Lights FC settles for tie after allowing late goal to Fresno FC
The Lights FC were getting ready to celebrate. Renato Bustamante spoiled those plans.
Just as the Lights were wrapping up a 2-1 victory on Saturday at Cashman Field, the Fresno FC forward scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to tie the game. Suddenly the announced crowd of 5,779 was watching the home team earn one point instead of three as the referee’s whistle blew moments later to end the game.
“I thought we deserved better on the night,” midfielder Rafael Garcia said. “This feels like a loss.”
The end result was crushing for the Lights (7-12-6), who controlled most of the game and played up a man starting in the 68th minute. They controlled the ball 56.1 percent of the time, led 20-12 in shots and took six corner kicks to the Foxes’ two.
The Lights’ edge in the run of play made Garcia’s go-ahead goal in the 86th minute seem earned, but despite making the score 2-1, it didn’t wrap up the match.
Instead Fresno (8-9-10) defender Alex Cooper caught up to a pass by the end line in the waning seconds and sent a perfect cross to Bustamante. The latter finished with ease to help his team steal a point on the road.
“When you concede a goal, you are broke. You fall to pieces,” coach Isidro Sanchez said. “The players, the fans, everybody.”
The Foxes took an early lead in the game on a goal by midfielder Juan Pablo Caffa and the Lights couldn’t find an equalizer in the first half despite dominating possession.
It took a counterattack in the 64th minute for the team to score as forward Raul Mendiola took a pass from forward Omar Salgado and sent the ball into the top corner of the net.
The goal seemed to give the Lights life, as five minutes later Fresno defender Ramon Martin Del Campo earned a red card while trying to prevent forward Samuel Ochoa from scoring. The foul resulted in a penalty kick but goalkeeper Kyle Reynish dove on the ground to prevent Salgado’s shot from going in.
The Lights still found a go-ahead goal 17 minutes later when Garcia sent a powerful shot off Reynish’s hands and into the net. The team couldn’t close out the game despite the lead and the man advantage though, extending its winless streak to four games.
“Unfortunately we gave up a goal very late in the game and you know, we deserved a lot more,” Garcia said. “I thought with the second goal, we manage the game a little better we walk out of here with three points.”
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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.