GILROY—Christopher and Live Oak got one last game in before breaking for the holidays and they made it count.
The two teams went to battle in a chippy contest that ended with the Acorns on top 1-0 Friday at Christopher High.
“It was a great game. We came here expecting a tough fight and all I said to the kids is go out there and have fun,” Live Oak coach Ben Alvarez said. “Whatever happens, happens. … All I can say is that it was a great game—great team by the way—a really great game. It was a well-fought game, a physical game, but they stuck with it. I’m very happy.”
The Acorns’ lone goal came in the 16th minute off the head of Giovanni Amador, who deflected Yiovanni Alvarez’s corner kick for the score.
“I wasn’t really planning on scoring,” Amador said. “I was just in the box and I was walking away, trying to draw the defender out. When I saw our player lift his hands to kick the corner, I ran near post and I guess that’s when it went in.”
Amador had a chance just moments earlier, but Christopher goalie Carlos Arroyo got both hands on it for a beautiful block. Unfortunately for Arroyo, he was out of his box and was given a yellow card because of it.
That didn’t slow the Cougars down though and they cranked up their intensity on offense for the final 10 minutes of the half. Erik Velasques blasted a shot from 20 yards out in the 34th minute that bounced off a slew of Christopher players in front of the net before falling into the Live Oak goalie’s hands.
Arroyo had to work just as hard on the other end of the field as Yiovanni Alvarez had back-to-back shots on goal in the 35th minute. Arroyo dove to stop the first and then sprung back up to make a leaping save on the second.
“Our defense was containing their fast forwards—they had very fast forwards—and we were containing them,” Christopher coach Ricardo Espinosa said. “Their only goal came from a mistake where we didn’t track a guy and he got a free header. That was a mistake by us. Beyond that, we kept everybody at bay.”
Both teams traded shots in the second, but neither could find the back of the net. Chase Vandenbrandhorninge kept Arroyo busy with shots in the 42nd and 66th minutes. The latter came from around the 30-yard-line and looked as if it would sail right over the Cougar keeper’s head, but he jumped up at the last second to get a hand on it and knock it out. Arroyo finished with 10 saves in the game.
“The pressure (was working for us),” the Acorns coach said. “I felt that fitness wise we had it all. We tried to maintain it on top. It worked for us. That’s not always the case, but it worked this time. From now on, that’s exactly what we do every game.”
Christopher’s Tiago Costa looked to have the equalizer in the 44th minute, but the Acorn goalie scooped it up. Giovanni Adame took a shot in the 59th which left Cougar fans holding their breath, only to have it fall just shy of the net.
“We actually did pretty good on possession, but had obviously issues in the top third to get a chance to score,” Espinosa said. “We have to be able to get back to make the passes that create those opportunities and those run that create those opportunities up top. Otherwise, we’re just going to give away a silly goal like that and lose.”
Live Oak (3-1-1) will be back in action at 10 a.m. Jan. 3 to host Valley Christian.
Christopher (2-3) will next play against Pajaro Valley at 5:45 Jan. 6 at home to open league play.
“We just couldn’t score,” Espinosa said. “These next weeks before the first (league) game we’re going to get back to scoring ways.”
