Jaguars squeeze past Griffins to win championship
By Lucia Landivar
The Cooperative Jaguar boys soccer team won the Interscholastic League tournament over the International Griffins for the second year in a row Thursday before a good-sized crowd of spectators from both schools on the Jaguar field..
The game almost couldn't have been more thrilling, and was decided by a penalty shot in the final seconds of the game.
Players from both teams seemed very nervous and anxious for the game to start. Both teams had been long time rivals throughout Interscholastic League history, often fighting for the championship title. Spectators were excited as well,for the game to start and screaming Jaguar and Griffin chants. When both teams gathered in circles right before the game, and shouted their school’s name, the battle was on.
The first half of the game started out aggressive play by both sides. Both teams had their mindsets focused in the game; people could tell the teams were in it to win it. The soccer ball was constantly in the air, from one side of the field to the other. During the first minutes of the game, Jaguar Juan Carlos Laguna managed to strike the ball goalwards by kicking the ball backwards while in the air, a move called “chinelita” that Laguna had worked hard to master. While artistic, the effort ended with the ball securely in the hands of the Griffin goalkeeper Santiago Maldonado.
After a few minutes, Griffin Gary Suarez crossed straight through Jaguar defense and shot the ball into Jaguar goal. The Jaguars were devastated and disappointed, while Griffin players and spectators screamed and hugged each other with delight. The Griffins led 1-0. It was the first time this season the Jaguars had been behind.
JuanSe Velasco from the Griffins side kicked a ball with great force straight into the goal, but Jaguar defender Hyun Kim stepped in front of it and the ball bounced straight off his chest. International was seemed to be constantly on the offense, attacking every chance they got, while Cooperative seemed to be scared of attacking, and stayed in a defensive posture for most of the first half.
Laguna managed to score a goal for Cooperative after the ball bounced off Velasco’s head, and confused International’s goalie. Laguna took that opportunity to strike the ball into International’s goal. The score was 1-1 tied, and tension filled the air. Esteban Suarez from Jaguar defense and Gary Suarez from Griffin offense tangled several times, building the tension further.
They constantly clashed and fought for the ball like two bulls. Nicolas “Coco” Cronembold of the Jaguars was just recovering from an ankle injury, and got hit in the same ankle by a Griffin player. Cooperative’s coach Nicolaas Mostert rushed to aid Cronembold. Luckily, after a few minutes of hopping on one leg, Coco was able to shake the pain off and continue playing.
The first half ended with passes back and forth from one end of the field to the other.
The second half started out with an aggressive approach by Cooperative, and an apparent goal by Laguna after the ball bounced off the International goalie got the Jaguar crowd pumped up, but the goal was annulled by an offside call. The Jaguars thought for sure they were taking the lead a fewminutes laters when Milan Marinkovic danced his way through the Griffin defense, and fired a shot at the goal, but it bounced off the post.
The tables had clearly turned. The Griffins seemed to lose faith in themselves, and it was they who were no constantly on the defense. The Jaguars were feeling much more comfortable, and were now attacking most of the time.
But the Griffins still had their chances. Griffins Gary Suarez and Francisco Gonzalez double-teamed Jaguar defender Manuel Saavedra, and took the ball from him deep in the Jaguar end. However, their shot – it was hard to tell who took it -- missed.
Cooperative’s Josue Abuawad then brought the ball from the Jaguar side to the Griffins goal, where he clashed into Cooperative’s goalie Santiago Maldonado. Abuawad rolled on top of him, missing his chance to score.
It looked like the championship game was headed for a penalty shootout, but the tie was finally broken on a penalty shot by Laguna seconds before the whistle blew to end the match.
Jaguar players and spectators ran into the field screaming and hugging each other, concluding the game with Jaguar victory chants and handshakes between both teams.Eagles Defy Knights for 3rd Place
By Jesse Mann, SCCLC
The Eagles came out on top Thursday with one goal against the Knights in a fierce combat for the coveted third place boys varsity soccer medal. The match initially resembled nothing more than a precision passing contest, with most of the action in the first half taking place midfield in a back and forth battle for possession. The Knights managed only a couple attempts on the SCCLC net, none successful, matched by a few weak shots by the Eagles which were easily scooped up by Juan Carlos Paniagua, the Knights’ goalie. Both teams stepped up their game play in the second half, resulting in a heated, heart-pounding match. Cambridge Cambridge
