Jose Armando Hernandez scores twice to lead Mustangs to 5-0
victory
Gilroy
Following their 1-0 win over San Benito on Dec. 13, in a game where the winning goal came in the 77th minute, the Gilroy boys soccer team switched their formation from a 3-4-3 to a more defensive-minded 3-5-2.
Oddly enough, the approach has recently netted the Mustangs eight goals in their last two games, including a 5-0 victory over San Benito Saturday at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex in Gilroy.
“It’s more defensive, but we’ve been able to get more shots on goal,” coach Armando Padilla said of the 3-5-2 formation. “Also, this past week our theme in practice has been attacking the ball … attacking the ball inside the 18 and it definitely paid dividends this past week.”
San Benito coach Ben Alvarez said he would have been fine if the 1-0 halftime deficit lasted until the end of regulation. But the Mustangs pocketed four goals in the second half, including three in a five-minute span, and continually attacked the ‘Baler defense.
“There is a reason why this team is ranked third in the Central Coast Section,” Alvarez said of No. 3 Gilroy. “All I wanted to do was put in a good show, which they did in the first half. I thought they played outstanding (in the first half).
“But my defense in the second half never showed up. Two goals were wide open – the players were unmarked. That’s what we are learning from.”
Alvarez said that his half-backs and his defense tended to collapse in the middle of the field during the second half, leaving Gilroy the outside area to work with.
“And they created plays on the outside,” Alvarez said.
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when Jose Armando Hernandez deposited a score from Jorge Sanchez.
In the second half, though, Gilroy blew the game open with three straight goals at the 52nd, 56th and 57th minute of play.
At the 52nd minute, Sanchez picked up his second assist when his crossing pass from the left side found Anthony Velasquez directly in front of the net. Velasquez then punched it in to give the Mustangs a 2-nil lead.
Four minutes later, Hernandez scored his second goal of the game after he fired a bullet from 20 yards out. The ball bonked off the crossbar and then off San Benito keeper Edgar Fernandez, who had laid out to make a diving save. Bruce Ocana assisted on the goal.
“We played more attacking,” Hernandez said. “We’re relaxed on the field. We’re having fun … We let the ball do the work.”
The Mustangs scored one minute later when Ocana connected off an Andy Moya pass, and made the game quite comfortable for third-ranked Gilroy.
Mustang Edgar Hernandez made it 5-0 with a last-minute goal in the 79th minute off an assist from Oscar Zuniga.
Gilroy (12-3-5, 5-0-3 TCAL) will play at Palma next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. San Benito (4-7-2, 2-6 TCAL) will host Everett Alvarez on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
