It was down to this: Stop the shot, and the championship was theirs.
Goalie Christopher Foster set up, awaiting the approach of the UO men’s club soccer player. Foster guessed wrong and was beaten, but the drive flew wide of the left goal post, giving Thundergooch the win on penalty kicks and the championship.
Foster leaped in the air and was soon buried by his teammates. They became a bobbing mass, yelling and screaming in excitement.
It was a fitting end to the sixth annual UO World Cup, which took place April 3 and 4 at the Student Recreation Fields.
The World Cup was put on by the Warsaw Sports Business Club and drew approximately 300 fans throughout the weekend, according to organizers. Profits from the tournament benefited the club, as well as Passback, a program that collects gently used soccer equipment and redistributes it to children who cannot afford it. Passback is also run by the Warsaw Sports Business Club.
Ten teams participated, ranging from collegiate club teams to Eugene city league teams. Typically, there is a collegiate division and a recreation division, but some teams backed out at the last minute, forcing organizers to put all teams in one division.
Jenna Barnes, president of the Warsaw Sports Business Club, said the rainy weather drove down fan and team participation from last year’s tournament.
“It’s unfortunate, but it added to the learning experience,” Barnes said.
Teams from Portland State, Oregon State and the University all participated in the tournament. The UO men’s club team and a coed student-alumni team from the University were represented. They were joined with city league teams with names like Thundergooch and Zulu Nation. The city league teams, on average, are about half students and half Eugene/Springfield residents, said Thundergooch player Zach Lazar.
Although the divisions did not pan out as planned, Barnes said the tournament was as competitive and exciting as it has ever been. Multiple games went to extra time, and the players commented how high the level of play was.
“They’ve been close games, they’ve been physical, and they’ve been fun to watch,”
co-MVP Greg Boucher said.
The planning process for putting the tournament together starts in June and lasts up until the tournament. Barnes said the tournament, in conjunction with Passback, created a true
community event.
“Soccer tournaments run local are great. Even if it didn’t turn out exactly as they hoped, it’s still a blast,” Lazar said.
The championship game came down to the UO men’s club team against Thundergooch. Just before regulation ended, the club team scored on a rocket just outside the box to even the contest at 1-1. Shortly after, the game ended in regulation and went to extra time. It is Golden Goal rules, meaning it is sudden death and any goal would end the game.
Tension was high, but neither team really threatened to score, as both teams were too tired from six games in two days.
After extra time ended, the match went to penalty kicks. Each team picked five people to shoot, and all five for each team scored. Then it went to sudden-death penalty kicks, in which each team picks one shooter, and if one team scores and the other doesn’t, the game is over. Thundergooch buried their first kick, setting up the dramatic ending of the game.
“He had me beat, but it went wide,” Foster said.
Foster, 23, and Boucher, 26, of Thundergooch were named co-MVPs of the tournament by a vote of other team captains. Both are senior students at the University.
Ali Alnoaimi from Portland State University won the Golden Boot for most goals scored.
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