Sobrato encouraged by young team’s early season showing
By Chris Wolfe Special To the Times
Morgan Hill – The Sobrato Bulldogs boys’ soccer team kicked-off Tri-County Athletic League play Thursday afternoon against the Salinas Cowboys on the Bulldogs’ turf in a tenacious back-and-forth battle that ended in a 1-1 tie.
The first varsity league game in Sobrato’s short history, the contest proved that the young team is prepared to contend in the TCAL.
As soon as the ball hit the turf the Bulldogs were bearing down on the Salinas goal, keeping pressure on the Cowboys with strong mid-field play and excellent ball control.
The fundamentals paid off when a sprint by forward Murillo Almeida took him to the edge of the penalty box with control of the ball and only the Salinas goalkeeper to beat. But just as a Bulldogs’ score seemed imminent, Almeida was tackled from behind.
The penalty drew a yellow card and a free kick for the Bulldogs. The ensuing kick from outside the box sailed over the Salinas defenders, but also missed the goal.
If the missed offensive opportunity weighed on Bulldogs’ hopes, the defensive core of Sam Stoner, Eugene Richardson, and Christopher Sergent didn’t let it show, as repeated Cowboys’ attempts to pressure the Sobrato goal were repelled by a strong showing from each.
As the Bulldogs’ defense held the Cowboys assault at bay, mid-fielder Victor Iracheta sat ready to feed the ball forward and make an attempt on the Salinas goal.
Twenty minutes into the game, opportunity and preparation collided head-on, as Iracheta led a sprinting Sobrato team down-field. Two Salinas defenders met his charge near the goal, almost forcing the ball out of bounds, but Bulldogs’ forward Christian Swanson hustled to keep the ball in play. Swanson’s hustle paid-off immediately, as Murillo Almeida struck from the left and scored without breaking his stride, giving the Bulldogs a one goal lead as the first half ended.
The second half opened with a punishing Cowboys’ push. If the Bulldogs had controlled the field in the opening minutes, they now found themselves deep in their own territory, with several shots being fired just wide of their goal.
As Bulldogs head coach Ricardo Martinez said after the game, goalkeeper Trevor Newcomb “came up big.” Several times in the second half, Newcomb made diving saves that maintained the Bulldogs’ lead.
But where heroic goalkeeping and swarming defense held, an almost impossible kick from the corner would prove the Bulldogs’ undoing.
Poised to defend against an inbound pass, the Bulldogs could do nothing as the ball curved from the corner and landed in the only section of goal left unguarded, tying the game at 1-1.
Neither offense could break through for the rest of the game and as time ran out all the Bulldogs could do was look forward.
“We came out strong,” said coach Martinez. “We maintained possession, and controlled the ball, which is what we wanted to do.”
Aside from their one mistake, the Bulldogs looked strong.
“It’s too bad we couldn’t get the win,” said Almeida, who scored the Bulldogs’ lone goal, “but we’re always getting better.”
Next week the team has a break from competition, but will continue to work on improving their technical skills and shooting from outside the box. Featuring a roster devoid of seniors, the Bulldogs are looking to continue improving as the season progresses.
