Co-operative 2, Christian Learning 0
Jaguars beat Eagles, sew up first
Sung Chan Jang
Christian Learning Center
On a cool, sunny afternoon, the Cooperative varsity girls soccer team scored two goals in the second half to defeat Christian Learning and secure clear title to first place.
If Christian Learning had won, and beaten Cambridge when it played that team in a make-up game next week, the Eagles would have taken first place.
Clearly more comfortable on their home field than they had been playing at Christian Learning, the Jaguars seemed to be playing at their best, passing and kicking with enthusiasm. At several points during the game the Jaguars made perfect passes that almost lead to goals.
However, it could have been a scoreless game except for two miscues by the Eagles goalie.
The first was a close matter on several counts. The Eagle goalie made a risky decision in the middle of the second half to go out and try to beat Co-operative star Tania Landivar to the ball. However, Landivar got there first and was able to send a slow, bouncing pass dribbling across the mouth of the now unprotected goal.
At this point a new race was on, between Jaguar wing Fernanda Vaca Diez and Eagle sweeper Jennifer Lau, two of the fastest players on the field, coming in full tilt on a collision course from opposite sides of the field.
Vaca Diez won this race by a split second, and in quick succession knocked the ball -- and Lau -- into the goal.
While overall the Jaguars had more near misses on scoring opportunities than the Eagles, Christian Learning forward Roxy Jien did get a golden chance to tie the game at 1-1. She maneuvered past several defenders and was one-on-one with Jaguar goalie Nataly Noquer, who rushed out to meet her.
This time the tactic worked, and Noquer was able to snuff the shot, hold the ball, and preserve her shutout.
The Jaguars then got an insurance goal on another bad break for the Eagles. Jaguar Darinka Matkovic unleashed a wicked shot from about 30 meters out. The goalie fielded the ball but bobbled it so that it went through her legs and into the goal.
The Eagles had made an adjustment at the beginning of the game that changed the dynamics of the confrontation between the two teams. To stop the Jaguars fleet forwards, who had made several breakaway runs on the goal in the first game between the Eagles and Jaguars, the Eagles moved Lau, usually a midfielder and a frequent goal-maker, to sweeper.
The tactic worked in the first half. There were no clear breakaways, and the Eagle defense was able to play farther forward, which resulted in several offsides penalties being whistled against the Jaguars. Moreover, on at least one occasion Lau was able to race over and adroitly strip the ball from a Jaguar forward headed for the goal. However, with Lau playing back on defense, the Eagle offense, which had seemed at times to be the most potent in the league this year, seemed to lack the quickness it needed to punch through and score against the faster Jaguars
