Even in defeat, Alex Navarrete called it one of the best games he has been a part of.
“Especially because of the comeback,” the John Adams boys soccer coach said. “When they score the second goal, how are we going to respond to it?”
Navarrete’s team fell behind by two goals right after halftime, despite dominating most of the opening frame. Adams responded with two penalty kick goals from Rodolfo Paguada, but ultimately fell, 8-6, in penalty kicks to visiting Stuyvesant. The two teams played to a 2-2 draw in the second round of the PSAL Class A playoffs Wednesday.
Paguada saw his fourth penalty kick of the game saved by 10th-seeded Stuyvesant goalkeeper Alex Sandler. The junior midfielder tried to go to the bottom right corner, after scoring to the lower left corner on two of his first three opportunities. It gave Stuy senior Cody Levine the chance to win it, which the senior did by scoring to the right side.
“I thought the goalkeeper was going to the left,” Paguada said. “That’s why I shot to the right side.”
They wouldn’t have been in that situation had he not scored on penalty kicks in the 62nd and 76th minutes because of a takedown in the box and a hand ball. Also, goalie Jhonnatan Mejia made a diving save and scored with No. 7 John Adams (11-3) trailing early in the second round of penalty kicks. The junior, who was moved to defender in the second half of the season, was in net because starting keeper Willian Benitez dislocated his thumb in practice before the first playoff game.
“It was kind of crazy,” Mejia said. “You have to be there with another player seeing where he is going to shoot, people screaming at you.”
Added Navarrette: “Whereever you put him in he will do the job and he is good at it. He will make a difference.”
Stuyvesant (9-3-2) led 2-0 after goals by Krit McClean in the 45th minute and Levine on a header off a Drake Berglund corner kick shortly after halftime. Adams nearly scored the game’s first goal, but Morisanda Dioubate’s header hit the very top of the crossbar in the 23rd minute. The Stuyvesant defense smothered the senior and Paguada most of the afternoon.
“[We are] a young team,” Navarrete said. “My midfield is freshman and sophomores. I think this school is going to have a future.”