The DeKalb County Tiger soccer team took the field in a district match-up against Friendship Christian on Tuesday night. The Tigers managed just one goal, all the while allowing three.
The Tigers were first to break past the opposing defense as Javier Sanchez received a through ball from Eli Lomas that allowed Sanchez to take a shot. The shot was on target but the keeper made the trouble-free save. At the eight-minute mark, it was the Commanders who pressed through the defense and gave a well-placed through the air that was successfully punched away by Tiger keeper Ben Driver.
Play would remain calm and possession stayed even until the Commanders found a weak spot in the defense at the 10-minute mark as they would have numbers with a break-away through ball and draw the keeper out for the first score of the game.
DeKalb would rally back and find themselves in prime scoring position at the 16-minute mark as Juan Torres put a move on a back-line defender to give him a one-on-one chance with the keeper. Torres’ uncontested shot would sail wide right for a goal kick.
DeKalb would win the ball on the goal kick and pass around until the defense faltered, then played a ball through. As the ball was played through into the 18-yard box, Sanchez would have the chance to strike the ball.  But when he was knocked to the ground, he was awarded a penalty. Sanchez would bury the penalty into the left side of the net to even the score up  at one each.
 Now with the momentum, DeKalb regained possession after the penalty was fouled and awarded a free kick from about 45 yards out. Thomas Beltz sendtthe ball into the air  sailing to the goal to an awaiting Sanchez as he was in perfect position to place the ball in the goal. Unfortunantly, Sanchez would put too much power into the shot and it sailed high, narrowly giving DeKalb the lead.
At the 26-minute mark, DeKalb was hit with a hand-ball penalty, was one of four throughout the game. On the free kick, the Commanders put the shot through that was stopped by the Tiger goalie Driver. At the 32-minute mark, DeKalb was back on the offensive and this time taking a shot from 25 yards out was Geovany Guzman, who put up a finesse shot that looked to be wide right, that bent back into the crossbar and deflected out of bounds for a goal kick.
After the goal kick, the Commanders took the ball down to the other side of the field where they would take a shot which would be deflected for a corner kick. On the corner attempt, the ball was played through the air to an open backside forward who, with a header, struck the ball well. But with a diving save, Driver stopped the would-be-goal from entering for another corner. On the second corner attempt, the Friendship Christian player decided to bypass the opportunity for an assist and decided to go ahead for the goal. Whether it was a little luck combined with a little wind assistance, the ball crossed and sailed right into the back of the net to make it a 2-1 game.
With halftime approaching, the Tigers had the chance on a run. Sanchez made his way downfield with the ball, then put the ball up in the air to an open Torres who blasted the back of the net with the shot. The crowd erupted with cheers only to be crushed to find out that the goal was was negated on an offsides call as Torres broke away too soon, ending the first half.
In the opening seconds of the second half, the Commanders stacked players to the right side of the field and made small passes to force the Tiger defense to also crash to the right side. When the time was right, Friendship Christian booted the ball downfield to the left side where a Commander forward made it through undetected and took a shot that was stopped by Driver.
At the six-minute mark, DeKalb was penalized for a hand ball from 30 yards outside of their own goal, giving the Commanders good scoring position. The shot sailed high and didn't have enough spin to make the ball bend into the goal as it passed the goal for a goal kick.
At the eight-minute mark, it was again the Commanders breaking away from the back line of DeKalb. But midfielder Lomas wasn’t about to give up that easily as he sprinted almost the entire field to make a slide tackle on the Commander forward.
Lancaster played on the throw quickly and passed the ball around but then Commander midfielder was tripped and  awarded a free kick from 25 yards out. The shot was taken and blasted towards the keeper and  punched out by Driver. The Tigers would have a chance at the 17-minute mark as Sanchez was given a through ball from Richards and took his shot. The keeper came out and made a diving save. With the ball still in play, DeKalb took another shot for goal as the keeper was still away from goal, but was deflected off a back-line defender for a throw. On the throw in, Lomas was tripped and DeKalb was given a free kick. Guzman was set to take the free kick and sent the ball in the air to Richards, who took a shot but was stopped by the Comannders’ keeper.
DeKalb would have more chances but each time the keeper was up to the task, foiling every attempt the Tigers would send his way. The Commanders would move on to score again at the 31-minute mark as the defense let the strikers slip through, forcing the keeper to come out. Driver then slipped to the ground, giving the Commanders an easy goal.
DeKalb would end the game with Torres taking one last shot that pelted the cross bar and the ball was cleared for the whistle to sound the ending the game.