IT was an emotional time for all involved with Brimbank Stallions FC in the Football Federation Victoria on Saturday.
The players, staff and supporters of the Stallions observed a minute’s silence and wore black armbands after the shock death of talented young midfielder Sebastian Lopez.
The 20-year-old was playing five-a-side indoor soccer on April 29 when he had a heart attack. He could not be revived.
Lopez had a passion and a gift for the game, coming up through the Stallions’ junior ranks before he was touted as a bright prospect.
Stallions assistant coach Lenny Greenan said it was a tough day for friends of the club, some of whom had come through the junior ranks with Lopez and gone into the field of battle with him.
“A lot of the guys had played with him in juniors and some were playing indoor soccer with him on Sunday night when he died, so it was an emotion-charged day.
“He was a huge soccer fan, a great player and just a 20-year-old kid. To be cut down with a heart attack at 20 is unbelievable.”
Lopez had close friends in both the seniors and reserves teams.
One of them, Walter Lobos, paid a fitting tribute to his mate with a match-sealing goal as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Melton Phoenix in the reserves.
But the Stallions could not get the job done in the senior game.
They went down to 10 men just four minutes into their clash with the Phoenix at the Club Italia Sporting Club in North Sunshine and lost 5-2, but only after putting up an almighty effort.
The side playing with a man short made all the running in the first half with right-winger Hayden Formosa netting from a dipping free kick in the 11th minute and defensive midfielder Angelo Rosano making it two in the 35th with a header from a corner cross.
The Phoenix awoke from their slumber in the last five minutes of the first half, winning a penalty from a mistimed tackle from Max Sena and halving the deficit.
Leading 2-1 at half-time but a man down, Stallions coach Marcelo Tejo told his players to do everything they could to keep hold of the lead, stacked the midfield and defensive lines and asked striker Stuart McNeill to play a lone role and hold up play.
All the best-laid plans went out the window when McNeill was subbed off with an injury.
The Phoenix huffed and puffed and finally broke the dam wall down to win with a buffer after scoring three goals in the last eight minutes.
The Stallions, winless and siting bottom of the provisional league 3 north-west ladder, will be desperate to get back into the winner’s circle when they face Moreland Wolves on Friday night on the road at Reddish Reserve.
VPL: Bentleigh Greens 1 Melbourne Knights 0, Green Gully Cavaliers 2 Moreland Zebras 1
SL2: Preston Lions 1 Keilor Park 1, Westgate 0 Banyule City 0
SL3: Sunbury United 0 Sydenham Park 1, Sporting Whittlesea 3 Cairnlea 3, Whittlesea United 1 North Sunshine Eagles 1
PL1: Corio 5 Maribyrnong Greens 0, Surf Coast 0 Westvale 0
PL2: Plenty Valley Lions 2 Western Eagles 2
PL3: Melbourne Tornado 0 Balmoral 0, Brimbank Stallions 2 Melton Phoenix 5
