Just call them the lunchtime champions.
Last Friday, team Juventus became the first repeat champion of
the Latinos Program lunchtime indoor soccer tournament at Gilroy
High.
Gilroy – Just call them the lunchtime champions.
Last Friday, team Juventus became the first repeat champion of the Latinos Program lunchtime indoor soccer tournament at Gilroy High.
“Juve” whose team members included Andres Leon, Gabriel Mendoza, Marco Moreno, cousins Humberto and Jose Pineda, Emmanuel Nava and José Velasquez, defeated Riverplate 4-2 in Game 2 of the tournament final. Juventus won the first game 5-1.
According to team members, playing “chill” won them the tournament – meaning playing quick and getting quick touches on the ball. Juventus went undefeated through out the several week regular season and in the playoffs.
“It means you have to touch the ball around,” Moreno said.
The two teams played in Gilroy High’s main gym where there are no out of bounds. Even the bleachers, in which sat dozens of fellow classmate spectators, were playable.
Juventus took a 2-0 lead behind two goals from Humberto Pineda. On the first goal, Humberto was assisted by his cousin Jose. On the second goal, Humberto faked and got Riverplate keeper Ticardo Enriquez to dive to the floor before softly tapping the ball past him.
two goals to tie the game at two. One was by Enriquez, who came out of goal. Then things got worse for Juve when Moreno had to leave the game after he received a red card for colliding with Riverplate’s goalie. But even playing a man down, Juventus was unstoppable and scored twice down the stretch for the 4-2 win and the coveted tournament trophy.
One hundred and ten students signed up for the tournament, said Latinos Program advisor and tournament coordinator Jose Hernandez, who teaches science and coaches varsity girls soccer at GHS.
And that was all in one day, between “brunch and lunch,” Hernandez said.
“The real competition is signing up,” he said.
Instead of going for a three-peat in the spring tournament, Juventus, which is made up of all GHS soccer players will most likely split its team in half and make two teams.
“I didn’t want to sound conceited, but there’s no competition anymore,” said Mendoza, Juve’s captain.
“It’s time for us to break up the team,” Moreno added.
