- East Bay Prep Corner
East Bay Boys Soccer Notebook
By Matt Smith
Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm in Boys soccer.
I think it’s safe to say that the Granada High School soccer team was not happy with the way the 2008-2009 season ended.
The Matadors were outclassed by eventual champion De La Salle, losing 4-0 in the 3A semifinals, which has led the team to play hungry this year.
It is evident, after storming through the Winter Soccer Classic and ending it with an 3-0 win over Amador Valley in the championship final, that the Matadors are for real.
“The kids are really motivated this year,” Granada coach Chris Salazar said after the Amador Valley win. “We have a lot of seniors and there is something special about this group. We’re going to be competitive this year. I think we can give teams a run for their money.”
No doubt that this team is going to be competitive. Granada is 5-0-1 this year, with the tie coming against a very good Castro Valley team. The Matadors outscored their opponents 18-3 in the WSC, and have outscored their opponents 31-3 overall this year.
Look for Granada to be tough team to deal with in the East Bay Athletic League, along with the usual suspects in De La Salle, San Ramon Valley and Monte Vista.
Looking for a surprise team in the EBAL? It could very well be California. The Grizzlies are off to a 5-0-2 start with wins against good teams like Arroyo and Castro Valley, and a tie against top-ranked Richmond.
With a strong back line, and the ability for everyone to push up on the attack, Cal should be able to get back to being one of the top teams in the league.
“I’m incredibly excited about our start this year,” Cal coach Chris Faidley said. “But the non-league schedule is over and in order to compete in the EBAL, where every team is talented, we’ve got to become more consistent, which is the toughest thing to do in sports. When you think of great teams, like De La Salle last year, every game, every night, they were ready to play. We are not there, yet, but that’s where we want to be.”
The Grizzlies move to No. 8 in this week’s Bay Area News Group East Bay Rankings.
Rankings
Richmond has to be No. 1 until someone beats them. This team is also dealing with a bunch of early season injuries, so I expect them to get rolling. A loss to Archbishop Mitty wasn’t enough to knock De La Salle from the No. 2 spot.
As far as the rest of the rankings, the Winter Soccer Classic and the Tri-Valley Challenge has allowed me to do some reshuffling.
1. Richmond (2-0-3)
2. De La Salle (1-1-0)
3. Granada (5-0-1)
4. Acalanes (4-0-0)
5. San Ramon Valley (3-0-0)
6. Newark Memorial (6-1-1)
7. Berkeley (4-1-0)
8. California (5-0-2)
9. Castro Valley (4-2-1)
10. Amador Valley (2-2-1)
11. Bishop O’Dowd (3-0-1)
12. Albany (3-0-2)
13. Freedom (1-0-1)
14. Dublin (5-1-0)
15. Clayton Valley (3-1-0)
Others considered: Deer Valley (4-2-0), Arroyo (3-3-0), Monte Vista (0-2-1), Foothill (5-3-0), Livermore (1-2-0), Pittsburg (3-2-0), Las Lomas (4-1-0), Piedmont (2-1-1), Kennedy-Richmond (2-3-0), San Leandro (2-2-1).
Amador Valley Notes: Kick for the Cure, Ken Villegas
The Amador Valley boys soccer team, along with the girls team, will be partnering with Valley Care Health System and the Ryan Comer Cancer Library to put on the Kick for the Cure game on Jan. 2. The Dons will be playing Richmond.
A few weeks ago, Susan Dawson, the mother of a former Amador Valley player, passed away due to breast cancer, and the Kick for the Cure game has three goals in mind: to honor her memory, to promote breast cancer awareness and to raise money for the Valley Care Cancer Library.
On another Amador Valley note, boys coach Ken Villegas picked up his 200th career win when the Dons beat Kennedy-Richmond 3-1 on Nov. 30.
Donate soccer shoes
Berkeley soccer coach Phil Scicluna is organizing a donation for used soccer shoes that will be given to underprivileged children in Belize.
If you have anything to donate, or want more information, Scicluna can be reached at 415-342-5851 or psciclun2@yahoo.com.
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December 7th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Matt,
Went to some Winter Classic games last week and a few teams were very impressive. From the games that I saw, Acalanes, Albany, California, and Deer Valley looked very strong. Did you hear anything about Newark’s performance re: 5-1 loss to Granada and 0-0 tie with Richmond?
