Coach Juan Maldonado said CKU had only 17 players travel for the Round of 16, then endured additional adversity after an early red card. The team battled through heat exhaustion and played with 10 men for more than 60 minutes to secure the win that Maldonado framed as the defining result of the club’s season so far. CKU is preparing to face West Texas Rush in the quarterfinals, with the club expecting to be closer to full strength for that matchup.
The quarterfinal is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25, in Abilene, Texas. Fans can watch the game together at a watch party hosted by The District Eat and Play at the Central Mall, beginning at 6 p.m., and CKU has also launched a GoFundMe to help offset travel expenses as it continues its historic tournament run, as covered by NewsRadio 1150 KSAL.