Costa Mesa – Vanguard men's soccer took the field Thursday afternoon for a match against La Sierra and came away with a 3-1 victory. Two goals from Stewart Alvayero (JR/Los Angeles, CA) put the Lions ahead and gave them their first victory on the season.
What Happened? Even in the late afternoon heat, both teams got into the action quickly with some sharp tackles and crisp passes. Marc Trejo (SR/Santa Ana, CA) let fly with the first shot of the game in the seventh minute but sent it high over the crossbar. Nathaniel Gomez (SO/Dominguez, CA) then took a great pass and drove into the box, unleashing a hard shot that was punched away before it found the far side of the net. The Golden Eagles soon settled down some and created a great opportunity in the 19th minute, but James Choi (SR/Irvine, CA) watched the shot sail over his goal. Off a nice pass from Trejo out wide, Alvayero pocketed the first goal of the game, as he took the ball and dashed in towards the six-yard box, blasting his shot in to make it 1-0 VU. The La Sierra keeper made a quality save on Andrew Robles (SR/Tustin, CA) soon after, as Robles tried to pound in a shot from 25-plus yards out. As the first half moved along, the Golden Eagles began to generate some good runs, forcing Choi to make two saves, the first being an acrobatic jump on a close-range shot. Leading 1-0 at halftime, the Lions had outshot the Golden Eagles 6-3. The second half was mostly a tactical battle, with both sides pushing and countering. La Sierra kept the Lions at bay and even looked their equal at times, but deep into the match, Alvayero struck again. A free kick in the 80th minute by Alex Gonzalez (JR/Anaheim, CA) was expertly guided in by #7, who picked up the brace and the game-winning goal. Austin Tubbs (JR/Long Beach, CA) then put the Blue and Gold up 3-0 in the 84th minute with a powerful header off of a corner kick. The win looked secured, but the Golden Eagles found Yashin Ruiz open late in the game, and he poked it home to deny Choi and company a clean sheet. Despite the goal, the Lions played out the rest of the game with good possession to take home their first win of the year.
What they said: "It was a good home opener against a quality opponent. We have a lot of growing up to do with such a young team. I thought the young guys did a really good job today."-Head Coach Randy Dodge.
Why it's important? The Lions open the season with a win for the third year in a row and improve on their all-time record against La Sierra to 9-2
What's next: The squad will take to the road and face the University of Northwestern Ohio on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
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