SAHUAROS 0 PATRIOTS 7
Before I left to see the 2001 El Paso Patriots season opener, I had a family get-together to celebrate Easter. My little cousins were enjoying their Easter baskets while I was enjoying the Easter candy my Mom gave me. All and all, it was turning out to be a good and fun Easter. However, someone forgot to remind the Patriots what day it was. What should of been a soccer game played on Easter, turned out to be more like a fireworks filled celebration resembling the Fourth of July.
The El Paso Patriots opened their 2001 season with an impressive U.S. Open Cup qualifying 7-0 victory over division 3 Arizona Sahuaros. Leading the way for the Patriots was Luis Macias, who had a hat trick and an assist. Gustavo Leal added a pair of goals, in addition to an assist. Jose Lomeli and Salvador Mercado, who also had an assist, had a goal apiece while Carlos Farias had two assist.
In front of an announced crowd of 3,677, Luis Macias set up Salvador Mercado for what proved to be the Patriots first goal of the game, and the season, in the fifteenth minute. Five minutes later, Macias received a beautiful pass from Esmundo Rodriguez and bicycled kicked it in for the Pat‘s second goal. At the 36th minute of the first half, the Pat’s struck again when Leal scored his first goal of the game. Six minutes later, he scored his second goal of the night to make the score 4-0 going into halftime. In the second half, Luis Macias opened up the scoring with a goal at the 11th minute. Seven minutes later, Jose Lomeli added the to Pat’s lead a nice header into the back of the net. Finally, Luis Macias closed the scoring in the 34th minute by redirecting Carlos Farias’ free kick.
The poor Sahuaros had a frustrating afternoon, only managing four shots on goal with a trio of yellow cards. The Pat’s recorded 23 shots with no yellow cards issued. Next up for the El Paso Patriots is the 1997 A-League champion Milwaukee Rampage, here at the Student Activities Complex at 7:35 on Saturday, April 21st.
