Calexico High's Vicente Saldaña dribbles against a Rancho Buena Vista High defender Tuesday in Calexico. (Fernando Acosta Jr.) |
CALEXICO — The Rancho Buena Vista boys’ soccer team scored off a Calexico High mistake and used strong defense to take home a 1-0 win in the first round of the CIF-San Diego Section Division I playoffs here Tuesday.
“The one mistake we made cost us the game and that’s the difference between San Diego leagues and other leagues,” Calexico head coach Javier Bernal said.
In the 37th minute of the first half, after the Bulldogs had controlled most of the game and had a few scoring opportunities, the Longhorns used a long ball to score the only goal of the match.
The long ball pass landed perfectly between two Calexico defenders to the feet of Rancho Buena Vista’s Manuel Millan.
The senior forward let it bounce once and tapped it over a charging goalkeeper Eduardo Morales.
The Bulldogs regrouped the second half and had plenty opportunities to score but the Longhorns’ tough defense thwarted every opportunity.
“I thought we were going to get the win. We fought hard and I hope next year we’ll do better,” Calexico junior sweeper Christopher Aguilar, 17, said.
The Imperial Valley League champion Bulldogs finish the season 12-8-4 overall and finished the league season undefeated at 9-0-3. They also won the annual Copa del Valle.
“It was a good season. We won league, finished undefeated and won the Cup,” said the 17-year-old senior Morales. “We gotta look at the positives in life.”
“The one mistake we made cost us the game and that’s the difference between San Diego leagues and other leagues,” Calexico head coach Javier Bernal said.
In the 37th minute of the first half, after the Bulldogs had controlled most of the game and had a few scoring opportunities, the Longhorns used a long ball to score the only goal of the match.
The long ball pass landed perfectly between two Calexico defenders to the feet of Rancho Buena Vista’s Manuel Millan.
The senior forward let it bounce once and tapped it over a charging goalkeeper Eduardo Morales.
The Bulldogs regrouped the second half and had plenty opportunities to score but the Longhorns’ tough defense thwarted every opportunity.
“I thought we were going to get the win. We fought hard and I hope next year we’ll do better,” Calexico junior sweeper Christopher Aguilar, 17, said.
The Imperial Valley League champion Bulldogs finish the season 12-8-4 overall and finished the league season undefeated at 9-0-3. They also won the annual Copa del Valle.
“It was a good season. We won league, finished undefeated and won the Cup,” said the 17-year-old senior Morales. “We gotta look at the positives in life.”