December 7th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
About Newark:
For starters, Granada is really good. And in that game, Newark was without a few key players and Granada took advantage and scored three goals in the first eight minutes.
Against Richmond, Newark looked scrappy and tough. That’s the team I expect to see.
December 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Cal dominated a Castro Valley team that tied Granada. I don’t understand how that quite works out. And with a result against a good arroyo team.
December 7th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Why is Monte Vista even considered? No wins in 3 games, 3-0 loss to college park. I don’t see College Park considered and they destroyed them. It’s time to start giving credit to the teams who are actually winning games.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I think it would be foolish to expect consistency in the performances of the schools so early in the season. Both the Winter Classic and the MV/SRV tournament are scheduled 1 month into the season, when most teams have not found their balance yet. Added to this, in the case of the Winter Classic, the accumulation of games within a few days further muddies the waters.
These tournaments are merely tune-ups for the remainder of the season. With most leagues opening next week, we will start seeing a better picture as to who can do what this year.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Perhaps, but I watched very good soccer over the past two weeks from the likes of Castro Valley, Arroyo, and Granada; at times from Amador. I Agree, it is early; yet I will suggest that Granada is already well-tuned. In all, I felt like the I wittnessed a better level of team play from most teams during the tournament than I have in the past. The games were enjoyable, more so given that this is my son’s final year of HS soccer. Bittersweat.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I heard from some of Mission’s boys soccer team that their record right now is 4-2-1.
December 8th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
The past 2 years granada has won the winter classic and did s great job for over 15 yrs.making it in the playoffs they are finally able to compete in ebal and that is to their strong defense and awesome forwards. I do agree once the league start things will fall more into place but granada will be right up there with the best!!
December 9th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
How much of a factor is strength of schedule in these rankings and NCS seeding? Is it better to rack up the wins against easy opponents or show that you can play with the best teams around?
December 10th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Strength of schedule is a major component of the NCS selecting and ranking criteria.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Matt,
You have some good comments from contributors on this blog and people do follow “the beautiful game” with passion.
Have you given any consideration for setting up rankings for Top 10 schools in separate 3A and 2A categories? As you know, that’s how NCS determines their tournament picks and seeds. It might make sense to try it this way and it would be fun, of course, to see how your poll and sources stack up against the final picks from NCS.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
All of our polls/rankings for all sports are just one ranking for all divisions. I can’t do rankings by division just for soccer.
December 10th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Bloggers can post their own divisional rankings. This should open up some new discussions:
Division 1
1 Granada
2 Richmond
3 Cal
4 Newark Memorial
5 Berkeley
6 Castro Valley
7 De La Salle
8 San Ramon Valley
9 Amador Valley
10 ???
Division 2
1 Bishop O’Dowd
2 Albany
3 Dublin
4 Las Lomas
5 Ygnacio Valley
6 Acalanes
7 Dougherty Valley
8 Hayward
9 Mt. Eden
10 El Cerrito
December 11th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I was just at the granada vs cal game. what a great game but the worst reffering ever.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Ebal Fan, Would you mind elaborating on the game?
December 12th, 2009 at 12:25 am
DV.Fan, unless you have been following D1 for several years (think 10+yrs), then stick to D2. Ranking DLS at #7 and SRV at #8 in D1 is pure folly…go to games, read the experts, and see where the real talent is…
December 12th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Saw the score was 3-2 to Cal, must have been an exciting game. Would love to hear a recap.
From my limited viewing of some of these teams, I’m wondering which team has a keeper that is capable of stepping up and making an impact. Was Cal’s keeper the difference against Granada last night? Who are the standout GKs in the East Bay.
Also, Acalanes shut out Las Lomas 1-0 last night to remain unbeaten (I think?!).
So we’ve already got a lot of changes in DV’s rankings…For me, I’m surprised to see DLS and SRV down on the list as far as they are, but looking forward to seeing the list shake itself out!
December 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am
It was a good tough game. Granada scored first in the first five minutes on a long throw in, then Cal tied it up on a header. Again, Granada took the lead into halftime. Cal tied in the first five minutes of the half. And lastly Cal scored with about eight minutes to go or so.
December 12th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Go Cal Go! I think Cal will to right to the top. They have the talent and dub with a coach that knows the game and his players. A combination that will be very hard to beat. This coach knows how to energize his players and kept his players focus to their goals. Go Cal Go!
