Jaguars beat Knights on late goal 1-0
The Cooperative boys junior varsity soccer team squeezed by Cambridge Thursday afternoon on the strength of a goal by Rafael Sakuma in the closing minutes.
The stage is now set for the championship game Thursday between Cooperative and International, who each won a game in their previous meetings this year. Cambridge will play Christian Learning in the consolation game for third place.
Cooperative had been on the attack through the entire game and had many more shots on goal but until Sakuma scored with about three minutes remaining Cambridge goalie Jose Ribera had met the challenge with intrepid positioning and sure-handed catches. Ribera was playing goal for the first time since the first game of the season, but "has been practicing" according to assistant coach Karla Ross.
His long punts were Cambridge's strongest offensive weapon. Indeed, they were almost too strong. Several times in the second half Cooperative goalkeeper Camilo Avila fielded Ribera punts that no other player had touched.
Cooperative had actually had its two best chances in the first half when two shots spanged off the crossbar, one by Manuel Navarro and the other by Josue Abuawad. Abuawad's shot hit the crossbar after being deflected off the forearms of a diving Ribera.
Cambridge had actually come within inches of scoring the game's first goal when Gabriel Alonso launched a high looping shot that Avila, suspended in mid-air as if preparing to do a back swan dive, slapped over the goal with the fingers of his outstretched right hand.
Sakuma's goal followed a melee in front of the Cambridge goal after a free kick. Ribera came out of the goal to his right to try to make a leaping grab for a bouncing ball, but it squirted off his fingertips. It bounced free and bounced for a long second or two in front of the now undefended net before Sakuma kicked it in.
The line-up for the victorious Jaguars was Avila, Alejandro Rosas, Reinaldo Chavez, Ezequiel Chavez, Leo Landivar, Sakuma, Jose David Sanchez, Abuawad, Jose Marco Salvatierra, Jorge Zaniz, Sebastian Zankiz, Navarro, Rodrigo Adriazola, Bruno Alvarenga, Fernando Antelo, Richard Salvatierra, Gabriel Romero, and Daniel Velasco.
For the Knights it was Rivero, Federico Rocco, Kevin Mendez, David Li Tan, Diego Bejar, Samuel Zamora, Juan Carlos Paniagua, Nicolas Dagnoni. Adrian Gamarra, Alonso, Kevin Pulis, Daniel Kirigin, Simon Moron, Leonardo Sanchez, Samuel Park, Ramiro Rodriguez, and Andres Hurtado.
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Griffins maintain mastery over Mini-Eagles
By Keith Wilcke
Christian Learning
On a balmy afternoon at the International School, the International boys junior varsity socdcer team won their way into the JV boys soccer finals with a 3-0 victory over Christian Learning.
The last time these two teams met, the Griffins slid by with a 1-0 win and the Eagles had hopes of coming away with a victory. Eagle coach Adam Morris even offered to shave his head if his team won, but he'll now get to keep his hair.
The Griffins actually spoiled Coach Morris' possible buzz-cut in the first few minutes when they exploited some Eagle defensive miscues on the flank and fired a nice cross into the middle. One Griffin attacker fanned on the ball as it crossed in front of the Eagle goal, and it appeared for a moment as if the Eagles would dodge the bullet, but Javier Barron followed up his teammate's miss with a nice hard shot that found the net.
The rest of the first half was played on a relatively even basis until just before half time. The Eagle defense failed to clear a bouncing ball after a Griffin corner kick and Santiago Rosado knocked it into the goal.
Samir Nostas put another nail in the Eagle coffin with a long shot immediately following the opening kick off of the second half that eluded Eagle goalkeeper Wesley Ordonez.
As the two teams brought on their younger substitutes in the second half, both squads had several scoring opportunities, but no one else could convert.
The Griffins now go to the championship game against Cooperative Thursday while the Eagles will now have to content themselves with a try for the bronze medal against Cambridge.
