LJ b soccer 1, King-Chavez 5

Viking captain Andrew Estrella tries to move the ball

upfield against duress on the unmown grass.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

On the first day of winter break, missing several starters due to the vacation, La Jolla got smoked 5-1 by a talented King-Chavez team under primitive field conditions that were no excuse for the loss.

The Vikings, led by goalie Tai Nguyen and defender Noah Shen, held the Vaqueros scoreless until the 38th minute of the first half, giving up a single goal and trailing only 1-nil at the half.

But King-Chavez's relentless attack, combined with the Vikings' position holes filled by junior varsity players, led to a four-goal blitz in the second half. La Jolla could only answer with one goal of its own.

With cumbia music pounding in the King-Chavez rooting section, Vaquero Jose Solorio scored two goals and assisted with another. Teammate Rafael Sanchez, a senior, added his own goal and had two assists.

The other King-Chavez goals were scored by Marcos Celestino and Carlos Loeza, the latter who added an assist.

Solorio, a junior, has scored 13 of his teams 23 goals this season. He also has five of the Vaqueros' 12 assists.

La Jolla coach Marcos Gonzales told his players at halftime that they were playing well. Jack Barone was active moving the ball at midfield. Shen played his part.

But King-Chavez had an advantage in the first half on time of possession, clearly controlling the ball more than the visitors.

Midfielder Jack Barone, a 6'1" junior,

directs traffic against an aggressive

King-Chavez squad.

Forward Cesar Canton, who scored two goals in the Vikings' win at Clairemont Fri., Dec. 18, looked a little frustrated in the first half at the lack of scoring chances and King-Chavez's aggressive marking.

The field at Memorial Prep presented its own issues. The grass was unmowed, making it lumpy with clumps of growth here and there. The illumination was by four portable lights maintenance workers said are kept on the field throughout the season. The lights wouldn't be sufficient for a football game--certainly not for a baseball game. But that's what is provided for soccer.

The field is shorter than a standard high school rectangle laid on a football field. The squiggly chalk lines were drawn just prior to opening tap.

But both teams had to play under the same conditions, so the Vikings had no excuse due to these game circumstances.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper