SHAPE's Jose Labella and Stuttgart's Ryan Stevenson battle for the ball Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division I soccer semifinals at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
REICHENBACH-STEEGEN, Germany – Stuttgart entered the DODEA-Europe Division I boys soccer tournament without a loss this season.
With a berth in the championship game on the line Wednesday, the SHAPE Spartans came just about as close as a team can to changing that.
Itzak Sandoval appeared from nowhere for a game-winning header as the Panthers won 2-1 in overtime and set up a Thursday showdown with Wiesbaden.
Spartans goalkeeper Fillip Haarseth had stopped a long shot by propelling the ball about 20 feet straight up above his head, but he didn’t know where it was. The ball came down, bounced up and hit the crossbar, then Sandoval swooped in just as Haarseth located it.
It was a devastating loss for the Spartans, who opened the game with a quick score by Shawn Jacob.
“We came to play with all of our hearts and we showed people who we are,” assistant coach Erika Aquino said after the contest.
Stuttgart's Itzak Sandoval heads the ball away from SHAPE in the Panthers' 2-1 overtime victory of the Spartans on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division I boys soccer championships. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's John Gilliland tries to get in the way of SHAPE'S Santiago Torrente de la Pisa in a DODEA-Europe Division I boys soccer semifinal on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart keeper Lucas Beckham punches a corner kick away in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division I soccer championships Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The Panthers had equalized on Christian Grove’s score to make it 1-1 at halftime, but neither team managed to score in the second half and through the first part of the 10-minute overtime.
“Semifinals. Overtime. You can’t ask for anything better,” said Stuttgart coach Nathan Garrett, who was on the coaching staff of the Panthers’ boys basketball team that won the title in February with a double-overtime win over Ramstein. “I thought – another overtime? Why not? Bring it on.”
Garrett said he was impressed by SHAPE.
“They are just awesome,” he said, raising his voice as some of the dejected Spartans walked by after the game. “I give them tons of props.”
Wiesbaden's Michael Santos heads the ball before Ramstein's Kelan Vaughn can get to it in the Warriors' 2-0 victory over the Royals on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division I boys championships. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Noah Lee blocks a shot on goal from Ramstein's Maxim Speed in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division boys semifinal Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Shaun Young goes sprawling after being inadvertently tripped by Wiesbaden’s Robert Dugandzic in the DODEA-Europe Division I soccer semifinals Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden goalkeeper Evan Cook dives to try to save a shot Wednesday, May 17, 2023 in the semifinals of the DODEA-Europe Division I soccer championships. The shot hit the post and bounced away. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden 2, Ramstein 0: Asher Anderson was involved in two plays that made the difference for the Warriors.
After a scoreless first half, Anderson’s corner kick was headed by a Ramstein defender, crossing up Royals keeper Favian Pierre-Louis, who was trying to grab the shot himself. The ball landed across the goal line.
Later, Anderson launched a free kick from near midfield that Robert Dugandzic headed in to give Wiesbaden some breathing room.
Dugandzic is one of a handful of Wiesbaden players that tower over most of their foes. And the difference in height definitely made a difference on that play.
As a result, the Warriors will be trying to add something new to their gym.
“We do not have a boys soccer banner,” coach Roberto Eiseman said. “I’m going to do my best, and so will the boys, to change that.”
The defending champion Royals fell short of their goal, though coach Dominik Ludes said there wasn’t much separating them from victory.
“It’s the little things in a game like this that make the difference,” he said. “It comes down to just one or two plays to decide the game. And today … how do I say this? It just didn’t go our way.”
