THE AMAZING FLYING AVILA -- Jaguar goalie Camilo Avila making one of his incredible saves against Griffin Lucas de Coulon. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative Jaguars lead Griffins all the way, triumph 3-1
The Cooperative boys junior varsity soccer team claimed the championship with a 3-1 victory over International Thursday on their home field, with a lot of the credit going to their goalie, Camilo Avila.
Avila stopped at least three certain goals with diving saves in the open field, and while International also had its share of defensive heroics, Jaguars Josue Abuawad, Rafael Sakuma, and Jorge Zankiz were able to get the ball into the net. Santiago Rosado scored for the Griffins.
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SETTLING A DIFFERENCE -- Jaguar Rafael Sakuma and Griffin Alejandro Saldaña have divergent ideas as to which way the ball should go. Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
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The game opened with the two teams launching reciprocating attacks that took the ball up and down the field with startling speed. The Jaguars broke the deadlock when the Griffin goalie gambled -- and lost -- by trying to come out and snatch the ball from an on-rushing Josue Abuawad. Abuawad evaded him and zipped the ball into the open net.
Avila kept the Jaguars in the lead with the first of his several fabulous saves as he matched strides with Griffin Javier Barron as the two raced across the mouth of the goal, then uncannily snared Barron's shot with a flying leap.
Jaguar captain Rafael Sakuma then moved the score to 2-0. Racing in with the ball from the side of the goal he uncorked a low line drive into the opposite side of the goal.
Avila then made another astonishing save, this time off a hard kick by Jose Eduardo Coloma that seemed to have goal written all over it until Avila grabbed it.
The half ended with the Jaguars ahead 2-0.
The Griffins pulled to within a single goal 2-1 when Rosado made good on a penalty shot. He had been knocked down from behind in the penalty area as he tried to drive along to end line toward the goal.
Rosado had a chance to even the score as he broke free in front of the goal moments later, but Avila almost magically snatched the ball out from under his feet.
The Jaguars got their third goal by completing three long passes that got the ball to Jorge Zankiz close to the goal, who put it in the net.
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HAIL TO THE VICTORS -- Jaguars celebrate their victory.
Carlos Paredes, Cooperative
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The line-up for the champion Jaguars: Avila, Alejandro Rojas, Reinalso Chavez, Leo Landivar, Sakuma, Jorge Zankiz, Jose David Sanchez, Abuawad, Bruno Alvarenga, Jose Mario Salvatierra, Sebastian Zankiz, Ezekiel Chavez, Cho Jang Ho, Stefano de Rosmini, Fernando Antelo, Richard Salvatierra, Gabriel Romero, and Daniel Velasco. The coach is Orlando Taja.
For the Griffins: Joaquin Wray, Claudio Santos, Walter Sandy, Felipe Rios, Santiago Rosado, Alejandro Saldaña, Esteban Justiniano, Lucas de Coulon, Javier Barron, Diego Aramayo, Samir Nostas, Shane Maughan, Javier Garcia, Hans Hartman, Daniel Hanley, Joachim Blasco, Jakob Hlodversson, Jose Eduardo Coloma. The coach is Eduardo "Presi" de la Riva.
SPLASH PARTY -- Happy Jaguars administer ceremonial dunking to Coach Orlando Taja (figure in red, submerged). Jonatan Muñoz, International
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HERE HE COMES -- Winger Jose Ribera scored both goals for the Knights.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative
Knights edge Eagles 2-1 for third place
The Cambridge junior varsity boys soccer team narrowly defeated Christian Learning 2-1 in a consolation game played at Cooperative Thursday that was every bit as thrill-packed as the championship game that followed it.
The victory gave the Knights third place in the League, a spot they have occupied almost all season, but which they nearly lost in this playoff contest against a team that has not won this season.
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YOU GO YOUR WAY, AND ... -- Knight Jose Ribera tries to push past a determined Regan Janzen.
Julia Boldt, Cooperative
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The Little Eagles were on the board first when Gaston Waldman chipped a high shot that the leaping Cambridge goalie, Andres Hurtado, inadvertently slapped into his own goal.
Knight Jose Ribera tied the score when he got loose in front of the Eagle net and fired the ball past Eagle goalie Wesley Ordoñez.
In between the two scores, the two goalies took turns making impressive saves, as both teams had chances to score but failed to capitalize on them.
The half ended with the score still tied at 1-1.
As the second half began the two teams continued to compete on an even basis. Both were moving the ball downfield with facility, but neither could move in for a kill.
Cambridge may have begun to feel snakebit when they missed an open net several minutes into the second stanza, but they got another great chance when a shot from the side of the net spun away from a sprawling Ordoñez and curled across the front of the goal. Ribera found himself in the right place at the right time, and didn't miss.
The Eagles then put on the pressure, first forcing a corner kick, then sending a center pass across the front of the net that no Eagle could get to in time to convert. The action continued to be fast paced, with the ball ping-ponging up and down the field, giving both goalies multiple opportunities to handle the ball, and demonstrate their diving skills. But the game ended with the Knights ahead 2-1.
The line-up for the Knights was Hurtado, Gabriel Alonso, Ribera, Juan Carlos Paniagua, Diego Bejar, Nicolas Dagnoni, Daniel Kirigin, Adrian Gamarra, Ramiro Rodriguez, Samuel Zamora, Samuel Park, David Li Tan, Anthony Salvatierra, Mauricio Soto, and Leonardo Sanchez. The coaches are Carlos Euler and Karla Ross.
For the Eagles: Waldman, Haziel Martinez, Samuel Frith, Regan Janzen, Cesar Flores, Richard Enns, Andres Cruz, Josiah Canaviri, Ordoñez, Manfred Breede, Ryan Henderson, Luke Phillips, Micah Janzen, Hwa Pyung Lim, Jose Mercado, and Jordan Vandergwaag. The coach is Adam Morris.
