- East Bay Prep Corner
Boys Soccer: Player of the Year, Rankings, Standings, Stats
By Matt Smith
Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 4:10 pm in Boys soccer.
This week we take a look at who I think the East Bay player of the year candidates are. This should lead to more discussion from you guys about who you like.
Erik Montes: I want to start off by talking about who I think the frontrunner is with Richmond’s Erik Montes. He leads the East Bay in assists, by a good margin and is top five in goals scored. He’s a dynamic, creative player that is very important to the Oilers success.
Jonathan Ayala: The young man they call Tata leads the East Bay with 21 goals and has led Ygnacio Valley into being one of the top five teams in the East Bay. He’s a big, strong and fast kid who can create his own shot and strikes very quickly.
Jacob Carroll: The Acalanes sweeper is probably the best defender in the East Bay. I don’t know the extent of his injury, but he is crucial to the Dons success.
Josh Gomez: Gomez is not only the Eagles statistical leader, but he is the team leader as well. This team goes as he goes, and he is a big reason Clayton Valley is a legit title contender.
Gerardo Mendoza, Richmond: Another creative scorer who would probably be leading the East Bay if Richmond didn’t have so many weapons.
Edgar Damien: Personally one of my favorite players. An electrifying player in the midfield who creates chances for others, and can create his own.
Joel Sandoval: He has turned himself into quite the scorer, and has played a big part in keeping Newark as a legit MVAL and NCS contender.
Nathan Grixti: Hard to pick one player from Cal since it is their balance that makes them so, so good. Grixti is a natural scorer.
Gabriel Borges: One of my favorites since he was a freshman, looks like he has gotten right back on track along with the team.
Jaime Lopez: The Pittsburg striker is a legit goal scorer who better be marked, or he’ll beat you.
Sam Palano: The creative midfielder from Campolindo is the engine that drives the team.
Catalino Gomez: Hayward is a very talented team, and Gomez helps with his distribution, creativity and scoring ability.
Elias Jose Perez: An electric player who can get his chances even when being focused on by several defenders.
Rankings
A lot to talk about with the rankings this week. As I said in the comments on the previous thread, this week is kind of a gimme with the top ten because of Cal and DLS, and YV and Clayton playing a pair of big games. I found it hard to drop Cal more than one spot, while jumping De La Salle over them at this time. YV drops just one spot after the draw with Concord, playing without the East Bay’s top scorer and on a tough pitch.
Clayton Valley is tough for me because I feel like this team is better than No. 7, but a loss so recent to Acalanes means the Dons have to be higher. This puts the Eagles behind a DLS team they beat, but sometimes this happens because last week I had Clayton above an SRV team that beat the Eagles earlier in the year. The rankings are very week to week.
The big jump belongs to Monte Vista, which jumps six spots after scoring eight goals in two wins, including the upset of Cal.
Concord and Dublin get back in the rankings, and other teams either stood pat or moved down a spot or two as there were a lot of top teams losing and drawing last week.
1. Richmond (12-2-0)
2. California (12-1-2)
3. De La Salle (10-3-1)
4. Ygnacio Valley (11-2-2)
5. San Ramon Valley (8-3-3)
6. Acalanes (10-1-3)
7. Clayton Valley (10-3-2)
8. Monte Vista (7-1-6)
9. Newark Memorial (13-3-1)
10. Campolindo (12-2-2)
11. Hayward (9-2-2)
12. Logan (8-3-4)
13. Concord (8-0-3)
14. Dublin (10-4-1)
15. Dougherty Valley (7-4-4)
Others considered: Bishop O’Dowd (6-0-6), Granada (8-5-2), Albany (5-3-4), Berkeley (8-6-1), Pittsburg (8-6-1), Amador Valley (8-7-1), College Park (7-5-4), Alhambra (5-6-3), Mt. Eden (8-5-2), Alameda (8-7-0).
