PORT ANGELES — A comeback fit for a legend.
Good thing one was standing on the Port Angeles sideline, rooting on his teammates and on multiple occasions roasting them, the referees, the two coaching staffs and anything that caught his attention.
Port Angeles erased a 3-1 deficit with two goals in the final 16 minutes of regulation and triumphed 4-3 in overtime against Sequim to wrest the Super Cup soccer trophy, and all the bragging rights that come with it, away from its rival in the game’s second annual installment.
Saturday’s comeback victory at Wally Sigmar Field at Peninsula College capped an emotional day for the aforementioned legend, Port Angeles’ Kyle Trussell, the Man of Honor at this year’s Super Cup.
Trussell, a staple of the area soccer scene and a member of the first Port Angeles Super Cup team, was nearly crushed by a bulldozer in a workplace incident last September.
“The soccer community was just incredible. Did you feel that intensity?” Trussell said.
“The turnout was unreal.
“That game was incredible. I can’t believe all that happened.”
Sequim got on the board quickly, as Pablo Salazar stepped on to a Daniel Servin pass and streaked toward the goal, eventually sending a soft shot to the far post for a 1-0 lead.
“He’s an outstanding striker, so we wanted to shield him from the ball a little bit,” Port Angeles head coach Kanyon Anderson said of his team’s initial formation.
“And of course he goes out and gets the ball and scores on an individual effort.”
Sequim and Salazar had an opportunity to add to the lead when Port Angeles’ Cale Rodriguez, coach of the Peninsula Pirate men’s soccer team, played a ball back to . . . well nobody, and Salazar again turned on the boosters and barreled toward the Port Angeles goal.
But Port Angeles defender Jake Hughes was there just in time to prevent another goal.
Port Angeles’ best chance to score in the first half came in the 19th minute.
Brent Riccigliano split two defenders and was all alone against Sequim goalkeeper Benito Morales before being hauled to the turf.
Port Angeles was awarded a penalty kick, but Riccigliano’s attempt was gobbled up by Morales.
Sequim took a 2-0 lead into halftime when Hector Baylon headed home Luke Shearer’s corner kick in the 43rd minute.
At halftime the Port Angeles side grouped together in a circle to listen to Anderson.
“We talked about how we had played 135 minutes of Super Cup soccer and missed opportunity after opportunity,” Anderson said.
“Zero goals in 135 minutes, and I told them we are never going to win unless we finish off our chances, somebody has to put the ball in the net.”
Having to chase the game offensively, Port Angeles pushed another striker up and the move began to pay off as the team looked more in command offensively.
Port Angeles got on the board in the 69th minute when Cenk Ozer was brought down in the box by Sequim’s Victor Morales to earn a penalty kick.
After some discussion on the field and on the sidelines as to which player would take the kick, Ozer stepped up and sent the shot home for a 2-1 Sequim advantage.
But Port Angeles gave the goal right back four minutes later when miscommunication between defender Adam Carlson and goalkeeper Daniel Horton led to an own goal.
Now trailing 3-1, Port Angeles’ comeback began when Anthony Brandon poked in a loose ball for a goal in the 74th minute.
Pressing for the equalizer with three minutes in regulation, Port Angeles found it after a superlative effort by former Port Angeles exchange student, Veracruz, Mexico’s Angel Rivero,
Rivero, in town to visit his exchange family, tracked down a ball at the very edge of the Sequim back line and saved it to Port Angeles’ Omar Anderson.
“I was really tired but at that point of the game everyone has to keep going,” Rivero said.
“I just went after that ball and Omar knocked it in.”
Anderson gave all praise to Rivero.
“He kept it alive, it was all on him. He worked his tail off to save it and it was just me being there at the right time,” Anderson said.
“The only things that came to my mind were 1. don’t miss this because it’s possible to miss that and 2. give the praise to Angel because it was up to me to reward him.”
After a scoreless first 5 minutes of overtime, Port Angeles found the eventual game-winning goal when Riccigliano stepped up to a loose ball and basically walked the ball into the goal.
The score triggered a yellow card for Ozer after he tore off his jersey in celebration.
Sequim was disappointed, but sportsmanlike in the postgame ceremony.
“If there’s ever a time to lose to Port Angeles, it would be this game,” Sequim coach Quincy Byrne said.
“But no, there will be no sympathy next year.”
Trussell received some gifts from two Sequim players.
“[Sequim’s] Victor [Salazar], the guy who had the two goal line saves he gave me his jersey and their goal keeper Benito [Morales] gave me his gloves,” Trussell said.
Port Angeles Mayor Patrick Downie said the Cup would be displayed proudly in the foyer of City Hall.
“Thank goodness the hometown boys did well, “ Downie said.
Anderson said that while not explicitly mentioned, Trussell’s status as Man of Honor may have inspired the comeback.
“That’s a great perspective,” Anderson said.
“Before the game every single guy gave him a hug. He led us out, he led the coin flip, it was for him.
“It did feel different this year, we did challenge each other to not come out and have a lackluster effort.
“And I’m not sure where that comes from, but maybe if Kyle’s not there we don’t play as hard.”
Port Angeles 4, Sequim 3
Port Angeles 0 3 1 — 4
Sequim 2 1 0 — 3
Scoring Summary
First Half: 1, Sequim, P. Salazar, 10th. 2, Sequim, Baylon, 43rd.
Second Half: 1, Port Angeles, Ozer, 69th. 3, Sequim, Own Goal, 73rd. 2, Port Angeles, Brandon, 74th. 3, Port Angeles, Anderson (Rivero), 87th.
Overtime: 4, Port Angeles, Riccigliano, 97th.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