December 12th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Gotta show some respect to College Park.
They win the Tri Valley Challenge
which included victories over San Ramon and Monte Vista
December 12th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Division 1
1 Granada
2 California
3 Richmond
4 Newark
5 DLS
6 Berkeley
7 College Park
8 San Ramon
9 Castro Valley
10 Amador Valley
Division 2
1 Bishop O’Dowd
2 Acalanes
3 Albany
4 Dublin
5 Ygnacio Valley
6 Las Lomas
7 kennety- richmond
8 Hayward
9 Dougherty Valley
10 Pinole Valley
December 12th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Well, you gotta put Cal above Granada with Cal just beating them. Doesn’t make sense to have them right behind, and I’m not ready to annoint Cal the top team just yet. Gotta stick with Richmond, in that case.
December 12th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Acalanes just lost to Dublin this week. Strange result I thought.
December 12th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
The Cal-Granada game was fun to watch.
Scores:
0-1 Early Granada throw-in for a score in the first 2 mins.
1-1 Cal #7 countered with a beautifully placed header from just inside the 18 at the 10 min mark.
1-2 Granada forward #6 froze defender with a gorgeous crossover move and scored the go-ahead goal 38 mins in.
2-2 A free kick for Cal rocketed off keeper and Cal scored the rebound to tie at the 46 min mark. On the play it appears the Granada keeper extended his arm to grab the loose ball and was struck by the leg of the Cal player. The Granada keeper left the game with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder or elbow.
3-2 Something you don’t see everyday… an assist by the keeper. Free kick went over everyone, got a generous bounce, and created a Cal advantage 1-v-1. Cal #7 remained patient and put it away for his second goal and the win.
Summary
tough conditions… wet and cold. I’m sure it affected both teams.
I don’t share the complaints about the refs. I don’t think they made any calls (or no calls) that affected the outcome. They did allow some rough play to continue.
Cal needs to improve set plays (corners and throws). They are good at going over the top and thru balls.
Granada has talented forwards, especially #6, and an excellent sweeper. Hopefully, their keeper will recover quickly from his injury.
December 13th, 2009 at 12:10 am
I find College Park results especially intriguing with sound wins against very good teams like MV and SRV, and sound losses against teams generally considered to be not as good: DV, Arroyo. I think it is another example of a team that took some time to find its balance, and finally found it under the remarkable leadership of Edgar Segastume… Give time to time…
December 13th, 2009 at 12:38 am
will find out if this college park team is foreal in the up coming weeks. they have two very tough nonleague games remaining in granada and acalanes. and tough league games with ignacio valley and clayton valley. time will tell
December 13th, 2009 at 3:20 am
I didn’t put Cal over Granada just cause granada proved themselfs in the winter classic… Richmond has 3 ties! if i was to keep them as number one they would need to win more games. The number one team should’nt have so many ties this early in the year. College park surprised everyone! had a slow start but they are on a streak right now. They will play Ygnacio Valley this Tuesday @ YV which should prove how strong of a team they really are. YV is young but talented with a 5-0-1 record. I will be at this match and will let everyone know how this game turns out.
December 13th, 2009 at 6:08 am
Cal proved themselves at the Winter Classic as well with a 3-0-1 record, the tie coming against Richmond. They won the consolation (3rd place overall). With their win over Granada, they undoubtedly must rank above them. Top spot? Sure. And maybe the 2-spot goes to Richmond, then Granada?
And Arroyo is an interesting team that will garner wins from those teams who fail to take notice of their next scheduled opponent…
December 13th, 2009 at 9:12 am
After two bad losses to Arroyo (3-0) and Newark Memorial (5-0)it is surprising that College Park would be able to win the tournament. Did they get some new players?
December 13th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Livermore High beats Foothill. Granada High beats Amador Valley. What happened to the Pleasanton soccer program that used to be so dominant not so long ago?
December 13th, 2009 at 10:42 am
close friends from cp tell me they were missing alot of players to injuries, grades , nd on going sports.nd arroyo was a scrimmage. how about some luv for yv 5-0-1? i knew they were young but didnt expect them to be doing so well so fast. and as well for clayton valley just finished beating pitt 2-0 improving to 5-1-0 i believe? looks like its going to be fun watching who comes out on top in dval this year!
