The Roadrunners had to settle for a draw when they hosted Long Beach City College on Friday Sept 20.

Rio Hondo went into this game with a 3-3-3 record coming off a double header in San Diego on Saturday where they were able to shut out Monterey Peninsula and get a 1-0 win with a goal by Miria Amisaraim Valdez, and a 0-0 draw against San Diego Mira Costa.

The Roadrunners looked very confident coming into this game ; as they should since they hadn’t allowed a goal in one-hundred-eighty minutes of play: and demonstrated it on the pitch with two essential goal scoring opportunities within the first ten minutes of play.

Despite the fact that Rio dominated those first ten minutes of play Long Beach managed to strike first twelve minutes into the game.

The Vikings were fortunate enough to score off a ball that wasn’t cleared far enough from the box thus a Long Beach striker was able to poke the ball in the goal.

This goal unquestionably shook the Rio Hondo team up and made the team loose some composure, but although the road runners seemed to be loosing their heads they still continued to show complete dominance of the game. Ten minutes later, only the second shot on goal by Long Beach: the Vikings were able to get on the board the yet again. This time with a goal from twenty yards out a Long Beach striker was sharp enough to get the ball past the goalie who wasn’t able to see the ball ;therefore unable to react: until it was in the back of the net. (2-0 Long Beach) Post game Coach Orlando Brenes said that “the first half, you know they surprised us, you gotta take it for what its worth.”

Long Beach City was ecstatic when the second goal went in seeing that their backs were up against the wall this entire time and felt like this game was over. Rio seemed to be doing everything right but couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net.

Just when it seemed like this was going to be “one of those games”, the Roadrunners were able to get a well earned and deserved goal off a throw in that Francisco Saucedo was able to flick to the back post were a wide open Armando Rodriguez was sly enough to get away from the Long Beach Defenders and header the ball calmly into the goal (2-1). Avoiding going into half-time empty handed the Roadrunners had one goal to show for their dominance.

Turning up the heat on Long Beach, Rio Hondo came into the second-half just like they started the game, fired up. Trailing 2-1 the Roadrunner continued to put the pressure on the weak Viking back line and finally were able to catch the break they had been working for the whole game. Midfielder Alex Casas who had been dominating the left wing from the beginning of the game was able to shake his defender off him and shoot the ball from 20 yards out, hitting the side netting were the Viking Goalie had no chance of getting the ball tying the game at two a piece (2-2). Saving the team from what would have been an unjustified score.

After the game Coach Orlando Brenes shared that he was ” a little frustrated in the fact that, you know .. we’re not consistent to say “hey you know we have to play ninety-minutes as oppose to just fourty-five.”” but although his team struggled to put the ball in the back of the net he was happy ; who wouldn’t be after dominating a game and nearly having nothing to show for; that they were able to come back from a 2-0 deficit to salvage a tie out of a game that should have had a lob sided score.

The Roadrunners ended the game at a 2-2 draw leaving their record at 500. with a 3-3-4 record. They will be traveling to Pasadena on Sept. 24 and Irvine on Sept 27.