EDINBURG — With time winding down during the first half, Progreso’s Cesar Cuenca cocked back from over 45 yards out and fired the ball directly at goal.
Red Ants head coach Gerardo Alanis was expecting one of his forwards to be there to finish the play. Instead, the ball ricocheted off the crossbar and into the net for the would-be, game-winning goal as the Red Ants downed the Brownsville IDEA Frontier Chargers 1-0 during a Region IV-4A quarterfinal Saturday at H-E-B Park.
“I was looking to center the ball, to be honest,” Cuenca said. “Thankfully, the ball went past the goalkeeper and went in. I feel happy that I was able to score the goal and send my team to regionals.”
“Honestly, I was already calling the forward to finish the play,” Alanis added. “In past games, it always either hits the crossbar or the goalkeeper tips it and lets it fall in the area. I was more focused on the forward finishing it. When I saw my forward staring at it as it went in, I was shocked but what a play to come out victorious.”
The Red Ants advance to the regional tournament for the fifth time in the past seven years, missing only twice due to the 2020 season being cut short and opting out of the 2021 season.
They take on reigning Class 4A state champion Boerne in the Region IV-4A semifinals Friday at a time to be determined at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen.
“Realistically, we’ve beaten Boerne in the past,” Alanis said. “I don’t see why we can’t beat them again. They’re just another team. We’re just going to keep working to fight for the state title.”
The Red Ants’ defense stifled the Chargers’ offense, limiting Brownsville IDEA Frontier’s shot attempts throughout the contest. The Chargers got their best look midway through the second, with Progreso’s goalkeeper falling and leaving the net wide open.
The Chargers failed to capitalize on the opportunity, with the shot sailing wide left.
“Hats off to Progreso,” Brownsville IDEA Frontier head coach Jesus Figueroa said. “They came out with a good game plan and did a solid job of executing it. They had a solid midfield and didn’t let us play our style of play. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. We attacked but we were stagnant on the offensive end.”
The Chargers finish their season with a 12-4-0 overall mark, while making their first third-round appearance in program history.
“It was a great season,” Figueroa said. “I couldn’t ask anything more from the boys. We came out and fought for a district title. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get that and got second place. But the past 10 years we were bounced in the first round. This is the first year we advance. They were hungry and capitalized in the first and second rounds. The win didn’t fall our way today but that’s soccer. I’m proud of the boys and the history they created for this school.”
