Generational season of Kofa-San Luis boys soccer rivalry ends in favor of the Sidewinders

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The San Luis Sidewinders are moving on to the semifinals after a hard-fought 4-2 victory over a familiar rival.

San Luis hit the road to face the Kofa Kings in the quarterfinals, marking the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. This time, the Sidewinders came out on top in Yuma to keep their postseason run alive.

The breakthrough came in the 26th minute when Rodrigo Cordova stepped up for a penalty kick and slipped the ball just past goalkeeper Diego Tapia to give San Luis a 1-0 lead.

Just two minutes later, Cordova delivered again, this time on a corner kick. The ball found Carlos Gamez, who sent it into the back of the net in the 28th minute, extending the Sidewinders' advantage to 2-0.

Kofa answered with a free kick opportunity, and Leo Rodriguez capitalized, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and shifting momentum back toward the Kings.

In the second half, San Luis regained control. After a sequence that moved from Ortega to Renteria, the ball was pushed into the box where Carlos Gonzalez connected on a header that slipped past Josue Solis, who had taken over goalkeeping duties, giving the Sidewinders a 3-1 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

The Kings refused to go quietly. Just over a minute later, Jorge Castillo sent a ball into the box that led to a scramble in front of the goal. Joshua Sullivan was in the right place at the right time to finish the play and bring Kofa back within one.

However, Gonzalez added another goal for the Sidewinders a few minutes later to seal the 4-2 victory.

With the win, San Luis advances to the semifinals, where they will host tenth-seeded Pinnacle on Wednesday.