Republic broke a scoreless tie with two second-half goals to top Lebanon in a cross-division Central Ozark Conference match Thursday, 3-1. Republic got goals from Isaac Vermule, Diego Zuniga, and Caleb Miclea in picking up the road win.
The Tigers drew first blood with a goal by Vermule after a corner kick with about 24 minutes remaining in the first half. Lebanon’s defense deflected Will Pinnell’s corner kick back out to the wing, but Pinnell got the ball back and popped a high, arching pass into the middle of the box. It eluded the Lebanon goalkeeper, and Vermule was there to tap it in for a 1-0 lead.
Lebanon tied the score with ten minutes remaining in the half, and it stayed that way for nearly 40 minutes. The Tigers broke the tie with 12:48 left in the game when Elijah Phiri assisted Diego Zuniga on a goal. Phiri sent the ball from midfield through a narrow gap in the defense, placing it perfectly for Zuniga to run it down around the top of the goal box. Zuniga dribbled in a few steps and fired the ball into the left side of the goal to put Republic ahead 2-1.
The Tigers picked up an insurance goal with about two minutes left, when the Lebanon goalkeeper inadvertently kicked the ball to Miclea standing about 20 yards from the goal. Miclea juked one defender and fired the ball into the net to make it 3-1.
The JV team also won, with the help of two goals by Corbin Richardson and one by Sam Richardson. Logan Renkoski, Angel Urquiza, and Sam Richardson also recorded assists in that one.
