MINNEAPOLIS — The mood in the Como Park High School locker room Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium after its Class 2A boys soccer championship game with top-seeded Blake mirrored the weather outside — cold, gray and damp.
The unseeded Cougars, whose run to the title clash energized their campus and sparked pride throughout the St. Paul City Conference, ended with a 3-0 loss to the Bears, who were simply too good to be beat and finished the season 19-1-2.
“They were just a good team and good teams create good chances,” said Como Park standout Blessed Htoo, who found himself tightly marked and often jostled. “Their ball movement, they’re very quick with it. And after they pass, they move right away.”
Said Cougars defender Henry Simmons: “I was nervous. I knew they were a good team and it was kind of what I expected from them.”
Como Park coach Brendan Doyle noted that Blake was the division’s top team in the coaches poll and the computer rankings throughout the season.
“They came out with intent to win a state title,” Doyle said. “They were very well-prepared and our guys were trying to hang on.”
Blake opened the scoring during the 13th minute. Oliver Brown redirected in a Landon Bell shot after two earlier Bears missiles bounced off the post during a frenzied, goalmouth scramble.
Como Park’s deficit doubled nine minutes after intermission when Blake was awarded a free kick in the center of the field and just outside the penalty area. The Cougars struggled to structure their defense and Moises Huerta casually rolled the ball wide to a wide-open Max Vezmer, who pounded home a 25-yard shot past a charging foe.
Blake closed the scoring with 29 minutes to play. Bell received a pass from along the end line and to the right of the goal before using a nifty, back-heel feed to send the ball on to Brown. The junior midfielder received the offering with his right foot before shooting inside the left post with his left boot.
Como Park’s best scoring chance might have come with 14 minutes remaining when it was awarded an indirect kick in the center of the penalty area. A teammate’s quick touch set Htoo up for a shot, but the Bears charged off the goal line en masse and smothered the attempt.
“For a high school team, (Blake) has a very well-defined style of play,” Doyle said. “And despite that, they’re not at all predictable. They attack with eight and every player is able to find a bunch of solutions, which means our defenders have three things in their head at any time.
“They’re probably, top to bottom and player to player, the most talented team in our class, too. Everyone’s fighting them uphill from the start.”
The Cougars’ coach said his 15-6-1 team was fortunate to be down only a goal at halftime and made tactical changes to try and get attackers high and wide.
“I think we did a better job in the second half but they have super-talented players and they won their (individual battles) and scored anyway.”
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