Standings
ACCAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Richmond (12-2-0, 5-0-0) 15
Alameda (8-7-0, 3-3-0) 9
Berkeley (8-6-1, 3-2-0) 9
Pinole Valley (5-6-0, 3-2-0) 9
Hercules (2-5-1, 2-2-0) 6
El Cerrito (5-5-3, 1-3-1) 4
De Anza (0-5-0, 0-5-0) 0
BSAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Albany (5-3-4, 3-0-2) 11
Encinal (3-3-0, 3-2-0) 9
Kennedy (3-7-3, 2-0-3) 9
St. Mary’s (3-0-5, 2-0-3) 9
Salesian (2-5-1, 2-1-1) 7
Piedmont (3-4-2, 1-1-2) 5
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (1-4-1, 1-3-1) 4
St. Joseph Notre Dame (2-6-0, 1-4-0) 3
Swett (0-6-0, 0-4-0) 0
BVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Pittsburg (8-6-1, 2-0-0) 6
Deer Valley (1-5-4, 1-0-1) 4
Antioch (6-6-1, 1-1-0) 3
Freedom (1-5-5, 0-1-1) 1
Heritage (2-2-3, 0-1-1) 1
Liberty (1-5-1, 0-1-1) 1
DFAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Acalanes (10-1-3, 6-0-1) 19
Campolindo (12-2-2, 4-1-2) 14
Dougherty Valley (7-4-4, 3-2-2) 11
Miramonte (4-5-2, 2-1-2) 8
Dublin (10-4-1, 2-4-1) 7
Alhambra (5-6-3, 1-3-3) 6
Las Lomas (4-6-5, 0-6-1) 1
DVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Ygnacio Valley (11-2-2, 4-0-1) 13
Clayton Valley (10-3-2, 4-1-0) 12
Concord (8-0-3, 3-0-2) 11
College Park (7-5-4, 3-2-1) 10
Mt. Diablo (2-4-1, 2-3-0) 6
Northgate (4-8-3, 1-4-0) 3
Berean Chr. (3-9-0, 0-6-0) 0
EBAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
De La Salle (10-3-1, 5-0-1) 16
California (12-1-2, 4-1-1) 13
Monte Vista (7-1-6, 3-0-3) 12
San Ramon Valley (8-3-3, 3-1-1) 10
Granada (8-5-2, 2-4-0) 6
Amador Valley (8-7-1, 1-4-1) 4
Foothill (5-7-2, 1-4-0) 3
Livermore (2-10-1, 0-5-1) 1
HAAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Hayward (9-2-2, 7-0-1) 22
Bishop O’Dowd (6-0-6, 4-0-4) 16
Mt. Eden (8-5-2, 4-3-1) 13
Castro Valley (3-11-1, 3-4-1) 10
San Leandro (3-7-0, 3-3-0) 9
Tennyson (2-3-1, 2-3-1) 7
Moreau Catholic (2-4-3, 1-3-2) 5
Arroyo (0-8-3, 0-5-3) 3
San Lorenzo (2-5-3, 0-3-3) 3
MVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Logan (8-3-4, 4-0-1) 13
Newark Memorial (13-3-1, 4-0-1) 13
American (5-6-1, 4-1-0) 12
Mission San Jose (1-13-2, 1-2-2) 5
Irvington (2-11-2, 1-3-1) 4
Kennedy (1-7-2, 1-4-0) 3
Washington (1-9-1, 0-4-1) 1
OAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Skyline (1-1-0, 1-0-0) 3
Oakland Tech (1-2-0, 0-1-0) 0
Castlemont (0-0-0, 0-0-0) 0
Fremont (0-0-0, 0-0-0) 0
Oakland (0-0-0, 0-0-0) 0
Stat Leaders
Name School Goals
Ayala, YV 21
Mendoza, Richmond 20
Sandoval, Newark 19
Lopez, Pitt 15
Montes, Richmond 14
Nguyen, American 12
Grixti, Cal 12
DeBack, Acalanes 11
Alvarez, Albany 11
Glascock, Acalanes 10
Alejandro, Alhambra 10
Gomez, Clayton 10
Hartland, Dublin 10
Name School Assists
Montes, Richmond 19
Damien, YV 13
Borges, Albany 10
S. Palano, Campo 10
Ayala, Richmond 9
Mendoza, Richmond 9
Maguire, Acalanes 8
Gomez, Clayton 7
Marshall, Dublin 7
Dougherty, Newark 7
Ayala, YV 7
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January 16th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
EBAL predictions:
MV 2, SRV 2
DLS 3, CAL 1
AV 2, FH 1
LIV 1, GRA 2
January 16th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
I don’t see Cal losing two straight games. I have no clue what is going to happen in the MV SR game. Should be wide open.