December 13th, 2009 at 11:10 am
It’s really early in the season and a lot of teams have not played many games (De La Salle by example), but based on quality of competition and results, it’s hard not to put California as #1.
1. California 6-0-2
2. Acalanes 5-1-0
3. Bishop O’Dowd 4-0-2
4. Granada 5-1-1
5. Newark Memorial 7-1-1
December 13th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Surprising result yesterday for College Park – was anyone there to comment on the game? I agree with DBL, it’s tough not to put Cal at #1 given the result against Granada.
I’m planning on getting my first look at Granada Tuesday night against DLS, and possibly will take in CP vs. YV before that – anyone else have some suggestions on outstanding fixtures this week?
Anyone know when Richmond and Berkeley meet?
December 13th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Talking about the granada game and cal game again, the refs did let some play go. granada seemed to focus on the cal’s kid in the middle that had been scoring a lot of goals lately.
December 13th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Good to see so many good quality postings!!!
Chiming in on the top of the rankings, beyond the record of a team, once has
to look at the strength of the schedule so far, for California, Richmond and Granada (, not to mention College Park, DLS, SRV, Berkeley and Newark.)
Here it goes:
California:
——–
Freedom, Heritage, Liberty, Alameda, Castro Valley, Richmond, Granada
Richmond:
——–
Monte Vista, California, Castro Valley, Newark, Logan, Foothill, Kennedy-R
Granada:
——-
Mission San Jose, Leadership Hayward, Castro Valley, Newark, Alameda,
Amador Valley, California
And also head to head record and record vs. common opponents:
Head to Head:
———–
Richmond at California 1-1
California at Granada 2-3
Common opponents:
—————-
California 2 – Castro Valley 0
Richmond 6 – Castro Valley 1
Granada 5 – Newark 1
Richmond 0 – Newark 0
Granada 2 – California 3
Richmond 1 – California 1
Granada 8 – Alameda 0
California 3 – Alameda 1
December 13th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
And I forgot….
Castro Valley 2 – Granada 2
Castro Valley 1 – Richmond 6
Please add if I missed more.
December 13th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
What about the number of goals scored by and scored against these teams, and the number of games played by these teams? Does anyone have this information? Matt, NCS?
December 13th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
AskRickyDavis, do you care to comment on or retract your earlier statement regarding SRV below? Also, rankings are based on this season’s teams and their performance, not what’s happened over the last ten years. Get a clue and stay current before commenting on something you seem to know little about. Teams need to earn a high ranking, not be handed one because of their name or Win/Loss record in 1999.
Ask Ricky Davis Says:
December 12th, 2009 at 12:25 am
DV.Fan, unless you have been following D1 for several years (think 10+yrs), then stick to D2. Ranking DLS at #7 and SRV at #8 in D1 is pure folly…go to games, read the experts, and see where the real talent is…
December 13th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
AV definitely in rebuilding year – playing a frosh and 2 sophs in midfield/up top. AV overachieved last year and lost some good scorers, so expect middle of pack at best this year. But…most important….expect to finish above Foothill. AV has not lost to FH since NCS playoffs Feb 03.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Hey DVFan, thanks for the shout out. My point regarding SRV relates to the up and down cycle in public schools. SRV is in an up year cycle, somewhat young but EBAL seasoned, with the EBAL being the toughest test in Norcal, period.
Time will tell, but your D1 slate will change dramatically by the end of January because the rosters will be full-up for 30+ days and no holiday MIAs. DLS and SRV have consistently appeared in the NCS playoffs and usually the semis, at least equal to if no better than your top 4 D1 selections.
Ask DLS who are the top 4 teams that they look forward to playing, and every year at least 2 if not 3 are EBAL teams including MV, SRV and Cal, with Amador in the mix off and on. Everyone wants to play Richmond.
Let’s compare notes in February. See you in Dublin at the “ships.”
—ARD…
December 14th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Son of Cokito, here is what I dug up on Maxpreps:
Granada: 33 Goals For, 6 Against
California: 16 Goals For, 6 Against
Richmond: 15 Goals For, 2 Against
Sweet dreams, son.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Cal High is the most overrated team this year… I predict them to slowly drop in the rankings this year once teams find their balance. Not much talent on their side this year, as they rely mostly on dirty tactics
December 14th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Perhaps rebuilding, “middle of the pack” AV will start the ball rolling downhill for Cal.
