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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 20, 2004 Fuego loses lead, then game By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Aside from the final score, Fuego's twilight match against the Cascade Surge was exactly what the Southern Oregon Fuego would have wanted. The fans went nuts for the home-grown extravaganza, the home crowd rallied strong until the final seconds and the Fuego squad didn't let up. "We needed to be able to (play) 45 minutes instead of 60," said Fuego four-year team captain Iman Siadat. The Surge scored in the 77th minute to complete a comeback from a 1-0 deficit in a 2-1 victory over Fuego, Wednesday night at Phillips Field. Fuego picked up a goal in the first few minutes of play and looked like capable of handing the Cascade Surge (4-0) its first loss of the regular season. It didn't happen. In the waning seconds of the first half, the Surge posted a final-second penalty kick that scored the much-needed first goal for the Salem, squad. "It was disheartening to have that happen," Siadat said. "It was hard to take that penalty kick at the last minute of the first half." But the Fuego responded well trading shots with the favorites in the second half, each team taking its turn drilling the opposing goalie. It was the 32nd minute of the second half when the Surge knocked one past Mike Belzberg, Fuego's young goaltender. "It was working really well at the beginning," Hathaway said. "We got tired. You could see that, but it was a close game, a very close game." The loss could have easily been the 2-all tie the Surge and Fuego battled to on July 4, 2003 at Phillips Field and the Fuego believe they will have better performances in front of them during the remaining seven games of their eight-game summer schedule. The early lead "We thought we had the game wrapped up in the first four minutes," said team newbie Dan Hathaway. "But then the pace of the game changed." Fuego, which has been striving to learn "total soccer" over the course of the winter, learned that the dynamic style of play takes more conditioning than they're accustomed to. "It works, it really works," head coach Radovan Dluhy-Smith said of the total soccer strategy. "We have to work more on ball movement when everyone gets tired. I was pleased with the intensity of the play. They stayed mentally focused and mentally disciplined for the majority of the game." However, about 30 minutes into the 45-minute first half, Fuego wore out and the Surge got the chance to make their move. "The main thing that changed was that, in the last 15 minutes of play, we were a little fatigued," Siadat said regarding the first half. "We just need to be able to go 45 minutes instead of 30." Chances spoiled Even though the Surge managed to tie the game at the halfway point, Fuego didn't go without opportunities to win the game in the second half. With the support of the entire Ashland crowd - from girls in Fuego jerseys-turned tube-tops to college boys leading the "Fue-go! Fue-go!" chants and all of the youth soccer players and parents between the two groups - Fuego received a warm welcome as they returned the Ashland community for their 2004 debut. "Having fans like that really give a huge energy boost to the players," Hathaway said. "It really kept me going. We have a great fan base." Although Fuego would have loved to see both side of the bleachers packed with locals, when it came down to it, every person in the stands rallied behind the red and black. "We want even more fans here," Siadat said. "Without them, we're nothing." With the couple hundred present, Fuego attempted to stage a comeback in the second half. Although the team mustered a handful of shots-on-goal in the final stanza, so did the Surge. "We had some opportunities," Dluhy-Smith said. "It was a little disappointing that we didn't get one in." Still, the first-year coach couldn't complain about the effort his players exhibited in their first home showcase of the season. "It's about the level of play we're going to be matched against in the future," Dluhy-Smith said. "We showed that we can match that kind of play." Fuego plays next on May 28, at Phillips Field. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams