Heat Wins 5-3 in Wild UPSL Round of 32 Match
- Forrest Wimberly
- 19 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
South Carolina United Heat Photo: Forrest Wimberly
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It was a wild 5-3 win for the South Carolina United Heat over Virginia champs Los Toros on Sunday afternoon in the UPSL Premier National Round of 32 playoffs. The match was played in Raleigh, NC at the WRAL Soccer Complex on the scorching-hot turf stadium field with temperatures hovering around the century mark at the 2 PM kickoff.
The match would see Los Toros go ahead twice in the first half with the Heat able to level the match each time to send the teams tied 2-2 to the halftime break.
A lengthy weather delay hit the complex in the 73rd minute and after a 3-hour delay the match resumed, on a different field due to a USL2 match, and ended tied at 2-2 forcing extra time. The Heat scored three goals in the extra time while Los Toros pulled back a late goal to keep thing interesting as the Heat advances to the UPSL Premier National Round of 16.
The extremely warm temperatures welcomed both teams to the pitch and the Heat almost found the nets just seconds into the match. Both teams had solid looks at the goal but couldn’t apply the final goal-scoring touch in the opening 20 minutes as Los Toros’ long throw ins and crosses from the Heat provided most of the danger.
Los Toros scored the first goal of the match in the 27th minute as Michael Degrandez found a ball in a pocket of space about 30 yards from goal where he unleashed a wicked left-footed rocket that dipped as it traveled fooling the Heat keeper and putting Los Toros into the lead. Toros 1-0 Heat.
The Heat regrouped at the hydration break immediately following the goal and emerged from the break to score their first goal in the 31st minute.
Manny Arkoh did some extra work on the dribble to keep the attack alive deep in the right corner before he dished the ball central where it finally fell to Heat leading scorer Tom Marriott who collected the pass at the top of the box, turned, and finished the play with a high shot over the scrambling Los Toros’ keeper. Heat 1-1 Toros.
Los Toros then used some clever, quick passing to play a 1-2 right up the middle of the park in the 40th minute to regain the momentum by putting Dylan Zane in for the 1v1 finish low to the left of the Heat keeper. Toros 2-1 Heat.
In the 43rd minute, a Tom Marriott shot almost levels the match again but on the ensuing action Manny Arkoh picks up a loose ball off a Los Toros player in the midfield and then goes on a surging, solo run to the top of the Toros’ area before firing the ball into the nets to level the match just before the half. Heat 2-2 Toros.
The Heat emerged from the break and applied massive pressure on Los Toros' defense as they carried all the play and pinned Los Toros deep in their end forcing several scrambling saves by Los Toros’ defense. In the 47th minute a cross from the right flank found Tom Marriott all alone in the box for a one-time shot that Los Toros’ keeper Jack Pinson made a spectacular kick save to rob the Heat and Marriott of the go-ahead goal.
In the 55th minute it was a double save by Pinson on a wild sequence of Heat shots that preserved the score line and kept Los Toros in the match. A final Marriott free kick in the 59th minute ran just wide of the right post capping the “bend-but-don’t-break” spell of defense for the Virginia Conference Champs.
A weather delay hit the complex in the 73rd minute and both teams returned to the locker rooms due to lightning in the area. The delay lasted three hours and the lengthy delay allowed the now struggling Los Toros time to rest and regroup as they reemerged from the interruption of play. Due to a scheduled NCFC USL2 match versus Asheville City, the UPSL playoff match was moved to an adjacent turf field at WRAL Park that was noticeably smaller than the initial stadium field.
The re-energized Los Toros were the better team out of the weather delay as they enjoyed all the possession and the attacking movements. Los Toros best look was in the 81st minute off a cross but the header was always rising as it cleared the bar and the match moved to extra time knotted 2-2.
Extra time started as a more balanced game for both teams as they each looked to get the decisive next goal. A quick restart in the midfield by Los Toros in the 92nd minute sprang a runner deep into the Heat area where he blasted a shot into the Heat keeper at the near post almost catching the Heat defense flat-footed for a Los Toros goal.
Arkoh again in the 96th minute went on a solo dribble keeping the Heat attack alive winning a free kick at the top of the area just shaded toward the right touch line. Max Landau stepped up to smash the free kick up and over the wall where the ball dipped suddenly, fooling Los Toros’ keeper as it kissed off the underside of the bar to give the Heat their first lead of the match. Heat 3-2 Toros.
Entering the second period of extra time, Los Toros in the 106th minute produced a scramble but no goal off a long throw in before Arkoh went on another long solo dribble to play in Tom Marriott who just shot the ball wide left in the 110th minute. Los Toros now trailing by a goal and running out of time began to gamble with more numbers forward seeking a goal to level the match late in extra time.
An errant square ball from Los Toros’ keeper playing well out of the nets as a sweeper-keeper was intercepted by the Heat’s Tom Marriott in the 113th minute who took the gift and earned his brace as he finished the passing mistake low into the left corner of the nets to send the Heat into a joyful, yet relieved celebration. Heat 4-2 Toros.
Los Toros kept playing and pulled a goal back in the 117th minute as Stanley Alvez headed in a cross from the right flank to make the last seconds of the match very tense. Heat 4-3 Toros.
But again, in the 119th minute, Los Toros’ keeper was pressing the attack well off his line when he was beaten to a loose ball at the midfield circle where the Heat’s Adam Habas came sliding in to shoot the ball into the empty nets from long distance. The final whistle was just seconds later and the Heat advances to the UPSL National Round of 16. Final Score: Heat 5-3 Toros.
5.5 total hours, 120 minutes of soccer, and 8 goals were needed in this wild game to separate the two sides in a very entertaining, instant-classic, see-saw UPSL National Playoff match.
The Heat will now face Tennessee Tempo who defeated Georgia champs Kalonji Pro Profile in their Round of 32 match. The Round of 16 match between the Heat and Tempo will be played July 11 or 12.
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