Hernandez scores go-ahead goal in 3-1 win over North Salinas;
Rivalry game against Live Oak set for Thursday
GILROY – With Thursday’s anticipated ‘Classico’ match against neighboring rival Live Oak only two days away, it would have been easy for the Gilroy High boys soccer team to overlook a physical North Salinas squad.
They didn’t.
Although they did not look anywhere near their best, the Mustang kickers eventually put away the feisty Vikings in the second half of Tuesday’s 3-1 home victory.
“We just kinda played bad. We didn’t play as a team. That’s what brought us down. We didn’t put away the chances we had,” said senior striker Javier Hernandez, who scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick and assisted on Gilroy’s opening goal. “It was just us. We didn’t do what we had to do. We didn’t move the ball. We just forced the balls.”
Hernandez, the reigning league MVP, played in last season’s 2-1 home loss and scoreless tie against Live Oak – which then went on to win the T-CAL title. But the seasoned veteran never looks ahead. He plays it one game at a time.
“I don’t know when we play them. I’m not worried about them,” said Hernandez, sporting his new Mo-hawk hair style who was then notified the game was later this week. “It’s on Thursday. I didn’t even know that.”
“We have to get ready,” he added. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be a challenge. I’m not expecting a win. Hopefully, we go out there and play our game and whatever happens, happens.”
Gilroy (13-0-4 overall, 4-0 in T-CAL) will travel to Morgan Hill to take on the host Acorns (8-4-2, 1-0-2) on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the first of two clashes, which are sure to determine the league championship again.
“We’re playing on their field the first game, which is a lot bigger than what we’re playing on here. We’re going to have to adjust our style a little bit to play winning soccer on their field,” Coach Brian Hall said. “In soccer, they call it the ‘Classico.’ That’s the big game between the two big rivals. If we come out and play the way we did today, we’re going to come away with a big ‘L’ opposed to a big ‘W’ or a tie.”
The Mustangs had a score to settle with the Vikings first, after tying them last season, and they were off to a strong start when Hernandez chased down a through ball from junior Alfonso Motagalvan and crossed it onto the foot of senior Jorge Plata – who scored 30 seconds in.
“Thirty seconds in, we’re ahead 1-0 and again within 10 minutes of that we could have had three more goals. We didn’t finish,” Hall said. “This team was high pressure, very aggressive. When you don’t finish your chances against a team like that, it really keeps the momentum going. … Luckily, we were able to survive and make something of it.”
North Salinas (4-6-1, 1-3) netted the equalizer in the first half and the teams went into the break knotted at 1-1. Both sides had chances to take the lead in the opening half, but neither could capitalize.
“I think we had them sufficiently focused. It was just a total lack of execution today,” Hall said. “Everything we’ve been practicing and everything we did before the game, they didn’t do. And usually also they’re very good at halftime of adjusting and today they didn’t change it.”
With the action shifting up and down the field, the Mustangs finally took the lead midway though the second half. Hernandez forced a foul inside the penalty box and, after a discussion between referees, was given a penalty kick. Hernandez pinned the right corner to give Gilroy a 2-1 edge.
The Vikings threatened for another equalizer, but before they could find the back of the net, Motagalvan pushed the Mustangs ahead by two. Junior Everardo Diaz de Leon generated the goal, juking a couple of defenders, dribbling up the end-line, and dishing to Motagalvan for an easy strike.
“I thought he was going to put it in. I give it to him. That was a nice pass,” said Motagalvan, who wants revenge against Live Oak next. “These guys were one of the problems, but we solved them. … Now, it’s our year. We’ve got everybody. We’ve got the team. We’ve got the coaches.”
The Mustangs are ranked second in the Central Coast Section behind frontrunner Watsonville, which defeated them on penalty kicks in the Homestead Christmas Cup Finals, and Live Oak is in the section’s top 20.
“We weren’t at our best and we win. I guess good teams always find a way to win no matter what the circumstances are. But it’s not a good game going into Thursday’s match-up against Live Oak,” Hall said. “Again, it’s going to come down to the team’s maturity and the leadership that we have on the team. Do they want to make a difference?”
