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PROVO — Winston Sorhaitz hurt his ankle before the BYU men’s soccer team’s opening game of the 2015 Premier Development League season, and — by his own admission — he hasn’t been his usual self.
Until Friday night.
Sorhaitz had a goal and an assist in the first half, and BYU rode his effort to a 2-2 draw with FC Tucson on a hot summer night at South Field for the Cougars' fifth tie in the past six games.
“I’ve just been playing with a big tape wad on my ankle, it’s been uncomfortable, and I couldn’t get my shot to go,” Sorhaitz said after the match, played at 96 degrees at kickoff. “Tonight, everything just came together, and I felt on top of the world.”
The stocky forward got onto the end of Junior Lartey’s through-ball to the top of the box in the 17th minute, rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted home a shot on an open net to open the scoring for both teams and give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
But Sorhaitz wasn’t done. He cleverly smacked a back-heel pass to fellow forward Pedro Vasconcelos barely a minute later, and the Brazilian did all the rest with a goal inside the far post to give BYU (0-4-4) a 2-0 halftime advantage.
“Winston’s a special player, and going forward we expect him to do things like that,” BYU coach Chris Watkins said. “He’s done that in years past, and hasn’t quite hit his rhythm this year.
“He’s confident again, and I think we saw the confident Winston and we need it, for sure.”
Sorhaitz finished with three shots, two of them on frame, before coming off in the second half. Vasconcelos led BYU with five shots, including three shots on goal.
Winston's a special player, and going forward we expect him to do things like that. He's done that in years past, and hasn't quite hit his rhythm this year. He's confident again, and I think we saw the confident Winston and we need it, for sure.
–BYU soccer coach Chris Watkins
FC Tucson (3-1-4) outshot the Cougars 16-12, but was sent down to 10 men when Pedro Espindola received a red card for his role in a chaotic midfield storm in the 53rd minute. Both teams combined for 11 yellow cards and three ejections, including Espindola’s red card and an FC Tucson assistant for berating a linesman at halftime.
But the visitors clawed back into the game after the break.
Luis Martinez pulled one back off a free kick for FC Tucson six minutes into the second half. The midfielder bent his spot foul-kick from 30 yards out over the wall and just inside the top left corner to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 51st minute.
“That was a world-class set piece,” Watkins said. “I think I heard a ding on the post; it nicked the post, got all of the side netting and down into the back of the net. It was a foul, though; good for them. There’s a reason why they are in second place right now. They are a good team, and they showed it tonight.”
From there, chaos ensued. Both teams' benches reached peak levels at various calls, Espindola’s red card gave BYU a man advantage over the second-place team in the PDL’s Mountain Division for nearly 40 minutes — and Tucson tied the game just before the hour-mark. FC Tucson defender Devante Dubose slipped behind the BYU defense in the 59th minute and ripped a point-blank shot that sailed across the face of the goal and inside the far post for the final goal of the match.
Both teams nearly won it in the waning moments of the match. Tucson substitute Kalem Scott had a breakaway with five minutes remaining in regulation, but his shot sailed across the face of the goal and wide of the post.
Josh Hunter added a chance for BYU in the first of four minutes of stoppage time, but his rip from the top of the box was saved by a diving Scott. Ryan Botcherby then picked up his second yellow card and subsequent ejection in the closing moments of the match as BYU also finished with 10 men.
Both teams will meet again Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in BYU’s final match of a six-game homestand — and the Cougars’ penultimate home game of the year.
“I thought our guys played pretty well,” Watkins said, “but we didn’t play a full 90.”
