For the second time in as many games this season, Brave SC led on the road and left with just a point.
Nico Diaz’s late goal off the bench wasn’t enough for the full three points as Brooke House FC equalized in the penultimate minute of regulation to salvage a 1-1 draw Wednesday night at Showalter field in Winter Park.
“It’s very, very hard because we dominated the game and created too many opportunities in the first half to miss,” head coach Anderson DaSilva said.
The Buffalo saw their opportunities in the first half. Brave’s forwards took multiple shots, a few near misses and four that were saved by Brooke House goalkeeper Taner Akin.
“We knew they had a lot of players in the defense,” midfielder Matheus Ferreira said, “so our plan was to come in, press high, show them who Brave is, create a lot of chances and find a goal.”
Brave’s Mathias Tieppo also had to make a heroic play to keep the game level, sliding in front of a breakaway chance for a critical save in the 26th minute.
The end of the period saw a couple of charges toward each end, but neither team was able to convert a chance into a goal and the sides went to the locker room scoreless.
“I warned them at the beginning of the game that we had to hurt them in the first half,” DaSilva said.
“We lost too many opportunities.”
The second half saw more of the same with the Buffalo earning chances, but failing to convert. In the 54th minute, DaSilva subbed in a trio of attacking players — Alvaro Carrera, Leo Dutra and Diaz — in hopes of providing a spark.
“(The mission) was to make an impact,” Diaz said. “It was nil-nil when we came on and our job was to score.”
The plan paid off. A Buffalo free kick into the box was skied up into the air and a deflection on the landing skipped out to Diaz. The winger corralled the ball with his first touch and fired with his second to tally his first goal in a Brave shirt.
“I was just fortunate that it went in,” Diaz said. “I’m glad I could help the team in any way I could.”
However, it was the Brooke House asset the Buffalo were most concerned about that cost them two points. A long throw-in, which Brave SC had thwarted most of the night, finally paid off with a goal for the home side. In the 89th minute, a ball launched into the box landed loose on the pitch for Casey Atwell, who knocked in the tying goal.
“We knew they had one dangerous play, which was the throw-in,” Ferreira said, “and, unfortunately, we didn’t pay enough attention and conceded.”
Brave SC is now 0-0-2 with the draw, but now looks forward to a home match. The Buffalo will be even more determined to earn the full three points when they take on Brevard SC Saturday in the home opener.
“Today wasn’t our lucky day,” Ferreira said. “We had so many chances and didn’t score, but I’m sure it’s coming in the next one.”
Brave SC will play its next game at 7 p.m. Saturday against Brevard SC at The Villages Charter Middle School.