By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
Pachuca Internationals was down a goal to rival D.C. United Academy Team at halftime and staring an early exit from the International Amateur Soccer Tournament.
But luckily for Pachuca, it’s a second-half team.
The Pachuca Internationals rallied with a goal just five minutes into the second half and the game-winning goal with five minutes left in regulation to win 2-1 Monday evening at the RFK Auxiliary Field.
“We weren’t too scared; we were just worried,†midfielder Skylar Olson said. “We knew we could come back because we always do.â€
Christopher Makowski (Faith Christian Academy, Pa.) notched the game-winner on a header off a free kick from Nathaniel Howell (Sidwell Friends) and Olson (Wootton) scored the game-tying goal when he slid and collided with the keeper.
Makowski whipped out a forward front hand-spring to cap off the goal, a move he was planning on saving. But what better time than a huge goal in an international tournament.
“It was cool, a game-finisher,†Makowski said. “I just got lucky nobody was guarding me. I just took my time and hit it away.â€
D.C. United had the run of play in the first half but Pachuca flipped the game in the second half and put several good runs together right at the start of the second half.
Pachuca, who lost its first game to El Deportivo Saprissa of San Jose, Costa Rica, will next face Real Madrid of Madrid, Spain on Thursday.
But for now, a winner over an academy team as prestigious as D.C. United is worth flipping over.
“It’s always good to win, but to win against an academy team, to be playing in an international tournament, it’s always a huge ego booster and morale booster,†Olson said.
Pachuca Internationals (High School)
6. Nick Alers (Country Day School)
9. Vitalis Atemafac (Archbishop Carroll)
5. Matias Cima (Gonzaga)
12. Patrick Ebobisse (Walter Johnson)
21. Benjamin Fernadez (Bethesda-Chevy Chase)
3. Philip Fleischman (Sidwell Friends)
14. Matthew Harlow (Wootton)
23. Stephen Ho (Wootton)
19. Nathaniel Howell (Sidwell Friends)
20. Max Kanner (Walter Johnson)
00. Seth MacMillan (Sidwell Friends)
11. Christopher Makowski (Faith Christian Academy)
8. Patrick Mehlert (Bethesda-Chevy Chase)
4. Michael Nsoesie (Archbishop Carroll)
7. Skylar Olson (Wootton)
16. Erik Upsahl (Blair)
17. Marcel Santos (Kennedy)
15. Alex Smith (Episcopal)
13. James Thomas (Blair)
18. Ntokozo Tshuma (Episcopal)
10. Nicholas Van Holen (Bethesda-Chevy Chase)
DC United (High School)
0. Samir Badr, GK (Robinson)
1. Eric Valladares, GK (Magruder)
2. Coleman O’Neill, D (The Field School)
3. *Dominick Yin, D (Whitman)
4. *Shaquille Phillips, D (Sidwell Friends)
7. *Kennedy O’Shea, F (N/A)
8. *Sam Bradley, D (Bullis)
9. Yaw Amankwa, F (Damascus)
11. Steven Mashinski, M (Chantilly)
12. Noah Merlin, M (Oakton)
14. Luis Cartagena, F (Gar-Field)
18. Julian Saldana, D/M (Northwood)
20. Andy Najar, F (Edison)
21. Myles McGinley, M (Flint Hill)
22. Dallas Aminzadeh, M (DeMatha)
23. Josh Ellis, M (Langley)
25. Marcus Salandy-Defour, F (Georgetown Prep)
26. Allan Flott, D (Bishop O’Connell)
32. Iyassu Bekele, M/F (Wakefield)
33. Julio Arjona, M (Clarksburg)
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