Seriously, what Cal has accomplished so far is anything but overrated, Underrated. They’ve fared well against some very good teams. They’ve got something going and I look forward to seeing what it is versus AV tomorrow night. But will it be enough to get past AV? Stay tuned…
December 15th, 2009 at 2:18 am
it’s a nice season so far .
but by the way
i think this season or ever any season can beat last years season ..what a great year..espcially newark last year great team..really miss seein that team play.
You were feeling the energy and emotions of that team..NUmber 13 i think David kulhanek and Fellipe Alvarez really stood out..it be nice to see a team with that kind of emotions and passion for the game again
December 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Underrated: Please elaborate on your comment “dirty tactics”. If you can’t or won’t, please keep such unfounded statements to yourself. It slanders the team and the game. By the way, are you partial to Granada, which is an excellent team?
December 15th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
We are undeafted so far. I am the cal center back and captain. We don’t play dirty we are probably the smallest team overall. But we win because of our strong defensive line and good forwards that have pace. We play as a team and are highly underrated…we will have a great season. The haters sit back and watch us prove that the “worst” team in ebal hits the ground running putting away goals and putting away teams.
December 15th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
And the granada keeper went out when I hit the ball the ball hit his hand then dislocated his shoulder or broke his wrist.
Hope for a speedy recovery.
Ps the granada game was well played. 2 of the players are on my club team so there was a lot of emotion
December 15th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Game against amador. 4-1 win for cal. I don’t know if they counted the last goal. And who said we were going to go downhill? Good call we are undeafted still.
December 15th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Saw two games this evening; fair entertainment. Happy to shell out $5 at Ygnacio Valley HS.
CP 2 YV 2 College Park gave up two early goals on lapses of concentration, then struggled to establish some possession and create any chances. YV kept their 2-0 lead and had a handful of breakaway chances. Both keepers came up with a few quality saves, I heard the YV keeper is only a freshmen, good potential there- but he did gift CP back into the game with a howler tween the legs with about 15 minutes left. From there, CP settled into more of a rhythm, played and passed with some confidence, capitalized on a nice shot from outside in fading daylight.
After a quick hot bowl of Korean noodles, it was around the corner to DeLaSalle…
DLS 2 Granada 0
Might not be pretty, but I can’t see DLS not in the top 2 or 3 of the rankings. It’s going to take a really skilled team that can move the ball around them quickly to negate their physical play, as well as a team that can maintain their concentration and avoid making costly mistakes that the Spartans seem to always pounce on.Frankly, I thought this was something of an ugly match that DLS ground out. Not much to say on the goals, first one the Granda keeper should have had, and the second one was a nice composed finish, but it was the second or third chance DLS had toward the end of the game to put it away. Standouts in the game for me were probably DLS’ right back, #5, and Granada’s Defensive Mid, #14.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
The YV goalie is a freshmen. He did a good job. That mistake did get CP back into the game. He can only get better as the season goes on. YV has 4 freshmen In the starting lineup. A very young team that I was very impressed with. YV would have put the game away if they finish some of their chances early in the 2nd half. I counted about 12 shots for YV and 5 for CP. Credit to CP who capitalized on it’s few chances that it had. Will go watch the next time this 2 teams meet again for sure.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I’m sorry Cal fans, I realize now I should have elaborated on my comment… Cal is a solid team that would be tough for anyone to beat and with their record and schedule they should definetely be at the top spot in the rankings. However, that still doesnt mean that I think they’re the best team. They have a whole team of solid players, but no standouts. They aren’t as talented as other teams but have proven to make up for it through discipline. As for ‘dirty tactics’ I apologize about my comment, I had just heard many rumors and have seen some dirty play myself. It was a harsh judgement to make and I apologize. And by overrated I just mean that there are many other really good teams out there and Cal isn’t good enough to be the only team to talk about…
Most underrated teams this year:
1)Arroyo
2)College Park
3)Castro Valley
4)San Ramon Valley
Most overrated teams this year:
1)DLS
2)Acalanes
3)Amador Valley
4)Clayton Valley
(just my opinion on what I’be seen so far)
December 17th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Granada Beat Pinole 4-1 tonite. Very lopsided game. Easily could have been 7-1. Pinole scored on a real pretty header but was just manhandled otherwise.
