Capo Valley has title ripped away in OT

MISSION VIEJO – The Capistrano Valley boys soccer team thought it had the CIF-SS Division 2 championship won, but the Cougars' apparent golden goal turned to ash thanks to a controversial offside call.

Claremont defender Cory Hodge scored on a header with 4:28 left in the first extra time period, lifting his team past Capistrano Valley, 3-2, on Saturday night at Mission Viejo High.

“The ball was already in the goal when the official raised his flag,” Cougars coach Jason Sorrell said. “We won the game.”

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The controversy occurred three minutes into the first extra time when Cougars midfielder Luis Vasquez lofted a free kick into the box and forward Kyle Smith booted it past Claremont goalkeeper Jake Teagle for the apparent game-winner.

The Cougars (16-6-7) erupted in celebration only to have it cut short by the sideline official who raised his flag to signal an offside and wave off the goal.

Five minutes later, Claremont (21-1-5) scored the game-winner after Brennen Carter’s throw-in traveled into the 18-yard box, where Hodge’s head guided it over Cougars goalkeeper Matthew Bermudez.

Sorrell was visibly upset with the call and the outcome, but he gave credit to his team for never giving up.

“The boys have got great heart,” Sorrell said. “They’ve got passion and we never gave up. We did as much as we could to win the game.”

The Cougars came back from one-goal deficits twice in the game to force extra time. They fell behind 1-0 six minutes into the game but tied the score early in the second half when Claremont was called for a hand ball in the box and Kevin Baboiyan punched in the ensuing penalty kick to tie the score.

Claremont came back a few moments to retake the lead when Carter tucked the ball into the right corner of the net past a frozen Bermudez. But the Cougars, who were trying to win their first championship since 1982, kept attacking and creating chances until they finally punched in a late goal to send the game into extra time.

Following a Claremont foul at midfield, Vasquez lobbed a free kick into the box where a sea of humanity was waiting for it to come down. The ball bounced off three players before Smith headed it over Teagle and into the back of the net with 43 seconds left in regulation.

The Cougars made the playoffs as the No. 3 seed from the Sea View League, and despite only winning two league games, pulled out four one-goal victories to make it to the finals, including wins over La Habra and Damien, the only team to defeat Claremont this season.