Clutch late-game penalty earns tie against L.A. City College

The Santa Ana Dons took on the L.A. City Cubs on Friday, resulting in a heated game that ultimately ended in a 2-2 tie.

In the 80th minute, Orlando Virgen earned a penalty kick, down one goal, and in the highest-pressure situation he delivered, tying the game before being swarmed by his teammates and the bench.

“I was just trying to stay calm. The players were trying to get into my head, so I was trying to get into my own world,” said Virgen. “After the goal, I don’t know what happened. I was just running, I was excited.”

Benches-clearing celebration from the Dons after the game-tying score. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

LA City is a known powerhouse, and with experienced players on their side, the expected outcome wasn’t looking so good for the Dons. However, they managed to tie when the odds were stacked against them.

“You want the dog-fight mentality that we had today, especially against a more physical, bigger opponent. We definitely came out on the right foot,” said assistant coach Baldemar Pineda.

The Dons scored their first goal in the 39th minute, with Alexander Catano putting them in the lead. However, this moment would be short-lived.

Penalty shot goal by Cubs’ Carlos Ruano in the 41st minute. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

Within just a couple of minutes, the Cubs managed to secure a penalty kick, which resulted in a goal.

The Dons had to figure out a way to put more pressure on the line. With a good defense, they were struggling against the Cubs’ strong offense. The two teams had opposite strong skills. This resulted in a back-and-forth game.

Just after halftime, the Dons unfortunately had yet another foul, and the Cubs scored their second penalty kick. The coaches were getting tense, even getting yellow cards from the referees.

“We’re going to take one game at a time,” said head coach Jose Vasquez. “Our formula for that is to win every game at home and try to steal as many as we can away.”