Berger, Rodriguez lead Kubasaki past
Kadena in Far East soccer title game
Story and photos by Dave
Ornauer, Stars and Stripes
The Kadena Panthers celebrate their 2-1 semifinal victory over the American School In
Japan Mustangs Thursday at Robert D. Edgren High School, Misawa Air Base, Japan.
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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Senior striker Michael Berger had waited
two years for a second chance against the Kadena Panthers in a Far East High School boys
soccer tournament.
He and the Kubasaki Dragons didn’t waste it.
Berger scored in the 41st minute and sophomore midfielder Sergio Rodriguez added a goal
in the 52nd to boost the Dragons over the Panthers 2-0, ending a three-year Far East title
sweep by Kadena.
"This is what I was going for for two years," Berger said after the
all-Okinawa final.
Kubasaki entered the 1999 Far East tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base as the team to
beat, but a 1-0 playoff loss to Kadena knocked the Dragons out of the title chase.
"I’ve thought about this every day for two years," Berger said.
"I’ve been looking forward to this day since we lost the last time. We came here
to do it and we did."
Berger’s goal broke a scoreless deadlock in a final played in markedly different
conditions than the teams are used to on Okinawa, with fog, drizzle and temperatures in
the low 50s.
What proved to be the game-winning goal came when left wing Kevin Ware freed Berger in
the middle with a through pass. Berger split the defense and fired high into the left
corner of the net over Kadena goalkeeper Scott North.
"Look for a corner and hit it," Berger said. "When you get into a game
like this ... you just look and shoot."
Eleven minutes later, Rodriguez stole the ball, drove the middle and put it past North
to cap the scoring. Brian Eisenmann made six saves for the shutout.
Joe Martinez of the Kubasaki Dragons and Will Hajiaghamohseni of the Yokota Panthers chase
the ball during Thursday's semifinal match.
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Kubasaki held a 2-1 edge over Kadena in regular-season matches. Kadena’s 4-3
shootout victory over Kubasaki earlier this month broke a three-year pattern in which the
Dragons dominated the Panthers during the season, only to lose in the Far East tournament.
"We broke tradition," sophomore striker Corey Niro said.
They also broke the hearts of the Panthers and outgoing coach Michael Callahan.
"I just wish we had put on a better show," Callahan said, adding that the
Panthers may have been tired after playing a quarterfinal, an overtime semifinal and the
title match in the same day.
"I don’t know what it was. We seem to be intimidated when we play Kubasaki.
Maybe it (the overtime match) took too much out of them."
Conversely, it was a happy ending for Alrick Munroe, who was coaching his final match
for Kubasaki.
"We played for this year, we work hard," said Munroe, a former All-Navy
player. "The top teams were tough. You never knew from one game to the next. The
kids, I can’t say enough."
Semifinals
Kadena 2, ASIJ 1, SO (4-3)
Eric Jones scored the game-winner in the last round of a penalty-kick shootout. Scott
Knutson, Shadi Haddad and Craig Pope also converted for Kadena. David Gogerty, Sean
Lyngaas and Steve McKillop converted for ASIJ.
Haddad scored unassisted in the 11th minute to put Kadena ahead 1-0. Yujin Narita tied
it for the Mustangs with a free kick in the 23rd.
Kubasaki 2, Yokota 0
Jared Huber’s penalty kick in the 60th minute gave Kubasaki’s boys their
first Far East final berth. Sergio Rodriguez converted Joe Martinez’s cross pass to
put the Dragons on the board in the 54th minute.
It was Yokota’s first loss in 19 matches since March 17.
(Third place)
ASIJ 3, Yokota 1
Joji Kokuryo’s goal in the 46th minute broke a 1-1 tie and rallied ASIJ, avenging
a late-season loss to Yokota that knocked ASIJ out of the Kanto Plain title chase.
Steve McKillop converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute and Chris Gill tallied in
the 17th, sandwiching Kokuryo’s goal. Mike Chamberlain gave Yokota a 1-0 lead in the
16th minute.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT STORIES:
Wednesday's games
Tuesday's games
Final Standings and individual awards
Champion – Kubasaki Dragons, Okinawa.
Runner-up – Kadena Panthers, Okinawa.
Third place – American School In Japan Mustangs,
Tokyo.
Fourth place – Yokota Panthers, Japan.
Fifth place – Christian Academy In Japan Knights,
Tokyo.
Sixth place – Seoul American Falcons, Yongsan
Garrison, South Korea.
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player – Michael Berger, Kubasaki.
Outstanding goalkeeper – Chris Riegel, Matthew C.
Perry.
Team Sportsmanship Award – Christian Academy In
Japan.
