Apparently, all it took was one good pep talk. All-Star players
from the Hollister Soccer League, competing in the Copa Alianza at
the Morgan Hill Sports Complex last weekend, lost their opening
game to Athletico 3-2 on Saturday, a team based out of
Watsonville.
Morgan Hill – Apparently, all it took was one good pep talk.
All-Star players from the Hollister Soccer League, competing in the Copa Alianza at the Morgan Hill Sports Complex last weekend, lost their opening game to Athletico 3-2 on Saturday, a team based out of Watsonville.
The loss essentially pushed Hollister to the brink of elimination at the Alianza soccer tournament, one of 10 regional tournaments being played nationally in an effort to crown “The Best Amateur Adult Hispanic Team in the Country.”
But the local All-Stars still had two games remaining in pool play.
Coach Mario Nunez, in his first year guiding the team, told his squad that their game against Athletico was vital. It was Hollister’s only game on Saturday, and with new rules stating only the top team in the four-team group advances to the second round (unlike years past when it was the top two teams), Hollister’s next two games would be monumental.
If they wanted to advance to the second round of the regional soccer tournament, they’d need to win their next two games.
“We need to put ourselves up,” Nunez said he told his team, “and these next two games are going to be tougher.
“The way we played, there was no way we were going to go anywhere … Just pick your heads up and let’s do it.”
In their final two games of pool play on Sunday, Hollister played Sahuayo (Redwood City) and Maya (Palo Alto), and outscored their two opponents by a combined 12-1.
They crushed Sahuayo 7-0 and then throttled Maya 5-1, cruising to a first-place finish in Group H at the Alianza tournament, which hosted 32 of the best amateur soccer teams from Central and Northern California.
Being the top team from Group H, and now being ranked No. 6 out of 32 squads, Hollister advances to the second round of the Alianza tournament which will reconvene this weekend in Morgan Hill. Winners advance while losers go home.
“These guys are awesome,” Nunez said. “They played against Maya so well, and they’re one of the toughest teams in the area.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
Over those three games, Hollister’s Javier Quezaza scored a total of eight goals, and was the highest scoring individual in the tournament.
Not done there, the 7-0 scorefest was the most amount of goals scored by any one team in the first round at the tournament, and Hollister’s goal average was +10, the highest average in the first round.
Additionally, keeper Luis Leama allowed four goals over three games, the least amount among goalkeepers.
“So, we’re not doing bad at all,” laughed Nunez. “Hollister is right up there.”
While the strong weekend pushed Hollister to the second round of the Alianza tournament, the local soccer squad also qualified for two other tournaments in San Francisco. Said Nunez, “I’ve received some good compliments.”
No. 6 Hollister will play Saturday against No. 3 Pigres (San Jose) at 9am at the Morgan Hill Sports Complex. The second round of the tournament is single-elimination bracketed play.
The winner of that game will play in the semifinals at 1pm on Saturday, with a chance to advance to Sunday’s championship final.
“We haven’t won the tournament,” Nunez said, “and that has to be our goal.”
