Tacoma Tide FC win home opener with 4-3 late-goal thriller

Some day, some time Tacoma Tide FC will eventually lose a match at their home field of Curtis High School Stadium in University Place. Sunday was not that day or time. Tacoma have not lost in 20 straight home matches (17 league and 3 exhibition) and counting over three seasons after a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Cascade Surge of Salem Oregon on a gloriously sunny afternoon.

The match was 1-0 Tacoma at the half, thanks to a penalty kick conversion by Tacoma native Rory Agu. Surge defender Tom Milroy had tripped Nik Besagno in the box on a breakaway. The play resulted in a red card for Milroy.

Playing up a man and up a goal at home you might suppose TFC were set to coast. Cascade had other ideas and with goals in the 53rd and 54th minutes suddenly the 10-man Surge found themselves up 2-1. Conner Burt headed in the first goal and then Aaron Patrick stole the ball at midfield and raced for the one-on-one that beat Tacoma goalkeeper Jordan Jennings and put the Surge on top for the first time.

See Jenni Conner's match gallery courtesy of GOALTacoma.com

Nik Besagno, beard, far right, is congratulated after drawing Tacoma level in the 58th minute.

There was plenty of fight-back left in the Tide. Tacoma drew level 2-2 in the 58th when Chase Tangney crossed into the middle of the box for Nik Besagno, who headed the ball just under the bar. Eleven minutes later in the 69th Tacoma regained the lead when Rory Agu stretched low and connected with a fast roller from Mark Kilpatrick at the near post. Agu redirected the ball across the mouth of the goal and it curled into the net in front of the far post.

The Surge were not done and the match continued its see-saw run when Chris Andre of Cascade headed home the equaliser off of a pass from Ben Sippola in the 87th minute.

Tacoma's winning goal came in the 90th minute when player / coach Greg Howes floated a long ball across the front of the Cascade goal. The Surge goalkeeper let it get over his head, and waiting on the endline and at the very edge of the near post was Nik Besagno. Besagno calmly tucked the ball into the back of the net.

Rory Agu slides home the third Tacoma goal in the 69th minute...

...and then raises his arms in celebration of TFC's retaking the lead.

Added time extended onwards when Tacoma's Chase Tagney was called for a red card for bringing down a Cascade player just outside of the penalty box in what was judged to be a break away opportunity. Cascade took the free kick and diercted a shot towards goal that went wide. Tacoma was able to finally kill the match off and the sunny afternoon ended with the continuation of the home streak.

Fans talking after the match agreed that Nik Besagno was "Man of the Match." Besagno was pulled aside and interviewed by Comcast. The match will be available on Comcast Digital On Demand TV this week.

The Tide move their record to 1 win, 2 draws and 0 losses after three matches, all played this week in the greater Puget Sound area. On Wednesday Tacoma traveled to Seattle and drew 0-0 with the Wolves. On Friday TFC drew 1-1 with the Kitsap Pumas in Bremerton.

Tacoma's next match is Saturday night May 23 at 7:05 PM at Curtis High School against the Portland Timbers U-23's.