Oct. 23, 2010
Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. - The University of Portland scored two second-half goals, including a controversial penalty kick, and took a 2-1 come-from-behind West Coast Conference men's soccer victory over Gonzaga University Saturday night at a wet and soggy Merlo Field to start the second half of conference play.
The Bulldogs (4-10-0, 1-6-0) took a 1-0 lead when Colin Flynn scored his third goal of the season and second in three matches at 34:15. Flynn headed Greg Carter's free kick to the left post as he was left unmarked by the Pilot defense.
And although the Pilots carried the play throughout most of the second half, the Bulldogs were doing a good job containing the Portland offense.
But the momentum swung to the side of the Pilots (8-2-4, 5-1-1) when the Bulldogs were called for a foul in the box at 77:21 resulting in the penalty kick. The Bulldogs surrounded the middle official and protested vehemently, and even the Portland play-by-play announcer on the internet questioned the call. But the call stood and Jarad vanSchaik converted the penalty kick to the open right side past Gonzaga keeper Ryan Caballero.
The decisive goal came at 87:36 when Ryan Luke's shot from the close right wing deflected off a Bulldog and changed directions at the right post and beat Caballero, who had no chance at making the save. It was the sixth goal of the season for Luke. The victory moved Portland into a first-place tie with idle Loyola Marymount University (5-0-1) with 16 points.
Gonzaga head coach Einar Thorarinsson was obviously upset after the match.
"I don't complain about the referees very often, but that was the worst call I've seen in a long time," Thorarinsson said of the penalty kick call. "They said there was an arm lock. I think he was just looking for something to call. We were kind of homered a little bit, and I don't say that very often."
Flynn was also red carded in the final seconds on a free kick when the official said Flynn punched a Pilot player in the face in the battle for the air ball inside the box, according to Thorarinsson.
"There was no punch," Thorarinsson said.
It means the Bulldogs will be without Flynn next Friday when the Bulldogs travel Saint Mary's College. Flynn shares the team scoring lead with Stefan Eysteinsson, each with three goals and an assist for seven points.
The penalty kick seemed to take the air out of the Bulldogs as the Pilots, who did not have a shot on goal in six shot attempts in the first half, finished with nine second-half shots. Caballero was called on for five second-half saves. The Bulldogs, with three first-half shots and two of them on goal, had just two second-half shots with one on goal as Gonzaga never seriously threatened in the second half.
Thorarinsson credited his back four defenders with a strong match.
"They (Portland) had the better chances. We closed down a lot of their opportunities," Thorarinsson said. "The defense played well, all four of them in the back - Christian (Seon), James (Partee), Greg (Carter) and Josh (Phillips). But the three guys in yellow were something more than we could overcome."
The first half was played in a light rain, but a heavy rainfall moved in at halftime and persisted throughout the second half. But Thorarinsson didn't think the weather was a factor.
"I don't think it helped or hurt either team," he said. "It impacted both teams the same way."
