DeLand – “Vamos, Vamos, Vamos!”
Cries of “Let's go” rang out throughout the night as Boca Raton soccer players, fresh from the year's most improbable comeback, swarmed the field.
Boca Raton, which beat the two in 30 minutes of play, forced a penalty shootout from under the goal in overtime, won 3-3 (5-4) in sudden death, and advanced to the 7A state championship.
Boca Raton has won three state championships under head coach Marcelo Castillo, most recently in 2020. This time, with an undefeated record, he will look to win his fourth title when he faces West Orange in the final Saturday at 7 p.m.
Thursday's semifinal was filled with joy, exhaustion, disbelief and a poetic come-from-behind victory.
How they got here:Boca Raton boys earn regional title with revenge win over Celebration
With rain pouring down on the field Thursday, the Bobcats (23-0-2) overcame both the weather and Windermere's relentless momentum swings after Boca Raton's 2-0 lead disappeared.
A once-dominant game became a dogfight, and the Bobcats' mission was simple. He was to survive and go to the penalty shootout.
“We played downhill and then we played uphill,” Castillo said. “All of a sudden we were playing a game. We were down to 10 people, we knew we were in trouble. We were down to nine, it was going to be a lot harder. We knew that… But once we got to a penalty shootout, you couldn't beat us even if you put Carmine between the pipes.''
Castillo strongly believes that there is an element of luck in soccer. Things went both ways at various moments Thursday night.
“This game is all about luck,” he said. “They were very lucky with the cards we got and we were down to nine points. And the karma gods of football always balance things out. Sure enough, they did the same with us. I made a mental mistake because I was tired and we were given a penalty.”
The mistake was a dead-ball foul when Windermere's keeper illegally touched the ball inside his own box. Leading 3-2 in the second overtime period, the Bobcats were awarded a penalty.
At that moment, Boca Raton's bench suddenly looked like a picture of hope. Some were kneeling, perhaps in prayer. Some people couldn't bear to watch it. Other players clung to Rafael Azevedo's teammate as if they could score his subsequent penalty.
“God gave us a chance to get back in the game,” Azevedo said. “We gave our lives. It was God.”
Boca's original lead in regulation rested on goals from Brian Silva and Martín Arredondo, but that lead was wiped out after Windermere took a penalty and a free-kick in a dangerous position.
After a close game between both teams with five sets of spot kicks, Windermere's sudden-death penalty miss sealed the comeback.
“It means everything,” Carmine Ricciardi said. “I'm very happy to be here. Obviously nothing was given to me, so I had to take it tonight. We were undefeated tonight.”
“We're not done yet,” Hayden Merslow said. “And we'll come get the ring.”