De La Salle is good enough to win EBAL. I don’t think they are overrated at all. The play a very physical, organized game. They seem tough to score on.
December 17th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
are rankings going to be updated soon?
December 17th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Are you kidding me underrated? You really need to watch some Cal games, their goalkeeper, #6, 9, and 10 are top players. #10 scored of the prettiest goals I heard from various sources against amador.
December 17th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Dear Underrated,
As a Cal fan I admit to being biased; however, I still can agree with you. Cal has beaten/tied a couple talented teams, and by your ranking they’ve beaten 2 of your underrateds (Castro Valley and Arroyo). 2nite they got a clean sheet against a weaker Pittsburg team 3-0.
I just got a video of the goal #10 scored against Amador and wow! is the best way to describe it. Their #7 is their leading scorer and has the ability to make the open shots count. Their defense is anchored by their keeper and their captain #6. They have a very solid team.
But there are 2 games circled on my calendar and they are both DLS. They may have graduated a bunch from last year’s team but they still have their coaches and they still have their program. Cal beats DLS then CAl is for real. Sorry Granada, MV and SRV… no disrespect intended. You have good teams as well and I look forward to our evenings together; however, in my book DLS is the team to beat.
December 18th, 2009 at 7:38 am
The EBAL is just over a week old, and it’s getting interesting already… pressure building for Cal/DLS – I agree, Cal needs to beat DLS to really “earn” that #1 spot. Two things Cal will need -their #10 will need to pull the strings – it’s not just scoring goals, he needs to create opportunities for others too. I’ve only seen Cal once (against Richmond), but at this point I think their keeper might also give them the advantage.
I’m impressed by Acalanes’ 2-1 win over Berkeley this week. I’d be interested in hearing a game report if anyone is inclined. The Dons are top of my list of teams to see now.
But today and tomorrow it’s the DLS showcase tourney…the complete schedule is available on the soccer page of the DLS website. Some interesting games, some SoCal and CCS teams in the mix. I’m looking forward to Mitty vs. Richmond today at 3pm, and St.Francis vs. San Ramon Valley Saturday at 3pm. As a Bellarmine alumni, the Scrutinator will be a SRV supporter for that one!
December 18th, 2009 at 9:03 am
The above mentioned goal by Cal’s #10 can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMcEOr5NKA
December 18th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Acalanes vs. Berkeley: An early goal by acalanes off of a set play. A nice played ball into the center flicked on over the keeper into the goal. 1-0 at halftime. Berkeley scored on a controversial PK with about 20 minutes left. Acalanes played defensively up until that point, then they turned it on and dominated the rest of the game with a goal on an open net with a miscommunication between Berkeley’s keeper and one of their defenders. Acalanes looked like the better team.
December 18th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
The goal scored by Cal’s #10 against AV Tuesday night, the 3rd (and final) score by Cal, has to be one of the best individual efforts I have ever seen. That he found (or created) any daylight in such a crowd was amazing, as was his shot. It was superb!
The problem with this game was my expectation of what I thought Cal would bring to the table. There’s no questioning their record (8-0-2), but from what I saw AV gave this one away by not finishing their “all too many to count” opportunities, especially in the first half.
Much like how they allowed MV to grind out a tie last night. A nearly 3-0 lead (nice diving save by the MV keeper late in the game) turned into a 2-2 tie with under ten to play. A tough one for AV, and a good showing by MV to play all 80 minutes. But it’s hard to find fault with AV: they’re beset with injuries and seem a bit unsettled by the different faces on the field each night. Still, they have a solid core and are far from overrated. They will be in the hunt in the end.
And I predict that the second time through league will be a bit more problematic for Cal, as the surprise effect will be gone. They’re the top dog now….
December 18th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Saw the goal on youtube. The play was set up when #10 went through the first defender from behind, and the ref was 5 yards away. The amazing part of the goal was the lack of movement by the defense. There were at least two chances for a clean slide tackle kick out. The keeper was left hung out to dry.
December 19th, 2009 at 1:05 am
You must be out of your mind, there was no foul there nobody on their team is calling for it. the play happened too fast for the defense to move. give the kid credit.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Thanks for posting that video…hopefully we see more of that! It is a nice move, purely an exellent individual effort (he deserves credit), BUT he wouldn’t not have pulled that off against a solid defense like DLS, SRV, or Granada. A good defense would have knocked him off the ball and given up the free kick outside the box – there’s 4 or 5 defenders around him.
