EDWARDS \u2014 The local professional soccer team earned a national title shot by hammering a Front Range team.<\/p>\n
Freedom FC defeated the Colorado Rumble FC, 16-9, Sunday in the Mountain Rec fieldhouse.<\/p>\n
By winning the one-game playoff the Freedom earned a spot in the national championship tournament, later this month in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
“We hope to bring home the trophy,” Freedom coach Mike Schneider said.<\/p>\n
The Freedom plays in the Premier Arena Soccer League, the highest level of soccer in Colorado next to the major league Colorado Rapids, Schneider said.<\/p>\n
Of the 42 PASL teams in the U.S. and Mexico, 10 \u2014 eight from the U.S. and two from Mexico \u2014 made the national championship tournament March 23-24 in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
The Freedom could use some help and sponsorships to finance the trip, Schneider said.<\/p>\n
“It’s great for the community,” Schneider said<\/p>\n
Sunday’s match was a blowout, but it wasn’t as close as even the lopsided score indicated.<\/p>\n
The Freedom led 10-2 at halftime, after trailing 1-0 early in the match when the Rumble scored the first goal.<\/p>\n
“They scored first and everyone got a little nervous. We told each other, ‘Relax, there’s 45 minutes to play,'” Schneider said. “We scored two in the next couple minutes and didn’t look back.”<\/p>\n
Schneider had promised some of the younger players he’d put them in if the Freedom was up by 10 goals late in the match. They were.<\/p>\n
“We loaded up the field with developmental players in the fourth quarter,” Schneider said.<\/p>\n
The Rumble scored four quick goals on the youngsters to pull them within seven goals and the final 16-9 score.<\/p>\n
Local soccer legend and Eagle Valley grad Caesar Castillo scored five goals, as did recent Freedom addition Stevie Palma.<\/p>\n
“Caesar tortured that goalie,” Schneider said.<\/p>\n
Mario Vargas scored twice. Fabian Tapia, Efrain Gondolas, Erick Briones and Mahe Danny scored once.<\/p>\n