FORT HOOD, Texas –
Heading into the 2025 Armed Forces Men's Soccer Championship, the All-Air Force men's soccer team boasted a roster loaded with experienced players who played collegiately or professionally.
Meanwhile most of the All-Army squad competed in their first military soccer tournament.
Air Force overcame the rising Texas heat to edge Army 1-0 in the championship match of the AFMSC tournament Wednesday morning.
"We knew they were going to come out hard. They were going to give us a battle and they did," Air Force midfielder, 2nd. Lt. Brandon Cobb said. "But we played how we needed to play and kept control of the ball."
Much like the first contest between the teams on July 26, the Airmen (3-0-0) attacked the Army defense relentlessly in the first half, peppering the backline with shots en route to a 1-0 lead.
Following a deflection, Cobb found the back of the net for the game's lone goal in the first half.
"I noticed a lot of the times the [Army] center backs were winning first balls so I wanted to make sure I got the second ball, got the rebound, put it on my feet and tipped the ball," said Cobb, a former Air Force Academy men's soccer player.
However in the second half, Army's front line came to life, with the Army's midfielders and forwards generating more scoring chances.
Army's best opportunity came in the 80th minute when the team's youngest player, Pfc. Samuel Orozco broke into the open field. As Orozco eyed the goal, the Air Force keeper left the net but Orozco shot wide.
Pfc. Kelvin Kereva fired a shot on the top goal post in the 87th minute. In the 88th minute the Army earned a corner kick that resulted in a Soldier's shot going over the goal.
"The Air Force is very good defensively. It was just the nerves because we had a chance, a clear on goal," Eseyin said. "I think the nerves just got to us."
The Soldiers continued to aggressively attack the ball each time Air Force had possession.
"They played for each other. I think that was the biggest thing," said All-Army coach Raul Almendarez. "They did not want to lose this game. I think that's what gave us that little bit of extra push."
However Air Force, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, didn't break defensively led by defensive anchor, Capt. James Sims, who earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. Sims competed for the Air Force Academy men's team and also earned all-conference honors.
"He's clearly the most impactful player," Air Force coach Sam McNell said. "He shuts anyone down on the counter, that's why we felt comfortable playing the formation that we played. He may not be the fastest person on the planet, but his intelligence and his angles reduce any counterattack."
During one sequence in the second half, Staff Sgt. Kossivi Kokou had a shot in the box deflected by Sims. Then Kokou set up a shot for Sam Eseyin had his shot deflected by the Air Force defense.
Another former Academy player Thadd Dewing, ranked among the leaders in goals with four for the tournament, despite battling an ailing hamstring. Dewing joined Sims on the All-Tournament team.
"He's just clinical in what you're getting out of him on the field," McNell said. "He's another big body to play against."
Meanwhile Army goalkeeper Nathan King played through bruised ribs that he suffered in the first matchup with Air Force, helping Army defeat Navy 2-0 on Tuesday.
Both squads remain optimistic for the future as they look towards the 2026 Armed Forces Soccer Championships that will return to Fort Hood in April. The Air Force has a deep talent pool with capable players who the coaches had to cut. Army coach Raul Almendarez said
"We knew what we could do in this tournament and we didn't let one disappointing result (earlier 4-2 loss to Air Force) affect our morale. It was throughout camp," Almendarez said.
McNell said that after the team's competitive training camp in Colorado Springs, 13 players had to drop out due to mission requirements. But Air Force still fielded the most experienced team of the tournament.
McNell said the former Air Force head coach Jeremiah Kirschman successfully spread awareness of the program throughout the service, drawing the interest of many current and former players.
"Air Force has a really large pool of players that we can pull from," McNell said. "The [talent] is only getting better and better."
Meanwhile, Army (1-2-0) built a foundation for the future of its program, gaining valuable experience for its younger players.
"The guys understand that regardless of the score we're going to fight until the last whistle is blown," Army coach Raul Almendarez said. "I think that was showing today with the effort that they put in this game. Air Force has a great team. We've always known every tournament, Air Force has the team comes well prepared."