Varsity Boys Soccer

Jaguars Win Knock-Out Against Griffins, 1-0
Story by Lucia Landivar, SCCS

Photo by Jonatan Muñoz.

      The Cooperative varsity boy soccer team won 1-0 against International at Cooperative Thursday afternoon in a game that was fiercely contested from beginning to end.

      The Jaguars scored their goal in the first half of the game, and the two teams continued to fight without scoring another goal throughout the rest of the match. Both teams were playing their first match against each other, and each wanted to get closer to the title of League Champions.

Photo by Jonatan Muñoz.

      There were no rays of sunlight passing through the gray and cloudy sky above the players. There was a little cold breeze, and some drizzle before and during the match that made the field (and ball) wet and slippery, but did not keep the Jaguar and Griffin fans home. There were several parents from both teams, and many student supporters.

     The two teams have been the biggest rivals and closely matched of recent Interscholastic League history. Many students call them the “Blooming and Oriente” of the League (after the biggest local rivals in soccer).”  The Jaguars won the championship last year against the Griffins, and since then, the Griffins have been working extra hard, ever since June, and with a new coach and a goal of defeating  their rivals.

     The Griffins and Jaguars both entered the field as bundles of nerves, full of energy and ready to give it their all to win it. The referee blew the whistle to start the game, and both teams started out strong and fast. Spectators could tell that both their teams were pushing themselves to their limits, desperate for a win.

      The Jaguars took the initiative in the game first, controlling the ball the most. Nicolas Cronembold took the first shot to the goal of the game for his Jaguar mates, but failed to score. Both teams were constantly attacking each other’s sides, but the goalies blocked shots with extreme precision.

      International goalie Santiago Maldonado kicked the ball all the way to the Cooperative goal at one point, only for the ball to be headed aside by Jaguar defender Sebastian Vedia, after which it was sent all the way back to Maldonado again.

     Cooperative’s Juan Carlos Laguna and International’s Javier Garcia tangled their feet while trying to gain control of the ball, and fell straight to the ground. On several occasions Griffins Eduardo Pantoja and Gary Suarez pushed the Jaguar’s defense to its limits, attacking fiercely at every chance they got.

      Laguna almost scored a goal on a rebound after the Cooperative’s goalie Eduardo Ribera grabbed a ball in the air multiple times. A header by Jaguar Jose Mozza popped nearly into the Griffin goal, but Maykol Villavicencio came to the Griffin’s rescue by kicking the ball more or less out of sight before it had a chance to enter the goal.

            Cooperative’s Cronembold and Laguna played on the left side of the field together, tangoing their way through the International players many times throughout the game. Esteban Sauto got close to the goal, seemingly ready to make a sure goal for the Jaguars, but Villavicencio interfered with the Jaguar plans again, appearing with extreme velocity and covering the ball inches from the goal.

            Despite all the excitement and close shots, the Jaguars scored the only goal of the match and won the duel 1-0.

Knights Overcome Eagles 1-0
Story by Jesse Mann, SCCLC

Cambridge managed to wrestle victory from the Eagles yesterday in a fierce power struggle on the soccer pitch. Both teams played hard and well, resulting in several heart – stopping moments. Although the Eagles were hurting in the midfield due to the absence of star player Luis Doi, they managed to keep the Cambridge defense on its toes, narrowly missing two headers early in the first half. The Knights countered several minutes later with a hard shot on the Eagle net, but the Eagles returned in kind with soon after by a shot that just cleared the Knight's crossbar. Other opportunities quickly presented themselves to both teams: Cambridge nearly scored when a shot on an empty Eagle net was deflected by a zealous defender and SCCLC forward Andre Larsen knocked the Knight's goalie over in a heated effort to tip the ball into the Cambridge net. Despite these and other close goal attempts, the first half remained scoreless.

The second half opened with a vicious offensive attack by the Knights, climaxing in a hard shot that slipped through Eagle goalie Wesley Ordonez's arms only to be booted away by an Eagle defender. Cambridge finally got their chance a few minutes later, and this time they could not be denied. A missed goalie kick by Ordonez sent the ball directly downfield to Knight Herless Diaz, who immediately scooped it up and deposited it in the corner of the Eagle net. For the remainder of the second half the Eagles desperately sought a goal to tie the score, coming close on several occasions. With only a few minutes remaining in the game, the Eagles were awarded a penalty kick after a Knight hand-ball in the goalie box. Andre Larsen stepped forward to take the kick. With excitement on both sides rising to a fevered pitch, Larsen sent the ball flying just over the Knight's crossbar. A few short minutes later the final whistle sounded, concluding a game filled with exciting moments and near misses on both sides.