn out arguments with the referee. Flowing it was not.

Kelly expressed frustration that his squad could not maintain discipline as the foul tally mounted.

“You can't lose control,” he said. “You've got to stay focused.”

Midway through the second half the hosts rallied for the tie when senior Anil Shrestha put home a corner sent by Fontanelli.

But the Vikings came back. Again.

A streaking Bryan Rosales was making a break for the box from the left side in the final two minutes when he was taken down by senior Levi Sanchez. The junior was sent sprawling in the box; the whistle sounded and the official pointed to the spot.

Wyatt, who was a controlling influence for the Vikings at defensive mid, sent to the ball to the right and the Vikings walked out of Cougar stadium with the win and 3-0 record in league.

“It was a heartbreaker,” said Kelly, whose Cougars fell to 1-1 in league play.

I'd call it more disappointing than heartbreaking. This game should have shone a spotlight on some of the best players, and two of the best teams, we have. Instead, it was shouting and hollering, shoves to the back, jawing with the ref, cautions and an ejection.

These two teams meet again at Montgomery Jan. 27. They can and should do better.