Brookwood Beats Parkview in Shootout in Rain-Delayed Match

beat Saturday night in a boys soccer games that needed two nights to complete.

Brookwood (12-3) beat the Panthers (9-8) on penalty kicks at the Big Orange Jungle in Lilburn. The game finished 1-1 after regulation and overtime, but Brookwood won the shootout 5-3.

The match started Friday night and was postponed with 9:28 left in the first half due to severe weather that moved through the area. It restarted Saturday night with the same time on the clock.

The first half Friday night was wet and exciting.

Pete Charter of Parkview had a shot 15 minutes into the game that curled right over the top right post of the goal.

Ten minutes later, Adrian Alabi headed a corner in the bottom right corner of the goal only to be denied by Panthers keeper Diego Casillas. Panther’s senior keeper, Jack Falle, was unavailable due to a red-card suspension.

The game was then postponed as both coaches felt there was apparent danger to the team in the coming thunderstorms.

Both teams came out Saturday night looking hungrier for the win. The first half ended tied 0-0.

Parkview opened the scoring two minutes into the second half.

Panthers' Santiago Gubitosi curled a free kick past the wall and into the bottom right corner of the net. Broncos keeper Matt Mayer dove just a second too late as his vision was blocked by his own wall.

The Panthers were elated as they opened up the scoring to lead 1-0. Their joy was washed away just two minutes later as Brookwood cancelled Parkview’s lead.

Bronco’s Trevor Mooney collected a drop pass in the box and shot in between three defenders into the bottom left corner of the goal. The goal stunned Parkview. Mooney was unmarked and never pressured as his shot rattled into the back of the net.

Brookwood tied the game 1-1.

Neither team was willing to make a mistake. Every player on the field was willing to sacrifice their bodies for the win.

Parkview’s Abel Nguyen amazed the crowd with 30 minutes left in the second half. As he went for a header he slipped. Leaving the Bronco attacker with an opportunity to gather the ball and go one on one with Casillas. Still laid out on the ground, Nguyen lifted his head just enough to head the ball a few feet from the attacker and save Parkview. He easily could have gotten kicked in the face and suffered serious injuries. It was a play that many in the stands had never seen in a soccer game.

Parkview's Pete Charter took a shot with 30 seconds left that went just over the top bar. Tommy Lehner of Parkview stopped Brookwood’s Brahan Gamarra from sprinting into the box with just 15 seconds left on the clock. Both teams were determined to get into overtime.

The end of regulation was unable to separate the two quality teams.

The first half of overtime was very defensive. Parkview recovered a corner and sent the ball to Jonathon Jarrett who took a shot with only five seconds left in the first half of overtime. Brookwood’s keeper caught the ball to keep his team in the game.

The second half was just as difficult for the two teams to penetrate into the box. Only the last minute saw the two teams open up and try to score for the win.

Parkview’s Gubitosi crossed the ball from the right side of the field with one minute left in the game. Zach Welch of Parkview headed the ball to C. J. Ciarlante who was six yards in front of the goal with no defender marking him. Ciarlante’s kick was too powerful and flew over the crossbar.

Brookwood took the ball down the field to try to put away the game. Parkview’s Casillas made a diving save when the Broncos’ Alabi took a powerful shot that would have gone into the bottom right corner of the goal. The save sent the ball out of bounds and ended the game.

The only factor in deciding the difference between the two teams would have to be penalties as Brookwood and Parkview tied 1-1 at the end of overtime.

Brookwood keeper’s Jonathan Brown rotated every other shot with Mayer.

Parkview’s Charter scored the first penalty. Gubitosi’s second was blocked by Brown, but because of the way the field slopes at the goal line, the ball spun in after rolling on the line for a second or two. Jarrett scored his penalty kick. Ciarlante’s penalty kick was caught by Brown. Welch’s shot went flying yards over the post to end Parkview’s hopes as Brookwood scored all five of their penalty kicks.

The game, although intense, never took a nasty turn. Neither team went in for hard or reckless tackles. The two sides displayed beautiful passing and teamwork.

Brookwood’s senior captain Hares Husseini said, “The game was amazing.”

He continued, “Honestly, we didn’t think they would be so tough with so many losses in their record, but they are a very good team. We were also very good, spreading the ball very quickly and putting in the effort.”

Senior Chris Lewis of Brookwood concurred: “We just have a hardworking team.”

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Panthers. What they should take away from this game is not that they lost, but that they played even with a very good Broncos team that looks to go deep in the playoffs. Parkview showed it is capable of putting in effort against the best teams in Georgia.

Parkview looks to rebound from the loss as it faces Tuesday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Big Orange Jungle.