Coyotes score first win over Torres
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Keith Reed, left, celebrates with fellow goal scorer Richard Lozano (25) after scoring a late goal in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Matilda Torres.
In the first-ever varsity meeting between the Madera Coyotes and Matilda Torres Toros boys soccer team, it was Madera’s experience that controlled the match for a 2-0 non-conference win in Memorial Stadium.
The Coyotes got goals from Richard Lozano and Keith Reed for the win over the new crosstown rivals Friday evening.
“We rested some guys,” said Madera head coach Nic Landeros. “It was a squad rotation game for us. The attack, obviously, wasn’t as clinical it should be. Nonetheless, we got two goals and a shutout.”
“The biggest thing was experience,” said Matilda Torres head coach Mannie Escobar. “The majority of my players are sophomores. None of my juniors played today. No varsity experience except for this year. They got us with the experience against my younger kids, We played a good game. We stuck with them. We had a couple of mistakes.
“We have a great future ahead of us. Within the next two years, we’re going to be up there,” Escobar said.
With the win, the Coyotes will next prepare for the tough County/Metro Athletic Conference season and then the postseason.
“We’re looking forward to CMAC,” Landeros said. “We’re going to need all of the roster to be ready and mentally in it. When they can come into the game and contribute, we know that we’re doing right with them in understanding the game plan and executing.”
Madera immediately set the tone with a chance in the first minute. Alexis Fernandez made a run on goal, but his shot was blocked by Torres keeper Fernando Martinez.
In the 11th minute, on a ball off Martinez, Reed miss-kicked a ball and it went to Seiji Tiscareno, whose shot was too hard and went over the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Ayden Salvador got the ball in front and passed it back to Elmer Garcia. His shot went over the goal.
However, the Coyotes struck in the next minute. Garcia sent a corner kick to the front of the goal. Through a chaos of legs in front of the goal, it was Lozano that punched the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
In the 27th minute, Torres had a chance on goal, but the kick was caught by Madera keeper Jesse Cuevas.
In the second half, the Coyotes, again, put pressure on in the first minute, Garcia played a give-and-go with Elias Zuniga with Garcia’s shot getting blocked by Martinez.
Off a free kick in the 11th minute from 19 yards out, Leonel Marquez shot just over the crossbar.
Three minutes later, Garcia got the ball on right and sent a cross to Joad Enriquez-Blanco, whose touch went wide. A minute later, Enriquez-Blanco had another shot, but it went wide right.
Alex Segovia and Enriquez-Blanco had chances stopped by Martinez.
Torres got another chance with 10 minutes left. Nahu Pineda got the ball on the left after settling a long free kick. His shot on goal was stopped by Cuevas.
With six minutes left, the Coyotes tried to add an insurance goal. Fernandez got the ball on the left and crossed the ball to Zuniga in the middle. His header flick on goal went over the crossbar.
Finally, in the 39th minute of the second half, the Coyotes added the insurance goal. Segovia, on the left, sent a ball to the middle. Marquez headed the ball on goal, but it was blocked back. Reed was there on the rebound and sent the ball into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.
“My stress level finally fell in the 79th minute,” Landeros said.
Σχόλια