The Gilroy High boys’ soccer team can only hope a third time
will be the charm.
The Gilroy High boys’ soccer team can only hope a third time will be the charm.
The Mustangs’ much-anticipated match with the country’s No. 1 team, Watsonville, was delayed again after the initial contest was postponed due to rain last Thursday.
The two teams tentatively re-scheduled the game for Monday, but GHS co-head coach Armando Padilla received a call Saturday informing him the Wildcatz were simply too busy to squeeze in another game.
Watsonville plays Wednesday and Thursday and leaves for a prestigious national tournament in Florida Friday. The team members are spending the early part of the week finishing exams before the trip.
Although Padilla admitted to thinking the Wildcatz “maybe wanted to go to Florida knowing their record was unblemished,” he said it was simply a passing thought.
“I understood and was cooperative,” he added. “They wanna play and we wanna play.”
Padilla said the teams are still hopeful of getting together either right before New Year’s Day or right before league play starts on Jan. 7.
In the meantime, the Mustangs (5-1-1) have plenty of other things to focus on.
The coaching staff wasn’t exactly happy with the team’s 1-0 win over an overmatched Los Altos team Saturday. Despite outshooting the Eagles, 17-3, Gilroy waited until the 81st minute to take the lead on an Everardo Diaz De Leon goal from Marco Aguilar.
“We need to get our consistency and our confidence back up,” Padilla said.
It doesn’t get any easier for Gilroy in the coming days.
Tonight at 6, they take on defending CCS D2 champion Santa Cruz at Mustang Stadium. On Thursday, they get a road game against CCS runner-up Burlingame.
