San Benito earns 3-2 victory on the road, to host Monte Vista
Christian Friday
GONZALES
Andres Hurtado scored two goals and the San Benito boys soccer team picked up their first win of the season on Wednesday when they defeated Gonzales on the road, 3-2.
The Haybalers are 1-3 now, while Gonzales, which won the 2006-07 Central Coast Section Division II championship and last year’s Mission Trail Athletic League, falls to 0-2-1.
“From the last game against Pajaro Valley, I know my guys have what it takes to compete,” San Benito head coach Ramiro Ramos said. “It’s back to me on how to organize them and put then in place.
“My concern was with the defense and I think I pretty much have it sorted out now.”
Gonzales and San Benito each began the game with matching 4-4-2 formations, but Ramos quickly changed to a 4-3-3 approximately 10 minutes in.
“I caught what they were trying to do,” said Ramos, who noticed Gonzales kept switching from two to three forwards rather continuously. “They were confusing my stopper and my sweeper. When I saw that we were doing the same thing, I switched to a 4-3-3 and it worked.”
In the 15th minute, Hurtado scored the game’s first goal off a corner kick, but Gonzales tied it at 1-all in the 30th minute off a free kick.
In the second half San Benito scored two unanswered goals to take a commanding lead, and pocketed the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute on another score from Hurtado.
Midfielder Alejandro Salvatier crossed the ball from the left side and Hurtado plucked it out of the air for a one-timer.
“He didn’t even let it hit the ground. He kicked it in the air,” Ramos said. “It was beautiful. Those are very rare.”
Two minutes later in the 43rd minute, Luis Gonzalez crossed another ball, this time from the right side, and Alejandro Castillo headed it in.
Gonzales cut the deficit in half when it scored on another free kick in the 60th minute.
“It was a repeat of the first goal,” Ramos said. “They chipped it over our wall. We tried to pull them offsides and it didn’t happen. One of their guys just walked in and put it in – same thing.
“We need to work on that.”
The ‘Balers will return to the pitch on Friday to host Monte Vista Christian at 3:30 p.m.
Next week, San Benito has three games. It will host Carmel on Tuesday, King City on Wednesday, then open the Tri-County Athletic League on the road at Palma. All games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
