E.P. Claims ‘Double’ with Super Cup Win

East Providence Sports celebrate their second trophy in as many weeks after claiming a 2-0 Super Cup victory over league champion Fall River Sports on Sunday. (Photo: Brian O’Connell)

FALL RIVER, Mass. – It took nearly two hours to separate LUSA league champion Fall River Sports and LUSA Cup winner East Providence in Sunday’s Super Cup showdown. But a Miguel Fortes goal ended a scoreless contest in the 112th minute to lead East Providence to a 2-0 victory at Billy Gonsalves Field.

The win, which came a week after they hoisted the LUSA Cup after beating Taunton Eagles 3-2, handed East Providence “the double” for the 2012 LUSA campaign.

Fortes’ goal arrived minutes after Fall River’s Andre Antunes received a second caution in the 110th minute, leaving his club shorthanded for the duration. Kyle Teixeira padded the East Providence lead from the spot in the 117th minute.

Goalkeeper Jimmi Underhill made a pair of crucial saves late to keep a hungry Fall River side off the board and preserve the win.

“They had a lot of pressure on us,” Fortes said after the game. “We just had to hold our ground and keep playing the way we’ve been playing the whole year.”

Teixeira and teammate Jimmy Hernandez were active for East Providence in the first 90, and combined well to test the Fall River defense. Ruben Jose and Cesario Brilhante helped steer Fall River’s attack, but at the end of 90 minutes, neither club had anything to show for their efforts.

In the first overtime, Teixeira earned a dangerous free kick near the left corner of the area, but couldn’t slide it through. Fall River countered when Brilhante and Viriato DePina collaborated on a dangerous advance that ultimately dissipated when the opposing back four snuffed it out.

Then, just before the whistle for the first overtime, Antunes, who was carrying a caution he earned two minutes prior, was booked a second time for shedding his jersey on the field of play. With only ten men for the second overtime, Fall River was facing the prospect of playing for penalties.

Penalties were the last thing East Providence was thinking when Teixeira ventured into the attacking third before he was cut down by Chris Arruda near the edge of the box. The East Providence midfielder’s free kick fell into the area, and amid a scramble in front of frame, Fortes hit it through.

“The ball came in, hit one of their defenders in the back, and it just fell right to my feet,” Fortes said. “I just took a strike and it happened to go in.”

Teixeira made it a two-goal affair from the spot after a Fall River defender was called for a handball inside the 18, as the home supporters began to file out to the parking lot.

“You could see we were the best two teams in the league, and today, they showed why they were the league champions and why we’re the Cup champions,” Fortes said. “But we came out with the victory.”

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