The Live Oak High and Sobrato High boys soccer teams are both confident they’ll be stronger in the second half of the Blossom Valley League West Valley Division season. The Acorns were 1-1-5 and the Bulldogs 1-4-2 in league after the two squads played to a 1-1 draw on Jan. 22.
It was a great result for Sobrato, which played with a man down after standout striker Arinze Okafor went off for a red card around the 25-minute mark.
“It was a better game for them than it was for us,” Acorns coach David Hernandez said. “My boys struggled to say the least. Sobrato played an outstanding game, and they had a good game plan coming in. But when they lost one of their best players, we should expect more out of ourselves.”
Even though the Acorns didn’t take advantage of being a man up, Hernandez feels his team is headed in the right direction. Live Oak has played the three teams ahead of it in the league standings to draws, and now it’s a matter of getting over the hump. That is the same story with Sobrato, which struggled mightily in the early going only to turn things up a notch lately, including a 3-1 win over Silver Creek last week.
“The team is very motivated and united right now,” said Bulldogs coach Mario Araujo, who said assistant coach Jeff Brown has been integral in the team’s turnaround. “They can see the improvement coming every single game. The players are starting to believe in the excellent team we have.”
In Monday’s draw, Okafor scored in the 20th minute before Live Oak’s Luis Olivera got the equalizer in the 65th minute. Okafor, a senior striker, took on two defenders down the left wing before cutting in and gaining separation near the left edge of the 18-yard box. He then drilled a shot into the opposite upper corner for a score.
“It was an amazing goal,” Araujo said. “No keeper would’ve gotten that shot.”
Not even Live Oak sophomore 6-foot-4 goalkeeper Andres Rosales, whom Hernandez calls the team’s MVP and an absolute game-changer.
“He made a ton of stops, especially in the last three minutes,” Hernandez said. “He came up with some huge saves to preserve the tie. Andres is fearless, stands tall in box and comes out on 1 on 1s. He’s long, very tall and gets all the high balls. He makes all the plays.”
Sobrato also has a pretty dynamic goalkeeper in senior Evan Martinez, who possesses tremendous reflexes, communicates well with defenders and comes off his line to snag a lot of 50-50 balls from opposing players.
“Evan was the keeper of the year (in our division) last year,” Araujo said.
In addition to Rosales, the Acorns have been paced by the play of Caleb Ojeda, Christian Guary, Andrew Diaz and Olivera. Ojeda, a freshman forward, and Guary, a senior forward, form a dynamic duo up top.
“Caleb and Christian both have outstanding speed and shots,” Hernandez said. “Both are excellent with the ball, Christian’s speed is second to none, and Caleb plays a real physical game.”
Hernandez said Diaz, a senior who can play any position on the field and often does, is “probably our most inspirational and best player on the team.” Diaz is always willing to do whatever is best for the team. Usually a midfielder, Diaz played defender against Live Oak.
“Wherever we’re feeling vulnerable, Andrew will go and play there,” Hernandez said. “He’s always around the ball, and the ball always seems to find him at the right spot.”
Olivera is another player who can play multiple positions. The senior played in the midfield against Sobrato, and his goal came after he knifed through the defense. The Acorns haven’t had their full 20-man roster all season, as they have battled numerous injuries throughout.
“We’ve played a lot of games with 10 to 11 kids due to injury,” Hernandez said. “But we’re hoping to turn the corner with our health and the results that would follow. We’re optimistic we can make that second-half charge.”
And so are the Bulldogs, who have a longer hill to climb up the league standings compared to their crosstown rivals. Araujo said the team has had to deal with two forfeit losses in the early part of the league schedule, and they’ve been climbing the proverbial mountain ever since.
However, Araujo expressed confidence the team is about to turn the corner. Led by Martinez, Okafor, Max Brown and Dylan Gallipeo, the Bulldogs could be primed for a strong finish. Okafor blends physical tenacity with the ability to make plays on a moment’s notice.
“Arinze is really strong and big, and any time he goes in the air, he’s going to win that ball,” Araujo said. “He’s very aggressive, but he’s not dirty. “
Brown, a center midfielder, has great touch, terrific dribbling skills, is strong on the ball and delivers through balls that can knife through defenses. Gallipeo, a sophomore, is the team’s utility, able to play multiple positions.
“We call him our universal player,” Araujo said. “Any place where we need to fill a hole, he can do it. He’s an amazing player, has speed and knows exactly where to go on the field to put himself in a great position for himself or his teammates.”
