5/9/08   Greyhound Park, Post Falls, ID     7:05pm kickoff

The Tacoma Tide’s first game of 2008 was not a good one. The site was a greyhound stadium converted to soccer facility. The grass field was patchy on rolly hills. The fans were half inside the glass windows and half near the touchline. The pitch was toughly 90 yards long with a width much narrower than normal. This setting is home to the Spokane Spiders, and they looked like it.

Spokane jumped all over Tacoma from the first whistle. Just 13 minutes in, a give-away in the midfield yielded a 1 on 1 with goal keeper Jordan Jennings, and the Tide were down 1-0. Grant Lundberg, a graduate of Gonzaga slotted the shot into the lower left corner. The trouble was not over. Seven minutes later another through ball found a Spider foot and Jay Vela made it 2-0. The Tide were stunned, the Spokane was foaming at the mouth.

In the 25th minute, Rafael Cox picked up a yellow card about 30 yards out near the right sideline. Ben Funkhouser drove in a low cross and Jay Vela volleyed home for his second of the game. Things went from bad to worse one minute later when a 50-50 challenge turned into a red card for Rafael Cox. The tackle was not intentional but the card was legitamate. With the man advantage, the Spiders bulged the back of the net once more before half time.

If the first half was day, the second half was night. Even with only 10 players on the field, the Tide dominated the second period. One minute in, a precise cross from Beau Macaluso found Rory Agu in the box. One touch to settle and one touch to score for Agu’s first of the season. The two minutes following saw even more momentum. This time it was Agu playing the passer and Macaluso ripping the net. The through ball was well weighted and Beau’s touch was quick to beat the charging goal keeper.

Despite continued pressure until the final whistle, the Tide’s charge tired. The final score exagerated with a late goal to see a 5-2 final. The Tide will regroup Sunday afternoon for their home opener at Curtis High School Stadium. Kickoff is 1:00pm. Season tickets are still available.

Starters:

Tacoma- Jennings, Allbery (56th-Maxwell), Lee, Mueller, Hoss, Nguyen, David, Orozco(72th-Knapp), Agu, Macaluso (77th-Phelps)

Spokane- Funkhouser, Peterson, Seon, Philip, Vela, Pilcher, Realing, Barclay, Lundberg, Perdido, Logan