It is a phrase said all too frequently in soccer. A two-goal cushion is one of the most dangerous leads in the sport.
The gap can lead to desperation by the trailing team and conservatism by the side in front.
For the W.F. West High School boys soccer team, they experienced a Class 2A District 4 semifinal loss unlike any other.
Up 3-1 with eight minutes left in regulation, R.A. Long rallied off three straight goals – including the match-winning golden goal in the 84th minute – to triumph past the Bearcats 4-3 in Chehalis on Tuesday night.
“We just collapsed,” W.F. West head coach Allen Anderson said. “Part of it is me, I might have had different guys in different spots I shouldn't have. Part of it is we got tired and if you let your focus down for even a second against a good team, they’ll make you pay.”
The comeback sends the Lumberjacks to the state tournament for the first time since 2018. They’ll face fellow Greater St. Helens league foe Columbia River on Saturday for the district title.
Everyone on the field for the Bearcats (11-5-1) collapsed when Gavin Geier’s 25-plus yard shot nestled into the bottom left corner of the net past a diving Cayden Page for the final goal.
They sat in a circle afterwards in sadness and disbelief.
“It is a tough loss,” forward/midfielder Jeremy Thompson said. “They had three amazing shots outside of the box. The placement of those were nasty. The nerves were there.”
Thompson scored his second goal of the match in the 71st minute, lacing a shot that hit off the top of the bar and fell behind the line. That came after the Lumberjacks got on the board with a penalty kick in the 64th minute.
R.A. Long went down and answered right away with a goal from Andreas Orozco a minute later. Then in the 74th minute, after a W.F. West foul, Krager Clark went top right for a free kick equalizer.
“It is unfortunate,” Anderson said. “They were great shots.”
The back line plus Page and Josh Madrigal in net has been a fortified strength for the Bearcats this season. As of late, some cracks have started to pop up.
Since beating Shelton 1-0 in mid-April, they have allowed 10 goals in the last eight matches. A stark contrast from the three given up in an eight-match win streak, including five consecutive shutouts.
“It really showed our youth,” Anderson said. “I could see our guys getting nervous the closer it got to the end of the game. You can’t be complacent against a team like this.”
Jaimes kicked off the scoring in the ninth minute, taking a feed from Thompson and burying it. Then they switched when Jaimes fed Thompson, who beat his defender and ripped a top of the net shot for a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute.
At times, Thompson has been the main striker in one match and roaming the midfield in another this season.
“Me and (Uzi) have different play styles,” Thompson said. “We’ve got different tactics to score.”
The Bearcats will host Hockinson in a loser-out game on Thursday night. The winner will be one of the last 16 standing in the 2A bracket.
Thompson and Anderson are confident W.F. West can have a quick mental reset before the biggest match of its season to date.
“I believe in this team,” Thompson said.
