ELKHART — The game that wound up 3-0 looked for most of Wednesday evening like it was going to go right to the wire.

And the one that wound up 3-2 looked for much of the rainy night like it might not be close at all.

Naturally enough, in what’s turned into an oddball 2012 Elkhart Sectional boys soccer tournament — including the wrong amount of overtime being played in Monday’s first round — it was that 3-0 game that had the latest splash of controversy as well.

What’s not odd, however, is that No. 12-ranked Central and defending sectional champ Concord, the two favorites coming in, have lived up to billing and advanced to Saturday’s 2 p.m. final.

The Blue Blazers (14-2-1) pulled away late from Northridge to win the opening semifinal 3-0.

Then the Minutemen (15-2-1) survived a late push from host Memorial to take a 3-2 victory.

Central beat Concord 2-1 in the regular-season meeting.

Central 3, Northridge 0

The game stayed deadlocked at zero until just 13:28 remained, when the Blazers’ Isaias Morales scored from about 40 yards out off an indirect kick.

Northridge coach Todd Woodworth was adamant that the shot touched nobody (meaning as an indirect kick the goal would be waved off), while Central coach Sherwin Simon was sure that it did touch somebody.

Then with 4:32 left, the Raiders (8-8-2) were called for a hand ball on a Blazer shot in the box, setting up a penalty kick that Elliott Miller converted for a 2-0 lead. Woodworth said the shot hit his defender’s face, not his hand.

“I feel those first two goals were very, very unjust calls,” Woodworth said. “When kids have played their hearts out and worked that hard, and then something like that happens, it’s just very deflating.

“That said, you have to give Central credit,” Woodworth added. “They have the record they have for a reason. We would’ve liked to have gotten the ball down and under control more, but Central doesn’t give you much time on the ball. They’re aggressive and ready to play it quickly.”

Morales added one more goal with 54 seconds left.

“We have been somewhat a second half team this year,” Simon said, “but we always keep fighting. I think at halftime (midfielder Matt) Eppers said ‘thank you for keeping us in the game’ to our defense, and then said ‘we’ll take care of it in the second half.’ (Goalie) Derek Mills had a couple nice saves in pretty slippery conditions, which was big because it just felt at the time like it was going to end up a 1-nothing game.”

Concord 3, Memorial 2

The Minutemen led 2-0 at halftime, the Crimson Chargers still had no shots on goal at that point, and Concord pushed the spread to 3-0 with 27:08 remaining.

Then it got wild.

Memorial’s Juan Gonzalez answered just 33 seconds after that 3-0 hole was created, and the Chargers (2-11-3) kept peppering the Minuteman defense the rest of the way.

Gonzalez notched another goal with 18:31 remaining to close the gap to 3-2, and with 8:25 left, teammate Henry Jimenez drilled a long shot that pinged off the goalpost.

“Once they got a goal it was like, ‘Oh, gosh, let’s not make a mistake,’” Concord coach Shawn McCuen said, “and then they got another and it really could’ve gone either way. I’m proud that my boys won the game. We fought, but we didn’t always fight right in that second half.”

“We raised the intensity up a few notches in the second half,” Charger coach Dan Sullivan said. “If we could put two of those halves together, it would make for much more productive soccer.”

David Diaz, a transfer this year from Memorial, had two of the Minutemen’s goals, while Drew Wysong assisted on two.



2A Elkhart Sectional

Semifinals

Central 3, Northridge 0

Goals

C — Isaias Morales (unassisted) 67th minute.

C — Elliott Miller (penalty kick) 76th.

C — Morales (Jose Jimenez) 80th.

Shots on goal: Central 12, Northridge 7. Saves: Central — Derek Mills 7; Northridge — Connor Hahn 9. Corners: Central 7, Northridge 3.

Records: Central 14-2-1, Northridge 8-8-2.

Concord 3, Memorial 2

Goals

C — David Diaz (Cristhian De La Paz assist) 9th minute.

C — Jared Long (Drew Wysong) 30th.

C — Diaz (Wysong) 53rd.

M — Juan Gonzalez (unassisted) 54th.

M — Gonzalez (unassisted) 62nd.

Shots on goal: Concord 10, Memorial 7. Saves: Concord — Sergio Ortiz 4; Memorial — William Macedo 6. Corners: Concord 8, Memorial 4.

Records: Concord 15-2-1, Memorial 2-11-3.

Next: Central vs. Concord Saturday in Elkhart Sectional championship at Memorial, 2 p.m.