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Every team prefers to avoid stress and get the job done in regulation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.
When the 12th Annual La Copa Indoor Soccer Tournament was held on March 4, Cold FC needed overtime to secure a 2-1 victory over Boonton FC.
“Like any final and important match, we wanted to finish the game with the lead,” said Mario Ocampo of Cold FC. “We would go to overtime leaving me slightly worried. Anything can happen at any moment. Thankfully, we finished strong and put our team name on the map as the 2026 La Copa champions.”
The golden goal was scored by Cold FC’s Justin Merlo with 51 seconds left to go in the extra period.
Ocampo, a senior, attributed the thrilling win to several factors.
“My strategy and the team strategy was to pass the ball as much as possible like in a tiki-taka style while also staying composed as a team,” he said. “We had to put our egos aside because with teamwork anything is possible.”
The BHS gym buzzed with excitement as the tournament unfolded after school.
With impressive attendance from students, staff, and families, the event showcased spirited competition among five talented teams: Boonton FC, Cold FC, Soph Slayer, Habibi Community and Sazon FC.
It was thought that defending champion Sazon FC would dominate but, in a stunning upset, Cold FC emerged as the winner in a hard-fought semifinal. Dethroning last year’s No. 1 squad and defying expectations wasn’t easy. The path to victory was paved with dramatic moments, including the aforementioned semifinal. Boonton FC standout Mudaser Amin helped eliminate Sazon FC by putting in both goals in a 2-1 OT triumph.
“It felt amazing because they were the defending champions,” Amin said. “I never expected to score a goal against them, let alone two. It was a team effort and we all did our jobs and pulled off the win.”
Amin felt that Sazon FC had a very strong defense. He capitalized both times by pressuring a defender.
“(The defender) made a mistake and I took advantage of the opportunities for both of my goals,” Amin said.
Ocampo was stunned by Sazon FC’s exit. Like many others, he felt they’d advance to the final.
“It was very important that the defending champs got out in the semis as they were our biggest competition,” Ocampo said. “It definitely surprised me and many others that they went out in the semis… Either way, if they made it through or not, I believe our team would put up a good fight against them as we beat them 2-1 in the groups stage.”
Cold FC, whose captain is Justin Merlo, came together years ago through pickup soccer matches, where they built “strong connections” and made memories, according to Ocampo.
That bond and more resulted in them seizing the top spot in the tournament.
“What led to our team triumph was definitely putting our faith in God, always believing in ourselves as individuals and as a team,” Ocampo said. “We remained confident in our skills and never underestimated the opponents we had ahead of us.”
Members of Cold FC are Merlo, Jeremy Quesada, Mario Sandoval, Luis Ocampo, Mario Ocampo, Dana Palacios, Heduin Castillo, Tyler Rougeux, Yeremy Juarez Murillo and Joshua Parliman.
Amin said he wasn’t disappointed by the setback in the final and vowed that Boonton FC would be a force in the 2027 tournament.
“The fact that we even made it that far showed how much we improved from the previous year,” Amin said. “All of us worked hard and, mark my words, we will WIN the finals next year.”
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