MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO -- The final double-elimination games in the Commanding General’s Cup soccer kicked off Tuesday with three teams competing for the championship title.
In the opener, Support Battalion aggressively attacked 12th Marine Corps district’s defense and remained quick with their feet as Staff Sgt. Gabriel Jaramillo, Support Bn., scored the first goal of the game.
Support Battalion’s teamwork remained strong as they tripped up 12th MCD and prevented them from scoring any points, ending the first half with a score of 2-0.
Twelfth MCD came back strong during the second half of the game, scoring another two goals, during the last minute of the game Jaramillo scored the tie breaking goal to win the game for Supt. Bn.
Twelfth MCD’s loss earned them the third place ranking while Support Battalion prepared to battle it out against the Consolidated Personnel Administration Center for the cup.
“Support Bn. played hard today,” said Rachel Dickinson, CG’s Cup sports coordinator. “12th MCD was at a disadvantage because they didn’t have any substitute players and Support Bn. remained strong.”
With their morale at an all-time high, Support Bn. began the second game demonstrating impressive teamwork skills. With a solid defense that CPAC was unable to break through, Support Bn. was victorious and won the game 3-1.
Being a double-elimination game, Support Bn. and CPAC competed in a second game to determine the championship winners.
Not letting their previous loss deter them, CPAC returned to the field to dominate the championship game. Sgt. Khanh Ngyuen tore through Support Bn’s defense and scored the first of many goals for CPAC as half time ended 4-0.
The second half began with a kickoff served by Jaramillo, earning Support Bn. their first goal of the game.
“Support Bn. was very aggressive throughout their games. But during the third game they began to run out of energy unlike CPAC who was fresh on the field,” said Dickinson.
As Support Bn. tired, CPAC kept racking up the points, winning the game and first-place title, 6-2.
“Support Battalion is a good team, but we have a strong mid-field and improved our defense during the second game,” said Sgt. Luis Escareno, CPAC mid-fielder. “I am very proud of my team’s win, but there is always room for improvement.”