Kadena's Gabriel Cedeno and Nile C. Kinnick's Kevin Serrano scuffle for the ball in the wind and rain at Yokosuka. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The player they call Rocket scored the go-ahead goal in the second half. The goalkeeper they call the Savior kept the ball out of the net the rest of the way.
Together, Yuta Raqueno and Aiden Talbot helped Nile C. Kinnick’s boys soccer team rally from a two-goal deficit in sideways rain and howling wind to edge Kadena 3-2 Wednesday and win their second straight Far East Division I tournament title.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” coach Tim Rippeth said of a team that last April 23 won the DODEA All-Japan tournament title, and took it a leap higher Wednesday.
Far East tournaments for spring sports returned this school year after being shut down for three years due to the COVID pandemic. The Red Devils won the D-I title back in 2019.
Early on, it didn’t look too good for the Red Devils (22-3-1), who fell behind by two goals midway through the first half.
Kadena’s Tyler Smith dribbled through the left side and tucked the ball into the far corner for his 22nd goal to put the Panthers (15-2-1) on the scoreboard. Seven minutes later, Elijah Whipp netted his 13th goal of the season.
Three minutes later, Elias Alvord sent a corner kick to Gabriel Robinson in front of the goal; he headed it in to get Kinnick on the board. Raqueno’s brother Takuya drove through the middle and pushed the ball to the left corner for the equalizer in the 37th.
In the 64th minute, Yuta Raqueno gathered the ball at field center and zig-zagged his way through the Panther defense.
“I was looking where the defense was focusing,” Raqueno said. “Finding open spots. That’s what I was looking for. I wasn’t thinking too deeply. I was just going by instinct.”
He tucked the ball into the right corner, capping the scoring with 16 minutes left – which seemed like an eternity, Talbot said.
“I was worried about making a mistake,” he said. “I didn’t want to screw up. But I like the pressure. It makes me play better.”
Talbot, who made two saves on penalty kicks in one match against Kubasaki, had five saves in the closing 16 minutes, two on close-range chances for the Panthers.
“It was a close one, but close is not where we wanted to be,” Panthers coach Abe Summers said. “We had a great season. Just didn’t get the one we needed to win.”
Nile C. Kinnick's Cameron Giddens boots the ball past Kadena's Skylar Dluzeski. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Luis Galloway dribbles against Kadena's Tyler Smith. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Leon Awesso and Kadena's Tyler Smith chase the ball. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Yuta Raqueno tries to go after the ball between Kadena's Gabriel Cedeno and Will Wetherill. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Kadena's Elijah Whipp heads the ball in front of Nile C. Kinnick's Leon Awesso. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Knights make it five boys Division II soccer titles
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – Simon Nakamura broke open what had been a tight contest with a second-half goal that boosted Christian Academy Japan to a 2-0 win in Wednesday’s Far East Division II boys soccer tournament final.
Eastin Lowther put the Knights on the board in the first half, and the match stayed close until Nakamura drove the left side, moving into the box and shooting it past the keeper and a defender to the left side.
It was the fifth D-II title for the Knights and ninth Far East title overall, including their Division I titles in 2006-07, 2009 and 2012.
“The guys have set a good precedent,” Knights coach Charles Smoker said, adding that their four seniors, Sho Surai, Hyugo Ishikawa, Stephen Oue and Sejin Lee “really gutted it out.”
The Trojans finished 11-10, getting five of those wins during the tournament, thanks to the scoring touch of Michael Gough (15 goals) and Jaydn Parker (12). “It’s been a great season,” Zama coach Chad Guisinger said.
Yokota's Julian Tucker and Perry's Kirby Kendrick tangle for the ball during Wednesday's boys Division II playoff game. The Panthers won 3-0. (Raven Rayos/Special to Stripes)
Matthew C. Perry's Eddie Pacleb tries to settle the ball in front of Yokota's Braedan Raybon during Wednesday's boys Division II playoff game. The Panthers won 3-0. (Raven Rayos/Special to Stripes)
Zama's Keanu Araki tries to turn the corner against CAJ's Stephen Oue. (Raven Rayos/Special to Stripes)
