Coming into week four of PACWEST soccer, the Royals' men's soccer team knew they had a challenge ahead of them. The Capilano Blues were waiting, and they were looking for some revenge. It was always going to be a brutal battle, and that's what it was.
The Blues went into tackles hard to start the game. A little too hard for the referee. They would earn a tally of 8 fouls in the first half and three yellow cards. This gave the Royals an opportunity to attack, but keeper Hudson Nelles was ready for them this time. Nelles would make four saves in the first half, denying the opportunity for the Royals to score, despite their five corner kicks. After 45 minutes, the game was still up in the air.
The second half is where things really got messy. A total of 15 fouls slowed the game tremendously. However there were moments of uninterrupted play. One such play resulted in a Keith Jackson goal for the Capilano Blues, putting the Royals down a goal, and opening the score board. However, just minutes after Jackson's goal, he would be shown his second yellow card and an automatic red after an infraction.
With a man advantage for twenty minutes, the Royals pushed to find the equalizer and game winner. There several times where they looked like they had it, only to be denied by Hudson Nelles on the line. With Nelles in fine form, the Blues would hold on to their 1-0 lead to take the win over the Royals.
The loss moves the Royals record to 1-3-2, with 5 points. They currently sit fourth in the standings with Langara tailing them with 3 points to their name. The Royals play next week at Langara in a Thanksgiving double header that have very real playoff implications. You can catch the games on Saturday at 12:30 pm and Sunday at 12 pm. Come out and support your Royals.
