The ending wasn’t what it could have been, nor was it where they wanted to be.
The Alpha Aztecs completed the B.C. AA boys soccer championship with a disappointing 3-2 shootout loss to Archbishop Carney on Wednesday, but its sting was nothing compared to the day before.
That’s where the Aztecs’ charge to a top-four finish was tackled in a game decided by one goal and two cards.
Early in the final pool contest Tuesday against McMath of Richmond, an Alpha player was yellow carded for what coach Antoni Salov said was an exchange following the play. It wasn’t anything he said to the referee, but words exchanged between rival players that drew the first yellow.
Another card a handful of minutes later to the same player, before the game was 20 minutes old, put the Aztecs a man short; but even then, Salov said the effort was good enough to win.
“I won’t disagree with the second (card) but I am at a loss for words to explain the first,” said Salov, who felt his team battled well through the extra adversity.
Alpha opened the tourney with a 2-0 win over Duchess Park and a 2-1 victory over Mark Isfeld before meeting McMath.
They rebounded to top Kwalikum 2-0 before falling to Carney.
