Brave SC 2–1 Sarasota Paradise (a.e.t.) · Asheville City SC 2–1 Brave SC
Friday: Sarasota
We won it in extra time.
Matheus Ferreira's opener was described by the broadcast as "a genuine certified banger." He came into the match with five goals and two assists on the season.
Then, deep into extra time, Austin Mueller — a CSU Pueblo graduate — scored his first goal of the season to put us into the conference semifinals for the second straight year.
Bruno Carrera was named man of the match.
Sunday: Asheville
Four and a half hours of streaming before we got this one finished, delayed again and again by lightning. Nobody who stayed expected what they saw.
Three changes: Andrew Mueller came into goal, a precautionary withdrawal for Matheus Tiepo after a knock against Sarasota. Augustine Useme and Joao Ribeiro came in; Yuki Nakamura dropped to the bench.
Nico Diaz put us ahead — his tenth of the season — finishing a cheeky scooped chip over the back line, controlling it and tucking it away left-footed.
1–0, and we were a spot away from the Elite Eight.
We held it into the second half. Asheville, who had barely spent any time behind all season, could not break us down.
Then we went to ten. Enrique Galina was shown a red card with the lead still intact, and we had a long time left to defend it a man short.
Asheville equalised through a deflected shot in a crowded box, and scored again to finish it.
2–1.
"If you're a fan of Brave SC, you are hurting. And this is not what you wanted to see."
What we were up against. Asheville City came into this having scored four in their own quarterfinal, with a brace from Simon Carlson. They had lost to us at this stage last year and this was their revenge — it put them into the national quarterfinals for the first time in the club's history.
Our squad for that weekend included Matheus Ferreira, Oscar Rosano, Leonardo Andrade, Alvaro Carrera, Augustine Useme, Joao Ribeiro, Bruno Carrera and Nico Diaz, who finished the season as our leading scorer on ten.
Southeast Division champions for the fifth time. A playoff win away from home. A conference semifinal lost by one goal, with ten men, after four and a half hours of lightning delays.
That is a season.
