Gilroy can’t capitalize on late penalty kick as rivals battle to
1-1 tie
Gilroy – San Benito goalkeeper Daniel Lozano made the right guess and his save on a late penalty kick helped the Haybalers preserve a 1-1 tie against Gilroy on Friday at Garcia-Elder Complex.
“I thought I was ready, I felt prepared. You’ve just got to take a guess,” said Lozano of his 68th minute save of a Edgar Hernandez penalty kick, where he made a headlong dive to his right to block the shot.
“It was a good shot, (Lozano) just made a phenomenal save,” Gilroy coach Brian Hall said. “That could’ve turned the game around. The keeper just read it perfectly. He was probably the star of the game.”
Most of the first half was played in the middle of the field, with very few offensive threats.
The Mustangs (4-1-2, 0-0-2 Tri-County Athletic League) had a good chance to take the initial lead in the 30th minute when Jose “Tapon” Velasquez knocked a header off the post and the rebound went to Randy Moya and his header sailed high.
San Benito (1-5-2, 0-1-1) then gained the upper hand in the final minute of the half. Oscar Lostanau fired a shot from the corner that was knocked out in front of the goal by Gilroy goalkeeper Jairo Rodriguez Avalos. The ‘Balers Gilberto Lizarraga got his foot on the ball and directed it past the keeper for a 1-0 lead, which San Benito took into halftime.
Gilroy again looked as if it would find the back of the net in the 51st minute.
A free kick by the Mustangs’ Humberto Pineda was deflected by Lozano. With Lozano out of the net, Hernandez attempted a head, but San Benito’s Christian Mercado got a head on the ball to negate the threat.
Seven minutes later, Gilroy finally found paydirt when sophomore midfielder Bruce Ocana knocked home a rebound for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
The Mustangs had their golden opportunity on the penalty kick 10 minutes later, but when that failed the ‘Balers were able to battle to the surprise draw.
“I knew they were fast, I knew they were dangerous,” San Benito coach Juan Carlos Martinez said of Gilroy. “If they get the ball, they put it in the net. All of our defense played awesome. … This is a motivation because we know Gilroy is a rival. If we keep playing like this, we can beat anybody.”
For Gilroy, the stories was missed opportunities. Besides the unsuccessful penalty kick, the Mustangs had a goal disallowed for the third time in the past two games – this time due to an offsides call.
“This was a game where I think possession and domination didn’t lead to victory,” Hall said. “(San Benito) was in the right place at the right time.”
Hall praised the play of Velasquez, his senior forward and captain who continually controlled the ball and set up several scoring opportunities.
“He was a big bright spot,” Hall said. “This was the first game this season that he really showed up.”
Velasquez said that for the team to get over the hump and start winning games in league play, it will need to start the game with more emotion.
“We just have to continue the energy from warm-ups to the game,” he said. “When the game starts, everyone just shuts down. We have to all show up.”
Gilroy quickly returns to action when it hosts Pajaro Valley at 7pm today in the Homestead Cup.
