It seemed all but impossible — Idaho down 4-1 to a team on the verge of a top-25 ranking with only 25 minutes remaining. Memphis looked unstoppable throughout most of the second half, so I was hoping, in vain, that the game would end quickly as to prevent any humiliation.
I didn’t want to see any more goals from the Tigers. They looked unrivaled as they took the ball at will on tackles and bopped it into the corner of the goal off of cross kicks.
I’ll admit it, I was skeptical from the start. Hearing about Memphis’ standing as an up-and-coming, perhaps ranked, team later in the season, I thought maybe the Vandals would keep up for a while before eventually getting edged out. Looking up at the big board didn’t help either. Memphis, with a 6-1 record, had beaten Indiana and only came up short against Ole Miss, 0-1. Idaho, on the other hand, had looked shaky at times with a 2-4-1 record, but sometimes the team looked quite dominant, especially with its ability to frantically trap and tackle on the edges.
The game played out nearly opposite to what I was prepared for. After Memphis knocked in its first goal on a penalty kick in the eighth minute, I remember thinking the tone had been set. But when Myah Merino took advantage of a loose ball in the Tigers’ goalie box in the 18th minute, I thought the tides had turned from “probably not” to “maybe.”
After three consecutive Memphis goals, there wasn’t much time remaining, and that was fine. End this game, regroup, keep preparing for conference play, because that’s where the Vandals usually shine.
But in an unprecedented manner, in front of about as many Vandal fans as Memphis, Idaho came alive. They tied the game after senior midfielder Olivia Baggerly slammed home a 35 yard free kick in the 78th, soon falling to her knees in jubilation. There was no way the Vandals were going to lose.
Then, nine minutes later, junior forward Bridget Daley slid into another goal, and the Vandals were rolling. I was shocked. A die-hard Memphis fan in front of me looked pale. The 10 Idaho band members and the Vandal bench were all that was audible, perhaps because the air had been taken out of every spectator, including Idaho fans.
The game featured a monumental finish. It was certainly a landmark in Idaho soccer history. Yet, sadly, it will go down as largely unremembered.
Ten minutes into the contest, there were more Memphis than Idaho fans. Tigers’ faithful fans carrying a giant flag were louder than anyone else in the dome. Perhaps the introductory hype to the season has not lasted. Either that, or Vandal fans are just as temperamental with soccer games as they are with football.Maybe it was because the game was played on a Friday night, but there were about 5,000 more fans at the Boise State game a couple of weeks ago. I understand the importance of a Gem State rivalry, but this game was more significant in the long run. It was one of, if not the most entertaining soccer games I have ever watched in my life And yes, I watch a lot of soccer.
Colton Clark can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @coltonclark95