Balers lose first game of the season by 3-1 margin to Gilroy,
which now controls first place in TCAL
With a San Benito defense that had surrendered a mere five goals
all season and a Gilroy High offense that averages five goals in
league home games this season, something eventually had to
give.
But when both squads styles of play counter each other so well,
and with a heightened intensity only seen when the two rival soccer
teams convene, the outcome remained in the balance until late in
the second half
— just as it should when TCAL supremacy is on the line.
Balers lose first game of the season by 3-1 margin to Gilroy, which now controls first place in TCAL
With a San Benito defense that had surrendered a mere five goals all season and a Gilroy High offense that averages five goals in league home games this season, something eventually had to give.
But when both squads styles of play counter each other so well, and with a heightened intensity only seen when the two rival soccer teams convene, the outcome remained in the balance until late in the second half — just as it should when TCAL supremacy is on the line.
The first matchup of the season ended in a 1-1 draw, and as the first half ticked down, it appeared as if the second go-around might conclude in the same fashion.
However, Gilroy’s Cynthia Sanchez buried her first of two unanswered goals 10 seconds before the break and another in the 72nd minute as the Mustangs defended their home turf and took over sole possession of first place with a 3-1 victory Tuesday.
“Overall, I’m very happy with the way the girls played. It’s a loss, but we have to forget about it and keep our heads up,” San Benito head coach Ben Alvarez said.
A balanced opening 40 minutes tilted the way of the Mustangs (11-2-4, 8-0-1 TCAL) as Sanchez charged the net on a slow-developing run, sticking her left foot on the ball as it rolled toward the end line, angling a shot into the top left corner of the net.
“It started with Taylor (Slattery) but then Indra (Garcia) came in with an amazing assist and I was able to collect it,” Sanchez said. “All you have to do is aim and fire.”
The timing of the goal couldn’t have been better for the Mustangs, who had had been well contained by the Balers’ (11-1-5, 7-1-1 TCAL) back row, which snuffed out a number of Gilroy chances throughout the first half.
“It kind of gave us the assurance we needed,” GHS head coach Jose Hernandez said of Sanchez’s tally nearing the end of the half. “We were possessing the ball well. Some of our combination plays were beautiful, we just weren’t finishing. So that goal was big. It also gave us the momentum back and we weren’t going to give that up.”
Despite the one-goal deficit, Alvarez said he appreciated his team’s first-half execution and expected the players to continue the effort in the second half.
“I told them at halftime they were playing great,” Alvarez said. “Everybody was doing what they were supposed to do and keeping that intensity up.”
The Balers did keep that intensity and clearly wanted to create opportunities down field, sending long passes every which way to their forwards whose job it was to get the ball on net. Berniece Bribriesca did just that in the 57th minute, going bombs away with a laser shot on net which was turned aside. The equalizer never came.
“We went long and put it back inside, and we had some opportunities in there. We actually put the ball where we wanted to,” Alvarez said. “I think (Gilroy) realized what was happening and they adjusted and we didn’t.”
While the three goals are the most posted on the Balers this season, Tuesday’s game also equaled their first loss.
“They played a different lineup than us. They played three in the middle and we only played two, so on a lot of the plays we were outnumbered,” senior Hannah Cobb said. “I’d say out of anyone, Gilroy is the only one I’m OK with losing to because they work just as hard as we work.”
The mutual respect played out on the pitch as well. And reminiscent of the Jan. 19 encounter, the Mustangs broke through midway through a scoreless first half, converting a penalty kick – Garcia drawing the foul in the box and delivering the goal in the 20th minute.
Four minutes later, the Balers had a look at the equalizer with a free kick 35 yards out, but Sara Yamasaki’s header sliced just wide.
The Balers’ push continued two minutes later as Cobb lofted a seeing-eye corner kick across the goalie’s mouth, allowing teammates two shots on net. Both were turned aside.
The onslaught finally paid dividends in the 29th minute. Yamasaki’s cannon of a throw-in found its destination in front of the net where Victoria Perez was waiting. Perez headed the ball into the ground, and one hop later the ball sat comfortably in the lower right corner for the 1-1 tie.
“I said right when we scored, ‘It’s 0-0. We aren’t winning and we don’t have the upperhand at all. We have to come out harder than we did before,'” Cobb said.
Sure enough, the Mustangs and Sanchez answered.
“(San Benito) has an athletic team. They prepare themselves very well. They came in prepared and ready to go,” Hernandez said. “But so were we.”
What this Means …
San Benito’s 3-1 loss to rival Gilroy on Tuesday doesn’t bode well for the Balers earning the Tri-County Athletic League title this year, but it shouldn’t prevent them from earning one of the two automatic bids toward the Central Coast Section postseason.
At 7-1-1 in the TCAL, San Benito still holds a two-game lead in the loss column over third-place Salinas (6-3-1) with three games to go.
It also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cowboys as well, having defeated Salinas twice already this season.
Salinas’ remaining schedule includes games against Alisal and Gilroy — the former of which took place Thursday, after The Weekend Pinnacle’s press time.
As for San Benito’s remaining schedule, it is slated to play Notre Dame, Alisal and Everett Alvarez. Its game against Notre Dame on Thursday took place after The Weekend Pinnacle’s press time, though.
For the Balers to win the TCAL, however, they’ll need the Mustangs to drop two of their remaining three games — games against Everett Alvarez, North Salinas and Salinas.
Gilroy now owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Balers with Tuesday’s win.
Seedings for the CCS Division I postseason will be announced a week from Saturday, on Feb. 19.
