"Nothing in this world is impossible. Everything’s possible if you believe and if you give everything you have." - Swope Park Rangers head coach Marc Dos Santos following a 2-1 win on Sunday at Swope Soccer Village
The Swope Park Rangers had been counted out before. A team that, as of June, sat in 13th place while coping with a season-ending injury to one of it's top performers, Kevin Oliveira, was now on the brink in the Western Conference Semifinals.
A 1-0 lead in the 20th minute had turned into a 1-1 stalemate in the 70th minute. The Rangers, at that time, were down to 10 men. By the end of regulation, only nine remained.
Nevertheless, the players believed.
"We’ve been through so much this season and we’ve still stuck together as a team," Dane Kelly said postgame. "One thing about this team is we definitely have confidence in each other. We believe in each other."
That belief, in every player on the roster, made possible an otherwise unbelievable moment when three substitutes combined for the game-winning goal in extra time.
Tomas Granitto won the ball. Nansel Selbol provided the pass. Neither had played a part in the Rangers' playoff opener.
And Kelly, who had been forced off the field two minutes earlier due to injury, scored the goal that put the Rangers into the Western Conference Final on Saturday at Swope Soccer Village.
Tickets for the match start at $12 and are available to purchase online at Ticketmaster.com. The first 500 fans to enter through the North Gate at Children's Mercy Victory Field will receive BELIEVE t-shirts (shown below).
In addition, BELIEVE posters will be on display throughout Swope Park and in other select locations across Kansas City promoting the match. Custom social graphics are also available to download for fans to utilize leading up to kickoff.
