Heat Falls in El Paso
EL PASO, TX -- The El Paso Patriots brought the 2006 season to a close in solid fashion, putting its best foot forward for 2007 by beating the Mid-South Division champion Laredo Heat, 3-0, here Saturday.
El Paso finishes the season at .500 (7-7-2, 23 points).
Goalkeeper Jórge Muñíz was stellar once again, as was the Patriots defense, helping their keeper earn his sixth shutout of the season.
El Paso opened the scoring in the 36th minute as a heavily-marked Júlio Frías got open long enough on the left of the Heat’s 18-yard box to first-time a pass from Victór Arreóla back to the speedy winger.
Edging along the end line, Arreóla solved the hard angle to beat Laredo backup goalie Jórge Zamóra low to the far post. The ball lodged in the pipes in the back of the net and the Patriots had the lead, something they have not enjoyed often against the Heat this season, going 0-3 versus Laredo prior to this game. The goal was Arreóla’s first this year.
Frías ended his season with a bang in the 74th, taking a beautifully-weighted pass sent in by Enríque Cervántes from the right wing and first-timing a chip over Zamóra’s left shoulder at the edge of the six for the 2-0 lead.
Frías already had his substitute, Angél Hernández, waiting at the touchline when he scored, and came off before the restart to the applause of the home crowd.
Pending the outcome of other matches in this last week of the regular season, Frías’ three-point night puts him squarely in fifth place in the PDL with 28 points, and his 13th goal of 2006 would tie him for fourth place.
The 2005 league MVP and 2004 scoring champion is the all-time points and goals leader over the 16 seasons the Patriots franchise has existed.
Second-half substitutes Brit López and António Gambóa combined to round out the scoring in added time, as Gambóa connected with his fellow El Pasoan from midfield.
Taking the pass in stride, López waited for Zamóra to come off his line, then bounced his shot past the keeper for his first goal in a Patriots’ uniform.
After reaching the league championship and losing to the Des Moines Menace on penalty kicks in 2005, El Paso had high hopes going into this season, but an uncharacteristically impotent offense could not complement a much-improved defense.
After losing all five matches they played against the Patriots in 2005 – including the Southern Conference championship – the Heat had hoped to sweep El Paso to return the favor in 2006.
But Laredo head coach Israél Collázo takes his division champions on the road to Carolina for the Southern Conference finals next weekend not only as winners of this Lone Star border battle series, but champions of the Mid-South Division and owners of one of the league’s best records (14-2, 42 points).
El Paso head coach Jesús “Chuy” Enríquez will continue to work with his young but improving team in the off-season. Fully 85 percent of the Patriots roster is from within a 40-mile radius of Patriot Stadium, and the organization has always prided itself on winning with area talent.
After Saturday night’s victory, much more is the promise for Year 17 of Patriots Soccer.
