GHS boys soccer ends Acorn curse with 3-1 victory in Live
Oak
MORGAN HILL – Despite being the second ranked team in the section, the Mustang kickers still were the underdogs going into Thursday’s rivalry match-up against defending league champion Live Oak, which beat and tied them last season.
It sure looked that way immediately following the first touch, as the Acorns controlled the tempo right away and took a 1-0 lead 10 minutes in on sophomore Garrett Frechett’s blast.
“We’re the No. 2 ranked team in CCS, but still Live Oak is the rival and the team to beat,” Coach Armando Padilla said. “They are last year’s reigning T-CAL Champions, so although we have the No. 2 CCS ranking, these guys, as far as league is concerned, that’s the team to beat, not us.”
The Mustangs quickly regained their composure after giving up the opening goal to Live Oak, and sophomore sweeper Artemio Arteaga netted the equalizer four minutes later.
“I think the big thing is automatically it takes the air out of their sails. It really changed the whole momentum of the game,” Coach Brian Hall said. “Now it gives us the confidence that even though we gave a goal up we can get something.”
Two penalty kicks, one for each side, was the difference in the second half. Senior Jorge Plata made his to give Gilroy a 2-1 lead, while Live Oak sophomore Anthony Avalos dinged the post. Then, junior Alfonso Motagalvan sealed the thrilling 3-1 victory with a late strike.
“We wanted it so much. Yesterday I was nervous thinking of this game, but now that we’re here and we beat them I’m more comfortable. They’re good,” Plata said. “We’re like the underdogs. We come up when they don’t expect it so if we have a small chance, we take it.”
The Mustangs’ sweetest goal was their first, as Arteaga sprinted from deep in his own zone, passing off to his teammates, but continuing to hustle up field, and eventually getting the ball back and finding the back of the net.
“That was one of the nicest goals all season,” Hall said. “Artemio, who gave them a gift the first goal, comes down, started on his own 18, won the ball, passed a couple, made a continued run. His intensity and his desire to make up for it (earned him the equalizer).”
The side of the soccer field at Live Oak High was lined up and down with loyal fans, supporting both teams as they watched two of the T-CAL’s best go at it in the first of two meetings.
“It was hyped up. They’re our rivals,” said sophomore goaltender Brian Velasquez. “We knew we had to beat them. We just can’t play easy because they’re going to want to come beat us and take us off No. 2, but we came out hard and played our game and got the victory and are still undefeated.”
The Acorns generated the better scoring opportunities in the first half, sending hard shots at the net, but the Mustangs adjusted at halftime and got the better chances in the second half. But neither could take the lead until senior striker Javier Hernandez was taken down in the box, giving his team a penalty kick. Plata took the kick, after Motagalvan stepped off the ball, and beat Acorns senior keeper Nick Rauschnot.
“(The head referee) called it even,” Padilla said. “He awarded us a PK and he awarded them a PK.”
Live Oak was issued a penalty kick when Frechett was also taken down in the box. Avalos stepped up for the kick, but his blast ricocheted off the post.
“I knew where he was going,” Velasquez said. “He gave me that little eye thing, and I was like he’s not going to my left, he’s going to my right, so I gave him a juke like I was going to my left and I dove to my right. I was going to get there, but the post was there.”
Velasquez has made a name for himself, stopping more than a couple of penalty kicks already this season. But the Mustangs had missed three straight penalty kicks in the finals of the Homestead Cup earlier this season before making ones in each of their last two games.
With more than enough time remaining for Live Oak to strike again, the Mustangs put the game out of reach on Motagalvan’s goal off a feed from junior Everardo Diaz de Leon for the second consecutive game.
“They were all over us in the first half. They sneezed on us and we fell over in the first half,” Hall said. “That’s the thing about our team this year is that we never give up. This must be the fourth or fifth game that we were down a goal and came back to win the game. That says a lot about the character of each player on the team that they feel we have the ability and the skill to dictate the tone of the game regardless of what the score is and we’re never out of it.”
Gilroy upped its flawless league record to 4-0 and overall record to 14-0-4, while Live Oak dropped to 2-1-1 in league and 9-5-2 overall.
“The first half was like they were ranked No. 2 in the section. It was a role reversal. The second half we started to play like our record says we are capable of doing,” Hall said. “It was the tale of two different halves. First half, we were on our heals. Second half, we took it to them. … Once we started to play our game and keep possession, they were running around and really didn’t have too many chances in that second half except the PK.”
The Mustangs continue their quest for a league championship with Monday’s home game against Salinas at 5:30 p.m. inside the stadium.
