Jaguars tamed for a while, but go wild, win 4-0
By Ximena Fagan
The Cooperative girls varsity soccer team ended the season with a hard-fought 4-0 victory over the International Griffins on their home field.
The victory kept alive an undefeated streak that goes back to 2007, and an unbroken chain of championships going back to the start of the League in 2005. A big crowd of spectators with lots of spirit from both schools was on hand for the game.
The first half was scoreless, which represented something of as moral victory for the Griffins since the Jaguars had not been held scoreless for an entire half all season. Moreover, both teams came close to scoring. The Griffins were stopped only by some very aggressive play by Jaguar goalkeeper Karla Aguilera, who on several occasions came way outside the penalty box to meet Griffin players who had broken away, and to take the ball away from them.
This is not to say the Jaguars didn’t have their chances. At one point Tania Landivar had the ball about three meters from the goal with only Griffin goalie Beatriz Nallar between her and a goal. Landivar tried to chip it up over Nallar, but the ball hit the crossbar and caromed out of bounds behind the goal. And Rivero got loose for a clear shot on goal, but missed right, and finally Fernanda Vaca Diez fired another upward shot from close range that hit the cross bar and went out of bounds.
This was one of the toughest games either team had played because of the energy and effort both were putting into this effort towing the championship. Both the Jaguars and the Griffins had started to get very keyed up when the first half ended.
The second half was when the game reached its most intense level. The Griffins made a terrific attempt to score but the Cooperative goalie, Aguilera, managed to get a hold of the ball.
The first goal was scored by the Jaguar Vaca Diez. SCCS was putting on all the pressure it could, moving its entire defense across the midfield line. Vaca Diez dribbled the ball in from her position on the left wing and drilled the ball into the far side of the goal.
After that the Jaguar goals seemed to come non-stop, the second goal was scored by Tania Landivar, who was set up by a great crossing pass by Vaca Diez.
Nallar stopped the next several shots, but then Giovanna Varalta, charging through like a halfback in American football receiving a handoff, stormed through to make it 3-0.
Varalta got another chance on a breakaway in the final seconds of the game, and made the score 4-0 for the Jaguars.
After game ended the Champions threw the big yellow bucket of ice water on top of the Coach, Rolando Cabrera.
Eagle Girls Triumph 4-1 In Consolation Game
By Larissa M. Dagnoni
Eagle Girls Triumph 4-1 In Consolation Game
By Larissa M. Dagnoni
Christian Learning girls varsity soccer team defeated Cambridge Thursday afternoon 4-1 in the consolation game of the League playoffs, winning the medals for third place in the League. The game was played at Cooperative.
The game started with the Eagles attacking and working the ball well, their only aim clearly to get the ball into the Knights goal, and after ten minutes Eagle Abby Phillips scored the first goal of the game, with a great right-footed kick from inside the penalty box. A big cheer went up from the largely pro-Eagle crowd, celebrating the goal that put the Eagle team in the lead 1-0. .
The sun was extremely hot, but the Knights players did not seem bothered and kept running and battling to score an equalizing goal, and tie the game up, but the Cambridge attack wasn’t strong enough to pass by the Eagle defense. When Knight player Vanesa Flores finally got a shot on goal, she missed.
Eagle players Mariela Salinas and Phillips had a great way of working and passing the ball with each other, their speed and control of the ball was all it took for Salinas to score the second goal for the team.
By then the Cambridge team was looking downcast, and the Eagle team was confident about winning. The first half ended with both teams worn out, and every player running to get a drink of water.
When the second half started the Knights came back with more attitude, but soon it became clear that the heat was slowing down both teams, and there was not a whole lot of action for a while..
But then Nadia Rocco, after playing the entire game mostly just chasing after the ball, took control of the ball and brought it in close to the Eagle goal. Rocco, who has been sidelined by a back injury, passed the ball neatly to teammate Yañez who scored the first goal for the Cambridge team.
But the Cambridge euphoria was short-lived. The goal seemed to energize both teams, and quite quickly Abby Phillips scored her second goal giving Christian Learning back its two-goal lead 3-1.
By now the game was almost over, and the Eagle team was looking happy for the 3 goals they had on the score board. Then suddenly Phillips seemed to swoop in out of nowhere and score the Eagles fourth goal.
During the Award Ceremony the MVP awards were won by Cambridge player Manuela Yañez and Alejandra Abastoflor, and by Eagle players Mariela Salinas and Abby Phillips.
