Soccer News: San Diego Flash Lose At Home in NPSL Conference Playoffs

UPDATE 10:45 pm Saturday, July 14th

Soccer News: Heartbreak on the Field.  The NPSL San Diego Flash lost to the Sonoma Sol in the first round of the NPSL Western Conference playoffs held in San Diego on Saturday, July 14.

The NPSL Championships will take place in San Diego July 27-29 without the SD Flash competing.

Unfortunately, home field advantage was not enough to keep the San Diego Flash in the game tonight.  

Sonoma Sol defeated the SD Flash after a long battle on the field, which ended in Penalty Kicks after a double overtime score of 2-2.

This was not the end of the NPSL 2012 season Head Coach Warren Barton or CEO Clent Alexander wanted. The hopes of hosting and playing in the upcoming NPSL Championship were dashed tonight, as the team was unable to convert several shots on goal. The Sol only traveled down to San Diego with a roster of twelve players at pulled off what no other team has been able to do during the season.

Although valiantly battling on the soccer field, the SD Flash team was unable to successfully sink shots into the back of the net in PKs.

Two goal attempts by SD Flash were called offside by the referees.

Sergio Valle Ortiz scored the equalizing goal bringing the score to 1-1. Then in overtime, Adrian DuBois scored to put the Flash in the winning position only to have Sol scored minutes later sending the match to PKs.

PK Recap: Sol scored all their PKs. Nelson Pizarro went first and scored his PK. Adrian DuBois bounced his PK off the post, Juan ‘Kichi’ Perez-Bernal scored his and then Andy Ortega's PK was saved by the Sol goalie.

The soccer match was riviting with back and forth action and, unfortunately heartbreaking for the San Diego home team.

Full Report on the NPSL action in San Diego with great photographs of the soccer action from Aaron Jaffe coming soon.

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EARLIER Report:

The San Diego Flash will open the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Western Conference playoffs on Saturday, July 14, when they host Sonoma Sol in front of the home crowd at Del Norte High School. Last season the Flash dropped their first round match against defending NPSL Champion Sacramento Gold, and are looking for redemption. Not content with advancing, the Flash look to take the NPSL title this year in front of their San Diego fans.

Flash have had a standout season this year, having clinched first place in the West-Southern Division weeks ago. Their only loss of the season came in the final minute of their final regular season game against the playoff-hungry FC Santa Clarita Storm. In spite of trailing 3-0 early in the second half, San Diego battled back to tie in the final minutes on a goal by Sergio Valle-Ortiz before Storm’s 90th minute goal. The loss gives Flash extra incentive for the playoffs.

San Diego will host the NPSL Championships July 27-29, welcoming the top teams from around the country. The semi-final games will take place on Friday, July 27, with the championship match on Sunday, July 29. The winners of the four league conferences, comprising 49 teams, will earn the right to compete for the championship.

Flash Head Coach Warren Barton knows his team is ready and focused on the performance needed for this weekend’s opening playoff match.

“The regular season counts for nothing in a sudden death playoff game,” said Barton. “All the teams that participate are dangerous because they know that a loss is the end of their season. With that being said, I know our guys are keen to make amends for last season and continue their march to the NPSL Finals right here in San Diego.”

Asked about the loss against the Storm, Barton said, “Last week’s game against Santa Clarita showed that a slow start can be costly. We have to come out strong from the first whistle and dictate the pace of the game against Sonoma this Saturday.”

Clent Alexander, CEO of the Flash, is also positive about the team’s fortunes in the playoffs and about the effect they will have on the community. “Everything we do as an organization is to try to unlock the potential of San Diego being the country’s premier soccer city,” he said.

“Home advantage can be the x-factor in games like this,” Alexander explained. “If we can ride the momentum of strong local support all the way to the NPSL Championships, it could provide the kind of exposure the city of San Diego needs to be taken seriously on the professional soccer map nationally.”

Fans can catch all the action when the Flash hosts the Sonoma Sol on Saturday July 14. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. at Del Norte High School, 16601 Nighthawk Lane, San Diego, CA, 92127. Fans can purchase discount tickets online and receive a 20% discount off face value if booked by Friday at www.SanDiegoFlashSoccer.com.

Related Articles: SD Flash on SoccerNation