COD (5-5-4; 5-3-2) put together a strong showing on their home field as they scored three goals in the second half and got a win for their keeper ion his first start, as Desert pushed past the San Diego City Knights (3-8-4; 2-5-4), 4-2.

The Roadrunners would welcome a new goal keeper to the squad as freshman Fabian Alfaro (Indio H.S.) took the role as starting keeper for Desert, making nine saves, six in the second half, all on 18 shots.

Desert would get onto the scoreboard first as freshman midfielder Isaac Vargas (Indio Shadow Hills) lifted his corner shot up over to freshman midfielder Cristian Padilla (Thermal Coachella Valley) who headed the ball into the top of the net, just past the outstretched fingers of the Knights keeper, giving the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.

Five minutes later, San Diego City was awarded a penalty kick, which they converted to equalize at 1-1.

The score would remain 1-1 going into halftime, but the game would be turned on its head in near nine minute chunk of chaos.

Beginning in the 61st minute, Desert took the lead for good on a cross from the right by freshman defenseman Andrassy Teran (La Quinta H.S.) who found freshman forward Nathan Ocampo (Rancho Mirage H.S.) who chested the shot down so hard it bounced back up about six feet off of the ground. The Knights keeper reacted to the ball on the ground and reached low, just in time for the ball to bounce up and Ocampo pounded it into the net with his head and gave Desert a 2-1 advantage.

Less than a minute later the San Diego City starting keeper was handed a red card and sent off, leaving the Knights down a man for the rest of the match. In the confusion, a Knights back-up keeper was not warmed up and ready to enter the game, so the San Diego City coaches put a field player in net. In the 65th minute, Padilla scored his second goal of the game when the first attempt by the Roadrunners was punched away, landing right at the feet of sophomore midfielder Jesus Murillo Perez (Thermal Coachella Valley) who quickly passed the ball to Padilla, who rifled the shot into the back of the net, giving Desert a commanding 3-1 lead.

The Knights would add a goal in the 68th minute and Desert would get that goal back in the 70th minute as Ocampo again was the benefactor of a great pass, this time from freshman midfielder Marco Aguilar (Rancho Mirage H.S.), who passed to Ocampo right in front of the net and poked in the easy chance.

Photo by Rodrigo Pena (rigopena@yahoo.com)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.