Missouri Comets lose late lead, fall to Baltimore Blast in MASL Eastern Conference finals match

After watching his team squander a 3-1 lead in the final four minutes of regulation and lose on a goal 6 seconds into overtime, Missouri Comets coach Vlatko Andonovski was blunt with his thoughts.

“I don’t think that they won the game. I just think that we lost the game,” he said of Baltimore’s 4-3 win in game one of the Eastern Conference finals. “It was obvious who was the better team, but sometimes the ball bounces their way.”

Those in attendance Thursday at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena wouldn’t disagree.

The Comets played brilliant soccer for 56 minutes, with goals from Lucas Rodriguez, Bryan Perez and Stefan Stokic giving the team a 3-1 lead and seemingly a 1-0 series lead heading into game two in Baltimore.

But the Blast rallied at the end of regulation, scoring two sixth-attacker goals, then put the ball in the back of the net moments after the overtime kickoff, sending the home crowd in shock.

“Sometimes good teams just find a way to win, and that’s what Baltimore did tonight,” Andonovski said. “Regardless, I’m proud of my guys. I think we showcased good soccer throughout the game.”

With the kickoff in the extra session, the Blast played a long ball that hit off the glass next to the Comets’ goal. Baltimore forward Juan Pereira sprinted down the field and put himself in the right place at the right time, finding the ball at his feet off the rebound and sending the ball past Comets goalkeeper Boris Pardo for the winning goal.

The series continues Tuesday in Baltimore, where the Comets will have to win game two to force a deciding 15-minute mini-game that would immediately follow.

“It’s not going to be easy to go into Baltimore and win two games, but ever since I started coaching this team, everything we’ve got has been done the hard way,” Andonovski said. “We’re going to go out there and fight.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 10:34 PM with the headline "Missouri Comets lose late lead, fall to Baltimore Blast in MASL Eastern Conference finals match."