Eastlake Boys Soccer ties Issaquah in 0-0 draw
On Tuesday, April 8 the Eastlake Wolves tied 0-0 with the Issaquah Eagles.
In another double overtime match-up for the Wolves, the game against the Issaquah Eagles ended in a tie despite the home team advantage for Eastlake.
Equal fight from both teams meant neither found the net the entire first half. While no one managed to score, Eastlake had a chance just minutes before halftime. Issaquah gained possession after a lengthy battle with the Eastlake offense near the penalty box. An attempted clearance was blocked.
As luck would have it, Eastlake forward Randy Xia found the wayward ball at his feet. With only the goalkeeper and a defender in his way, Xia attempted a shot, but the ball flew wide. No goal as the whistle blew to end the first half, 0-0.
Going into the second half, the Wolves appeared to be taking
the initiative. Putting on the pressure, Eastlake defender Mazin Elmetwally passed the ball to Xia. This time, shooting through two Issaquah defenders, Xia’s shot went just over the goal.
The initial good showing by Eastlake was short-lived as momentum shifted and the Wolves struggled to maintain possession. As the home team tired, they appeared to wait for passes to get to them instead of going to the ball. The delayed response allowed the visitors to frequently intercept and gain control.
This allowed the Eagles to shoot on goal more often than the Wolves throughout the second half.
A precise cross into the center by Issaquah was headered just wide of goal. In a close call for the Wolves, an Issaquah free kick forced Eastlake goalkeeper Pablo Basave-Jazmin to make a diving save. Despite the offensive challenges, the Wolves managed to stop every shot by the Eagles.
In the last minutes of regulation play, Eastlake appeared to regain their energy, launching a new attack. Forward Hamza Elmetwally received the ball for the Wolves and chipped it over the opposing defender.
Racing toward the goal, Elmetwally forced the last Issaquah defender to move forward of his penalty box. Drawing the Eagle defender out allowed a pass to the now undefended Wolves midfielder Bruno Perversi and an open shot. With only the keeper left on defense, Perversi failed to accurately connect with the ball. The shot flew wide of the
For the second time in a week for Eastlake, a tie forced the game into overtime and sudden death.
Initially, the Wolves carried the momentum into overtime, maintaining possession and staying on the attack. However, Issaquah refused to give in, forcing additional overtime.
In regular season play, if neither team scores in a second overtime, the game is over.
Eastlake will play Lake Washington at Lake Washington High School on April 15 at 7:30 p.m.
