2018 - Header Banner

News

Late rally gives Brazos Valley Cavalry FC out-of-town draw

HOUSTON, Texas (May 26, 2021) — Down two goals in the second half, the Cavalry FC mounted a dominant comeback to pull a tie out of a seemingly certain loss.

Played at Alchediak Field at Clay Stadium in Houston, the Wednesday night matchup pitted the Brazos Valley Cavalry FC against Houston FC in the teams’ first meeting of the season. With a new all-time record of 6-0-3, the Cavalry FC remains undefeated in its series against the Houston team.

 

Houston FC took an early lead when Javier Chavez capitalized on a corner kick. Assisted by midfielder Eugene Heder, the defender notched a two-yard header into the top shelf of the net to break the scoring seal.

 

The black and gold soon doubled their lead to go up 2-0. Cavalry FC defender Connagh Wilks fouled an opposing player in the box, giving Houston forward Chance Arney the opportunity to place a 12-yard penalty kick into the top-right corner of the goal, just out of reach of diving Cavalry FC goalkeeper Michael Meija.

 

Cavalry FC forward Antoine Recizak said this gave the team the fuel they needed to step up and work even harder on the pitch.

 

“Being down like that in the first half motivates us,” Recizak said. “It’s difficult to come back from two, so the fact that we were able to push each other after that is a massive boost of confidence for everyone. It showed people that we’re a good team who can play together.”

 

With a newfound fire, the Cavalry FC entered the second half looking to cut the deficit in two. Forward Emanuel Santos did exactly that in the 76th minute, using a quick push up the middle to score the red and black’s first goal of the night from 25 yards out. Named the “Man of the Match” by head coach Gareth Glick, Santos said this created the opportunity for the Cavalry FC to take control of the game’s momentum.

 

“We were able to shift the energy,” Santos said. “Going from there, we started settling down and playing as a team.”

 

Just three minutes later, Cavalry FC defender Ognjen Stevic sailed a beautiful 22-yard cross to midfielder David Jara. With momentum on his side, the Houston native perfectly placed the ball just out of reach of goalkeeper Namani Daniel, setting the new score at 2-2. Jara said it was an honor to score his first goal of the season in such a clutch moment.

 

“It feels good to keep us from going home with a loss,” Jara said. “Everyone had a good second half, so it’s cool that my first goal with the team helped with that.”

 

Overall, the Cavalry FC showed an impressive offensive prowess, taking advantage of 7 corner kicks to take 14 shots. Glick said the attacking threat increased tenfold in the second-45 minutes.

 

“The push came from a change in mentality,” Glick said. “The effort and energy were there, and we were actually able to capitalize off of it in the second half.”

 

Brazos Valley climbs to a 0-1-1 record on the season, while Houston FC moves to 1-1-1. The Cavalry FC returns to action Wednesday, June 2 for the season’s home opener when they host Round Rock SC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Operating at full capacity, the red and black are excited to welcome fans to Edible Field for the first time in the 2021 season.

 

“We’re looking forward to our Home Opening Day,” Glick said. “Having a home crowd behind will energize our players and help bring the intensity. It’ll be an awesome night.”

 

For tickets and information on the Cavalry 2021 season, please call (979) 779-PLAY or visit https://www.bvcavalryfc.com/. To follow all upcoming news and developments on the Cavalry FC, follow the team on social media at facebook.com/BVCavalryFC, Twitter @BVCavalryFC and Instagram @bvcavalryfc.