Rivera has been no stranger to shootouts this season, going into PKs four times. What Rivera has been unfamiliar with was winning in PKs, going 0-4 in shootouts.
Senior goalkeeper Nestor Estrada remained upbeat, however, rallying his teammates before and telling them they were going to win.
Estrada didn’t disappoint, coming up with back-to-back saves during the shootout to lead the Raiders past the McAllen Memorial Mustangs 5-4 at Alfredo “Boxer” Hernandez Stadium in McAllen.
“Its funny because we lost four district games in penalty,” Garcia said. “When we went into penalties I saw everyone with their head down but he told me we were going to win it. He’s a senior so he know that when everything is on the line he needs to step up. He did that tonight.”
Brownsville Rivera wasted no time getting on the board during the postseason contest, with Jacob Carrillo getting past the McAllen Memorial defense for the goal just three minutes into regulation.
A second-half goal by McAllen Memorial’s Robert Ruelas knotted things with 23 minutes remaining, with the junior taking a through ball and putting it into the bottom right corner for the score.
A scoreless overtime battle sent the game into PKs, where both teams converted their first four attempts.
A save By Memorial’s Dante Buentello on Rivera’s fifth attempt put the Mustangs in control, but Estrada answered with a big-time save of his own to send things into another round of penalty kicks.
The Raiders’ Gerardo Garcia converted the ensuing attempt, with Estrada coming up with his second straight save immediately after to send the Raiders into the second round.
“Since the start of the season we’ve been doing this for family,” Estrada said. “Yes we had a bad season, but playoffs is a different thing. It is win or go home. Today we keep on going. At the end of the day it is all in God’s hand. I was just doing the best I can and the rest I left up to him.”
McAllen Memorial’s season ends with a 9-4-3 district record, and it qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2021.
The Raiders advance to the 5A DI area round where they’ll take on the winner between Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Mission High at a date, time and location to be determined.
“I said it in the beginning that we expected a close game,” Garcia said. “We had a scrimmage against them and we tied 1-1. It was the same today. … Everything is different in the playoffs. We can’t have a mentality that it is going to be another game because it is the playoffs. Hopefully now in the next round we can have a different mindset. I told the kids good teams find a way to win. We didn’t play our best game tonight. Credit to o... Click here to read full article
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