St. Thomas’s second-seeded Raymix FC upset St. Croix’s top-ranked CAPA 4-2 in a penalty shootout today at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex, advancing to the USVISF Men’s Premier League Big 4 final after 120 minutes of scoreless soccer.
The St. Thomas side converted all four of its penalty attempts while goalkeeper Clarens Doralus made a crucial save to send the young, relentless club into Sunday’s championship match against Helenites.
The semifinal victory marked a significant achievement for Raymix, who replaced LRVI FC in the St. Thomas division this year. Raymix executed a primarily defensive game plan against CAPA’s physically imposing roster, frustrating the usually dominant squad for two full hours before claiming the match on spot kicks.
Raymix huddled in prayer before the penalties began, a circle of players in sweat-soaked jerseys who had just battled through regulation and two overtime periods against a team that, as their head coach Glen Monticeux would later joke, “looked like grown men facing schoolboys.”
“We fought hard,” said Doralus, whose diving save on CAPA’s second penalty attempt kept his team’s hopes alive. “We had a plan, and we just came and we [did] it.”
The plan was simple in theory, brutal in execution. Raymix absorbed pressure for two full hours of regulation and overtime, pushing past their limits in the afternoon heat.
“What matters is who is able to put that ball in the back of the net,” said commentator Kurtice Lewis. “Raymix stuck in there and did not give in despite all the pressure, not having the numbers, not having the support. Their defense was very organized.”
CAPA dominated possession and created chances, including two dangerous free kicks in overtime, but tight defending came at a cost. One minute into the first overtime period, CAPA’s Alexi Bedford, a key player, was carried off on a stretcher with an ankle injury that left him sidelined for the remainder of the match.
The game had everything except goals. Raymix’s defensive shape, marshaled by Gali Prat, frustrated wave after wave of CAPA attacks. Prat was in the trenches, unafraid to take tackles and get dirty.
“Raymix defense moved like wolves,” Sheppard observed, noting how defenders swarmed CAPA’s offense, seldom leaving one-on-one matchups. “They hunted in packs.”
When the final whistle blew to signal penalty kicks, Raymix’s Prat stepped up first. He sailed his penalty into the net, answered by CAPA’s Kassall Greene. Herve Omilus brought Raymix’s score to 2. Then came Doralus’s crucial save on CAPA’s second attempt to protect the 2-1 lead. CAPA’s Jamol Yorke converted to pull it back to 2-2, but Wood Pierre and Bendy Omilus buried Raymix’s third and fourth kicks to make it 4-2.
When CAPA’s final attempt sailed wide, the Raymix bench exploded onto the field in a wave of pure joy. Players front-flipped, swirled their jerseys overhead, and hoisted Doralus onto their shoulders as the crowd roared.
“The team played with such heart,” Sheppard noted. “They created their chances and took them.”
“Raymix is a young team and competed at a high enough level to make it to the Big 4 finals,” Lewis added. “A very good look for the youngsters.”
Around the property, kids played their own mini Big 4 tournaments off the turf, their shouts and laughter providing the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon that showcased how much soccer is growing in the territory.
Tomorrow at 4 p.m., Raymix will return to the Bethlehem Soccer Complex to face the Helenites, the second seed from St. Croix, in the Big 4 final. The game will stream live on FIFA +.