Sidekicks Advance In Playoffs
In a match that saw the lead go back and forth, it was the Dallas Sidekicks who came out on top 6-5 to advance out of Round One of the Major Arena Soccer League Playoffs. Two goals from midfielder Nestor Hernandez in the fourth quarter gave the Sidekicks the advantage, with Fernando Garza, Freddy Moojen and Cody Ellis also notching goals. The Sidekicks will travel to Monterrey Arena to take on the Monterrey Flash (18-2) on March 8 to determine who will be the Southern Division champions.
It was fitting for Freddy Moojen to get things started, the forward leading the team in goals throughout the regular season. After a disallowed Sidekicks goal due to an Oxford City handball before the shot, Moojen capitalized on the resulting penalty kick. It then became a game of possession, the next goal scored with 45 seconds to go in the quarter by City’s Frank Tayou to tie it up. Oxford City would add another goal during the second quarter, David Malloy extending his team’s lead to 2-1 going into halftime.
Tayou would score his second of the match 5:38 into the third
quarter, sneaking a shot past the Sidekicks defense. 40 seconds later Dallas defenseman Fernando Garza answered with his first goal of the season, banking on his own rebound in front of goalkeeper Juan Gamboa. Oxford City defenseman Juan Jalomo regained his team’s two-goal lead at 13:26.
With their season resting on the next 15 minutes, the Sidekicks began their comeback with three straight goals. Defenseman Cody Ellis cut Oxford City’s lead to one with a blast near the boards at 1:43. A few minutes later, a free kick taken by Nestor Hernandez went right through City’s defense to Moojen, who tapped it in to tie the game. Hernandez followed up with a goal of his own, beating Gamboa one-on-one to give the Sidekicks a 5-4 lead. About 30 seconds later, Oxford City forward Alejandro Morales gave the two teams their third tie of the match. It was Hernandez again who gave the Sidekicks the lead, taking a quick pass from Ricardinho and dodging a stretched out Gamboa to bring the score to 6-5. Oxford City took their chances with a sixth attacker, but a stellar performance from the Sidekicks defense and Sagu carried Dallas to take home their first playoff win since coming back in 2012.
With the victory, the Sidekicks move on in the MASL playoffs to face the number one seed Monterrey at Arena Monterrey on Sunday, March 8th to decide who advances out of the Southern Division.