All-Tournament first team – Michael Berger, Corey
Niro, Kubasaki; Scott Knutson, Kadena; Joji Kokuryo, American School In Japan; Clyde
Soumas, Yokota; Thomas Hill, Christian Academy In Japan; David Lee, Seoul American;
Anthony Beasley, Nile C. Kinnick; Shogo Nishiyori, Zama American; Noel Abad, Robert D.
Edgren; Daisuke Zukeyama, Okinawa Christian International; Chris Riegel, Matthew C. Perry;
Matt Wiggins, Guam High; Thomas Kim, Osan American; James Dones, E.J. King.
All-Tournament second team – Sergio Rodriguez,
Jared Huber, Kubasaki; Mac Kiewthiang, Kadena; Steve Catt, American School In Japan; Cole
Smith, Yokota; David Millard, Christian Academy In Japan; Scotty Brennan, Seoul American;
Matt Milnichuk, Nile C. Kinnick; Ryan McGovern, Zama American; Evan Phillips, Robert D.
Edgren; Dan Reasoner, Okinawa Christian International; John Pross, Matthew C. Perry;
Derrick Ikehara, Guam High; Michael Owens, Osan American; Yamato Dickerson, E.J. King.
Thursday’s scoring summaries
Championship match
Kubasaki 2, Kadena 0
Kubasaki-Michael Berger (Kevin Ware), 41st minute;
Kubasaki-Sergio Rodriguez (unassisted), 52nd minute.
Third-place match
American School In Japan 3, Yokota 1
Yokota-Michael Chamberlain (unassisted), 16th minute;
ASIJ-Chris Gill (Toshi Matsubara), 17th minute; ASIJ-Joji Kokuryo (David McCagg), 46th
minute; ASIJ-Steve McKillop, 69th minute (penalty kick).
Semifinals
Kadena 2, ASIJ 1, SO (4-3)
Kadena-Shadi Haddad (unassisted), 11th minute.; ASIJ-Yujin
Narita, 23rd minute (free kick). Shootout: ASIJ-Junto Tohno miss; David
Gogerty score; David McCagg miss; Sean Lyngaas score; Steve McKillop score; Kadena-David
Pope score; Scott Knutson score; Mike Sullivan miss; Shadi Haddad score; Eric Jones score.
Kubasaki 2, Yokota 1
Yokota-Clyde Soumas (unassisted), 18th minute; Kubasaki-Sergio
Rodriguez (Joe Martinez), 54th minute; Kubasaki-Jared Huber, 60th minute (penalty kick).
Quarterfinals
ASIJ 3, Nile C. Kinnick 0
ASIJ-Yujin Narita (Andrew Steele), 13th minute; ASIJ-Yujin
Narita (unassisted), 52nd minute; ASIJ-Sean Lyngaas (David Gogerty), 68th minute.
Kadena 2, CAJ 1 (OT)
Kadena-Scott Knutson (unassisted), 28th minute; CAJ-Own goal,
57th minute; Kadena-Shadi Haddad (Craig Pope), 72nd minute.
Yokota 3, Seoul American 2 (OT)
Seoul-David Lee, 16th minute (penalty kick); Yokota-Clyde
Soumas (unassisted), 26th minute; Yokota-Ian Kingery, 51st minute (penalty kick);
Seoul-David Lee (Jonathan Kim), 65th minute; Yokota-Ian Kingery, 74th minute (penalty
kick).
Kubasaki 1, Zama American 0
Kubasaki-Kevin Ware (Corey Niro), 48th minute.
Consolation round
Edgren 2, Okinawa Christian 1
Edgren-Evan Phillips (unassisted), 2nd minute; OCSI-Joel
Chester (Daisuke Zukeyama), 30th minute; Edgren-Cameron Stanley, 65th minute (penalty
kick).
Robert D. Edgren 1, E.J. King 0
Edgren-Rey Blythe (Evan Phillips), 28th minute.
Okinawa Christian 2, Osan American 1
OCSI-Own goal, 7th minute; Osan-Mike Rojko
(unassisted), 40th minute; OCSI-Daisuke Zukeyama (Joel Chester), 65th minute.
Osan American 3, Guam High 1
Osan-Steve Grenat (David Sutton), 3rd minute; Guam High-Ryan
DeLaire, 12th minute (penalty kick); Osan-Steve Grenat (Mike Rojko), 48th minute;
Osan-Mike Tablan (David Sutton), 56th minute.
OCSI 7, Matthew C. Perry 0
OCSI-Daisuke Zukeyama (Joel Chester), 5th minute; OCSI-Ben
Kennedy (Keiji Nakasone), 7th minute; OCSI-Daisuke Zukeyama (Joel Chester), 30th minute;
OCSI-Ben Kennedy (Yoshi Yamauchi), 36th minute; OCSI-Ben Kennedy (Anthony Payne), 48th
minute; OCSI-Daisuke Zukeyama (Keiji Nakasone), 49th minute; OCSI-Wesley Payne (Ben
Kennedy), 58th minute.
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