Vicenza's David Beane and Rota's Gabe Parker battle for the ball Saturday, March 14, 2026, in the two teams' 2-2 draw in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy – Generally, ties aren’t a cause for celebration. As the saying goes, you play to win the game.
But the four DODEA-Europe soccer teams in action Saturday each had at least a little reason to be happy. The two matches between the host Vicenza Cougars and Rota Admirals were far from identical despite their 2-2 outcomes, though.
Vicenza's Gracie Perry tries to get past Rota's Chayla Taylor in the teams' 2-2 draw Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. Rota's Juliana Vollmer closes in. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Natalia Lopez watches her shot on goal sail past Rota goalkeeper Jeanice DeSilva and into the goal Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Rylee Brooks closes in on Vicenza's Jenina Smith on Saturday, March 14, 2026, in a match that ended with a 2-2 draw in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza outshot Rota 23-6 in the opening contest and almost all the action was on the Rota side of the field.
“When you put it that way, we were fortunate to come away with the tie,” Admirals coach Lilia Anderson said with a smile. “But I’m happy with this team, especially for the first game.”
Jourdan Timmons gave her two big reasons to be happy.
Down 1-0 after Natalia Lopez put Vicenza on top just a few minutes into the match, Rota struck quickly after halftime.
Timmons, a senior who has excelled in three sports as an Admiral, found herself all alone with Vicenza keeper Alessandra Macy after a long pass from Emma Montoya.
It wasn’t a fair contest as she scored from almost point blank range to tie the contest at 1-1.
She was back again only moments later, this time with the field a bit more congested. But she booted the ball in from the left side and Rota was up 2-1.
“Emma had two great through passes and I just had to boot it in,” Timmons said.
She hurt her right quadriceps and limped around noticeably for much of the second half, waiving off her coaches’ concerns multiple times.
“I’ll be OK,” she said.
Like Timmons, Lopez doesn’t like to leave the field.
The two are no strangers. They’ve played against each other in volleyball, basketball and soccer the last few years.
“She’s an incredible athlete,” Lopez said of Timmons.
And with her team seemingly running out of time, the junior equaled Timmons on the scoresheet by converting a free kick after she was fouled just outside the box with about 8 minutes to play
“We probably controlled about three quarters of the game,” Vicenza coach Philip Paniagua said with a shake of his head. “It’s a funny game sometimes.”
Vicenza's Ben Morton heads the ball Saturday, March 14, 2026, in a match against Rota in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Howard McLean kicks the ball forward in a match Saturday, March 14, 2026, against Vicenza in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Kyler Mukai keeps Rota's Daniel Guido away from the ball Saturday, March 14, 2026, in a match between the two DODEA-Europe schools in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The boys game was more evenly matched in terms of scoring opportunities, though the Cougars once again rallied to salvage the tie.
Rota, which led 2-1 at halftime, had to hold on for dear life after Ben Morton tied the contest and the Cougars had a flurry of attempts to go ahead in the final minutes.
Admirals keeper Zac Van Slyke made a few nice saves before the team eventually got the ball on the other side of the field and the time ran out.
“I’m I happy with a tie? No,” Rota coach Braddock McFarland asked. “But I’m happy we didn’t lose.”
Rota took advantage of miscues from Vicenza rookie goalkeeper Cristian Rodriguez to forge its lead in the first half.
Howard McLean stuck his foot out as Rodriguez tried to kick the ball away while he was far away from the goal about 10 minutes into the contest. The ball bounced off McLean’s foot and shot into the empty goal diagonally before any Vicenza defender could get to it.
Vicenza tied the contest with 13 minutes left in the half when Liam Dokos found Eric Cortes on a cross and the sophomore drilled it in from the left side of the field. Van Slyke had moved up to face a scrum of players in front of the net and Cortes was all by himself on the left side.
The lead didn’t hold up long, though, as Rota’s Maddux Johnson scored on a free kick from about 18 yards out. His shot lofted over a wall of defenders and Rodriguez initially blocked it, but the ball bounced out of his hands and into the goal.
Morton’s goal to tie the contest came when the junior striker saw the ball drop at his feet after bouncing off two other players about 10 yards in front of the net. He reacted quickly, with a sideways kick before Van Slyke had a chance to react.
Vicenza coach John Kohut said his team has identified a few areas it needs to work on.
“More work on keeping the ball in play and getting it to the open man,” he said. “Better short passes. We’ll get there.”
