10/14/2026
Our boys fought hard against #1 Worthington last night, but unfortunately their season came to an end. Congrats on a great season, and we wish our seniors the best of luck in their next adventures!
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE! WORTHINGTON TROJANS ESCAPE JORDAN’S UPSET BID WITH DRAMATIC 2–1 VICTORY
SECTION 2AA BOYS SOCCER QUARTERFINAL | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
FINAL: No. 1 Worthington Trojans 2 — No. 8 Jordan Hubmen 1
WORTHINGTON, Minn. — Sometimes, the most important victory isn’t the prettiest one. It’s the one that keeps your season alive.
That’s exactly what happened Tuesday night at Trojan Field, where the top-seeded Worthington Trojans survived a determined challenge from No. 8 Jordan, scoring the game-winning goal with just five minutes remaining to secure a hard-fought 2–1 victory in the opening round of the Section 2AA boys soccer tournament.
The win sends Worthington into Thursday’s semifinals, but it also delivers a valuable reminder: in postseason soccer, nothing comes easy, regardless of the rankings.
JORDAN CAME WITH A PLAN — AND ALMOST PULLED IT OFF
On paper, a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds might suggest a mismatch. But anyone who watched these teams play just three days earlier knew better.
Worthington defeated Jordan 2–0 on Saturday, but the Hubmen made the Trojans work for both goals. Jordan packed its defensive third, frustrated Worthington’s attack, and kept the match scoreless until Kain Thepmontry finally broke through. Eddy Chavez later added an insurance goal in the closing minutes.
Tuesday’s rematch followed a remarkably similar script.
Jordan crowded its defensive third with seven or eight players, sometimes more, leaving very little space for Worthington’s dangerous attackers. Their strategy was to absorb pressure, defend patiently, and hope a long ball or set piece could produce a scoring opportunity.
And for most of the night, it worked.
ERICK LOPEZ BREAKS THROUGH
Worthington dominated the opening half, attacking from both wings and repeatedly testing Jordan’s defense.
The Trojans generated numerous opportunities, but finding the back of the net proved difficult.
With 22 minutes remaining in the first half, the breakthrough finally came.
Eddy Chavez fired a shot toward goal that the Jordan goalkeeper managed to deflect. The rebound fell into the path of Erick Lopez, who arrived at the perfect moment and calmly finished past the goalkeeper.
Worthington led 1–0 at halftime, but considering the number of opportunities created, the Trojans had reason to believe their advantage should have been larger.
ONE FREE KICK CHANGES EVERYTHING
Despite continued Worthington pressure in the second half, Jordan refused to go away.
With approximately 14 minutes remaining, the Hubmen earned a free kick from roughly 40 yards out.
Jordan’s goalkeeper came forward to deliver a high, dangerous ball into the Worthington penalty area. The kick sailed over the defensive line as several Jordan attackers raced toward goal.
Worthington goalkeeper Adrian Flores came off his line to challenge the ball, but the play became congested, and Jordan managed to knock the loose ball into an open net.
There was some confusion over a possible offside, but no violation was called. The goal stood.
Suddenly, it was 1–1, and Worthington’s season was on the line.
THE PERFECT GIVE-AND-GO SAVES THE NIGHT
With five minutes remaining, Worthington finally produced the kind of attacking combination that had been missing for much of the match.
The play began with Thomas Okony, who moved the ball forward to Jaden Luevanos.
Jaden carried the ball through midfield, worked past a defender, and spotted teammate Roelme Gonzalez to his left.
Instead of continuing to dribble into traffic, Jaden made the simple, intelligent decision to pass and keep running.
Roelme immediately returned the ball with a beautiful one-touch pass, sending Jaden through on goal.
One touch to control. One look at the goalkeeper. One perfectly placed finish to the left side.
GOAL! WORTHINGTON 2, JORDAN 1!
It was a textbook give-and-go, the kind of combination that works beautifully in basketball, hockey, and soccer.
More importantly, it was exactly the kind of quick, unselfish passing Worthington needed to break down Jordan’s crowded defense.
The Trojans protected their lead through the final minutes and secured their place in the semifinals.
COACH JUAN FLORES: “WE DRIBBLE TOO MUCH”
After the match, Worthington head coach Juan Flores acknowledged that his team had controlled much of the game but failed to capitalize on enough scoring opportunities.
Flores felt the Trojans became too comfortable with their narrow lead in the second half.
He also explained what went wrong on Jordan’s tying goal.
“We just lost our marks.”
According to Flores, Worthington’s defenders failed to react quickly enough when Jordan’s goalkeeper delivered the free kick into the penalty area.
But the coach’s biggest concern moving forward is something that has challenged his team throughout the season: knowing when to dribble and when to move the ball quickly.
“We dribble too much, and I think we need to start passing more.”
Flores emphasized that opponents are becoming familiar with Worthington’s style of play, meaning the Trojans must be willing to make adjustments, change personnel when necessary, and find creative ways to attack.
He also praised Jordan for its effort.
“They came here, they played a great game, and they made us earn it.”
And perhaps his most important message was simple: the deeper Worthington advances into the tournament, the tougher the competition becomes.
GOALKEEPER ADRIAN FLORES PRAISES HIS TEAMMATES
Junior goalkeeper Adrian Flores was pleased with how his teammates responded after surrendering the tying goal.
He acknowledged that Worthington controlled the opening half, eased off somewhat in the second, and then raised its intensity after Jordan equalized.
Despite the tense finish, Flores expressed confidence in the players in front of him, particularly his defenders and midfielders.
He praised their defensive work, communication, and willingness to track back when teammates pushed forward.
For Adrian, the most important result was that his team responded to adversity and came away with the victory.
DOMINANCE DOESN’T ALWAYS SHOW ON THE SCOREBOARD
Worthington appeared to control nearly every major aspect of Tuesday’s match.
The Trojans generated an estimated 17 to 20 shooting opportunities while Jordan managed relatively few meaningful attacks, many coming from set pieces.
Yet despite all that possession and pressure, Worthington had only two goals to show for it.
That is both encouraging and concerning.
Encouraging because the Trojans continue to create opportunities and control the tempo of matches.
Concerning because finishing those opportunities becomes increasingly important against stronger postseason opponents.
A missed chance in October can mean the difference between advancing and going home.
Worthington doesn’t necessarily need to create more chances. It needs to make better use of the chances it already creates.
UP NEXT: NO. 4 NEW ULM
With the quarterfinal victory secured, Worthington advances to the Section 2AA semifinals, where the Trojans will face No. 4 New Ulm.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Location: Trojan Field, Worthington, Minnesota
Kickoff: To be announced
The winner will advance to the Section 2AA championship match, moving one victory closer to the Minnesota State Tournament.
FINAL THOUGHTS: A WIN IS A WIN, BUT THERE’S WORK TO DO
There is an old saying in tournament sports: Survive and advance.
Tuesday night, Worthington did exactly that.
Jordan deserves tremendous credit for arriving with a disciplined game plan, executing it effectively, and nearly pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the opening round.
But when the pressure was greatest, Worthington found a way.
The Trojans didn’t panic after surrendering the equalizer. They stayed composed, continued attacking, and eventually produced the winning goal through teamwork and intelligent passing.
That’s the positive Worthington can take from this match.
The challenge now is to turn those lessons into better ex*****on, because the road to the state tournament will only become more difficult.
No. 1 Worthington Trojans 2 — No. 8 Jordan Hubmen 1
The season continues. The dream remains alive.
ONE DOWN. TWO MORE SECTION VICTORIES TO GO.
CONGRATULATIONS, TROJANS! ON TO THE SEMIFINALS!
