2011 State Soccer Tournament Boys 2A Semifinal; Eastview vs Minneapolis Southwest

Mall of America Field (Metrodome)

Eastview  2-0  Minneapolis Southwest

The second Boys 2A semifinal of the day looked to be a good one on paper. The Eastview Lightning (20-0-1) and who were the #1 seed in the tournament took on the #4 seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers (15-4-1).

The match stated out brightly for Eastview. Thirty seconds into the match they had already taken two shots and forced Lakers goalkeeper Ben Eccles into two fine saves.

In the 26th minute of play Eastview earned a free kick after the dangerous Mathew Gweh rounded the corner on his defender and was fouled just outside the penalty box and 5 yards from the end line. Junior forward Gweh took the free kick and drove it directly at the near post forcing Eccles into a diving punch to keep the ball out of his net.

It wasn’t all Eastview as senior midfielder Mohamud Abdi took a shot in the 33rd minute forcing Lightning keeper Sam Ruelas to make an acrobatic play to push the ball up and over the goal. The ensuing corner kick allowed Southwest several crossed into the box that Ruelas punched away.

Eastview finally broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when sophomore forward Pierce Erickson found the speedy Gweh racing down the field. The forward took a few touches forward before slotting low to the near post under Eccles for the 1-0 lead.

Just as Eastview had started quickly in the first half it was Southwest who did the same in the beginning of the second half. Senior forward Ryan McLain of Southwest received the ball and raced toward the left side of goal. From close range he blasted a shot at Ruelas who was up to the task blocking the ball with his body. McLain gathered his own rebound and snapped off another shot but Ruelas came up big again.

As Eastview had the better possession in the first half it was certainly Southwest who turned the tables and forced the issue in the second half as they looked for the equalizer. In the 63rd minute the Lakers had a good chance, but the Lightning quickly countered and Gweh broke away from his defender and dribbled 25 yards before trying to beat Eccles to his right. The Southwest keeper denied Gweh with some lightning fast moves of his own.

Ruelas was forced to leave the game in the 74th minute when he collided with a Southwest player in his box and took a knee to the head.

Just 3 minutes later was the combination of Erickson-Gweh again. Gweh received a cross from Pierce after winning the ball at midfield. Then the Eastview forward did what he does best, race with the ball to goal and launch a shot at goal. Gweh’s ball found the inside netting and his brace sent the Lightning to the finals on Thursday where they will meet #3 seed Eden Prairie.

“My inspiration is Lionel Messi,” said Gweh. “I just see how good he is with the ball and practice what he does. It’s school and soccer. That’s pretty much my life.”

Ruelas who had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him in the second half turning away 11 shots from the Lakers, many from close range, thanked his coaches for their help this season. “I want to thank Matt Van Oekel (MN Stars goalkeeper) and coach Gustafson for teaching me all I know. It was a good game for me but unfortunately I got a concussion. They did out-possess us in the second half but we are a team that never quits and in the end we were the better fighters.”

“Minneapolis Southwest is the best team we’ve played all year,” Lightning coach Scott Gustafson said. “They go 6 or 7 deep offensively. Anybody who plays them is going to struggle if you have to go against that for a full 80 minutes. But we did what we needed to do and played our game.”