TIGER--RRRRRRRRRRRRRRIFIC

Olympique Montreux, 7
Salt Lake SC, 0

Pierre d'Estaim
Sports Writer

WEST JORDAN CITY, UT (September 14, 2006).--Olympique Montreux qualifies for the final of the Utah Open Cup in perfect style by hitting seven goals past an aggressive Salt Lake SC. Kick off was delayed thirty minutes because of a torrential rain with lightning.

Perfect start for Tiger Fitzpatrick

With several talented Utah players on Salt Lake's roster, including midfield ace Dallas Albretsen, OM knew their opponents were a side that deserved plenty of respect. However, it took just five minutes for Tiger to break the deadlock.

It was textbook stuff, with Kenny Barton deftly laying the ball from the by-line towards Tracy McGuire who made it look easy as he flicked it to Tiger to slam dunk a low, hard shot into the back of the net at the fifth minute.

The first goal ripped the confidence out of Salt Lake FC, and within minutes Jesse Day sent the ball home brilliantly to make to make the score 2-0. Seconds later, Tiger provided Sergio Vasquez with a chance that went narrowly wide of the far post.

OM was in total control, with the only danger perhaps being their over-confidence. The early goals, having lulled them into a false sense of security, almost cost the side when Salt Lake played a long ball to a speedy forward.  Keeper Chad Evans had to leave his line to prevent disaster.

In addition to that trek into OM's nerve center, because the players of Salt Lake did not seem at all intimidated in the face of such a storied OM football club featuring the colossal profile of a legend like Todd Miller, they managed to create a few, if timid, chances of their own. These included a serious warning call from Dallas, a former OM player, at the 16th minute, and a dangerous team move that gave Bel-Ami a cold chill as it took place while the Olympians appeared to have relaxed their imperative.

Here comes Kimball

Josh Kimball does not like to wait to get in games. He has a celestial gift to predict when Tracy is tired or if Chad Gilbert will be limping in a minute, or if Sergio, or if Jesse, or if keeper Evans, or...  and… or…

As the half grew older, he became increasingly animated. In he went for Tracy on the right wing in the 25th minute, and sure enough, he scores on great Jesse pass three minutes later. It was with lighting speed that a fully fit Jesse ran past two defenders and served the ball to Kimball who one-timed it into the net.

A peripatetic Miller

With the Olympians actually doing what they practice under the leadership of a very mobile Miller and continuous admonitions from Paul Williams, there were only sparse chances for Salt Lake SC to get a touch of the ball. 

But if the floodgates in the skies had closed for the evening, they were about to open wide on the pitch. OM had a three-goal cushion to take into the break, and despite their strong physical presence, we had seen little to suggest that Salt Lake was going to be capable of turning the game around in the second half.

Borba-dement of skills and goals

The second half got off to as perfect a start as the first. Just three minutes after the break, Tiger sent a curling free kick low towards Vasquez. The forward trapped the ball well, but slipped and lost it when he turned around to shoot.

In the 48th minute, Mauricio Borba made a daring run at the defense, dribbled around four defenders and hammered the ball into the top of the net.

OM was up 4-0, and it was as good as game over.

In the 60th, Mauricio started a tremendous solo effort. On his own and surrounded by defenders, the Argentine juggled the ball left and right to confuse his rivals who clumsily knocked him down inside the penalty area. Kimball was in the area. He confidently grabbed the ball to take the penalty kick. He buried it in. 5-0.

Moments later, Jesse did his own magic on the right side, penetrating and scoring the 6th goal.

With the outcome decided, there was nothing left for Olympique Montreux to prove, and Salt Lake seemed to have opted to renounce to play football, but to merely defend in numbers to keep the score from worsening. The final minutes ticked by with Vasquez, Mauricio, Ricky Johnson, Everton do Prado and Tracy working especially hard to find further goalscoring opportunities, but failing to find the space to do so.

Argentine genius

But there was still time for one more piece of OM magic. Already deep into injury time, Mauricio collected the ball on the right edge of the Salt Lake area and with the Salt Lake players getting increasingly violent, he again pulled one from his Zidane bag of tricks and ended up face to face with just the keeper and the large net. He put it in. 7-0

It was an unstoppable finish and the mark of a genius. The Olympians have been amazing in the Utah Open Cup campaign. On the strength of their performance this week, one can expect thrilling things to come in the final on October 24 against Bosnia USA.