Thanks also for the Berkeley/Acalanes recap.
I saw Richmond and Mitty yesterday – ended 2-2. Richmond dominated possession, and they are a fun team to watch. Very skillful, very quick and fluid. However, I think they need to find some balance. Both of Mitty’s goals came from loose passes while Richmond tried to play out of the back. Richmond has so much talent, but they need that one “enforcer” to dominate the middle. Richmond’s goals were both superb individual efforts; I really think Richmond should be dissapointed not to have won the match.
Mitty has the most impressive keeper I’ve seen yet this year, probably won his team the draw with a few solid saves. The DLS coach told me he was the key factor in Mitty’s 1-0 win over DLS. He also said tonights DLS/CAthedral matchup should be a barnburner, and is a rematch from a SoCal tournament last year – hope to see lots of fanatics in the stands tonight!
December 19th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
61 – I did not say there was a foul. There can only be a foul if the referee calls it. I may be out of my mind but I am not blind. The defender makes a touch pass to a midfielder(?) with position and #10 gains advantage by running through the back right shoulder of the midfielder, spinning him off the ball. Last time I checked running through a player from behind without possession and spinning them off the ball can result in a foul. Granted it was a 50:50 ball, but the midfielder had position. I do give the kid credit for getting away with the aggressive move. As for “…nobody on their team is calling for it…” since when is that a criterion for a foul (this is not Serie A).
December 19th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
The kid did not have position they were both running towards the ball you can clearly see it that there is no push at all.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Topic change: I hope all of the EBAL fans don’t mind.Las Lomas beat Dublin last night in a well played game for both sides.Las Lomas pretty much controlled the first half and Dublin had the run of play for a good portion of the second half. The DFAL is up in the air from what I can see.Alhambra is 3-0 but they don’t look that strong.I think the second time through teams will have them pretty well figured.My prediction is that the usual DFAL contenders will surface as we get into the new year.
December 19th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I thought they tied?
December 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I watched the video of the goal about 10 times. I didn’t see a foul.
December 19th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Huh? Where are we on this? Las Lomas beat Dublin on Friday 1-0.I don’t know hat the former farmer is refering too
December 20th, 2009 at 1:24 am
It was nice to see NCS teams do well at the De La Salle Showcase.
BOD 2-0-0 Mitty St Francis?
SRV 2-0-0 St Francis Clovis W
DLS 2-0-0 Santa Margarita Cahtedral Catholic
RCH 2-0-1 T-Mitty W-Clovis W
This showcase had good teams represented from all three sections of California.
Good job to all 4 East Bay teams
December 20th, 2009 at 10:21 am
68 – FF is referring to the video of the goal scored by Cal’s #10 against AV this past Tuesday. Having watched the entire game and then the video, I confess I missed the apparent infraction X-sweeper alleges to have occurred. Speed of play conspired against my tired eyes.
But when I saw the video, it’s right there for all to see. It happens right at the very beginning of the feed, so you have to watch it many times to realize that #10 went “through” the defender, who had position, 50-50 ball or otherwise. But don’t let that distract anyone from the effort put forth by #10 once he gained possession of the ball. That’s the real story; the fact that he did not get called for a foul is moot.
December 20th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Acalanes = the most overrated team in NCS..
What they’re doing is no soccer it’s just amazingly ugly to watch. Dublin is better than them but pretty much play the same way. Alhambra is going to fall down ust cause their team is weak. Las Lomas is not much of a team full of stars but agains dublin they proved to be a contender. Campo simply sucks. Miramonte lost to Dougherty valley 5×0. DFAL lookin pretty close tho.
BTW: who the hell starts refereeing without knowing the game! All the referees used this year in high school seemed that never watched soccer ever!!!
December 20th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Bboy, would you mind elaborating on why Acalanes is not playing soccer? Are they perhaps merely playing high pressure soccer?
December 21st, 2009 at 6:04 pm
what I meant is that if they score they start subbing every 2 minutes and punting the ball and just not playing soccer! they stop playing to not let the other team actually play! anyone that watch any of their games will be bored to death with the way they play..
mark my words, Acalanes is not getting League neither NCS.