January 16th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Cal will be missing at least 3 key players, so I don’t see them rebounding unfortunately.
January 16th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
You have to checkout the under the radar team of Skyline in the OAL. We have talented players including Babacar Diallo #8. He is only a sophmore but is already a leader on the team, at 6’3, barely 16 years old he needs to get recognition for his raw talent. He has incompatible creativity combined with speed and a uncanny ability to get in goal scoring position. As a midfielder he has deadly ball distribution but also the ability to take by himself from midfield to the goal. Come check Skyline out as he is not the only talented player! In the season opener he scored twice against Oakland Tech (one by header and other by juggling the ball over 2 defenders and blasting it into the back of the net!)
January 16th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Hi Kris, (#4)
Would you know where to get Skyline’s schedule from?
Thanks in advance.
January 17th, 2012 at 12:12 am
#1 Soccerman,
Who on defense will Cal be missing? This is a 1-1 match, worst case for Cal. Cal can play that JV sized field as well as anyone.
MV will not score 2 on SRV at home. I see SRV 2 or even 3 to 1. It is a matchup deal.
I will try to make both matches.
Cheers, and see you at the pitch!
January 17th, 2012 at 12:23 am
Apologies: Paydirt’s comment should be attributed to The Sweeper.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:11 am
#6 Patdirt,
Cal willbe missing #2 Brown on offense and #12 Kinnee on defense and still not playing Wilcox in goal. That would be the same as DLS’s best forward, best defender and Konstintio not playing.(all key players who can make a difference.)
Also MV is at home.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:47 am
oops sorry,”Paydirt”
January 17th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Who is DLS missing other than Konstantino?
January 17th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Kudos on the inclusion of Edgar Damian in your list of potential “Player of the Year” candidates. This talented junior is one of my favorites too. He is smart, creative, fearless, and surprisingly unselfish. As good as he is, I doubt Tata would be posting the kind of stats he has racked up without Damien on the field. He is the consumate playmaker who somehow always finds a way to make things happen. FYI… He has led his club team to the #3 ranking in the USA. One question: How come there are no keepers on your list? We have some great ones playing out there like DLS’s Konstantino and Cal’s Wilcox (when he’s healthy).
January 17th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I haven’t seen Konstantino yet, and Wilcox won’t have enough playing time this year to be a candidate. He was hurt and is now sharing time.
And to be honest, I’m still waiting to see the keeper that wows me like Mangels did last year.
Who do you guys think are the best keepers?
January 17th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Can anybody compete with Acalanes in D2?
January 17th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
YV?
January 17th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
I think YV can. I think Campo can.
January 17th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
I will have to go see yv play. Campo lost a ton of guys from last year. Won’t be able to compete with Aca heading down the stretch
January 17th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
I think the better question is will Acalanes be able to compete with YV down the stretch. YV is by far the best D2 school in the East Bay.
January 17th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
The best goalie in EBAL isn’t even playing. DeLaSalle freshman JT Marcinkowski is better than all in the EBAL. National team player for the past 18 months and current Earthquakes academy Keeper. I’m sure DLS could use him. Konstantino is bigger JT is better.
allow it!
January 17th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
From personal experience against both squads, Campolindo is by far superior to Acalanes. Acalanes’ defense was the weakest I’ve witnessed in years, and if they are without their sweeper for a long duration the losses will start to accumulate.
January 17th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Natural Righty-
You are deffinetly wrong on that one, Konstantino is a WAY better goalie than JT,ive seen JT with the Quakes and hes not all that, im against you on this one. Konstantino is better.
January 17th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
I think that most of the players listed play in a league that is not as competitive as EBAL. The teams in EBAL are more well-rounded. Most players on CAL, DLS, MV, and SRV would excell in any other league.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
MV-1, SRV-0 at the half.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
SRV PK ties it 1-1. 30 min left.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Mercedes,
You are definitely wrong on that one. I have seen most of those teams you mentioned except for Cal. Yes, the EBAL may be the best league as a whole, but i wouldn’t say any player would excel in other leagues. In a league like that DVAL where there are three week teams in Berean, Mount Diablo, and Northgate; yes they may do better. But you can’t say that would absolutely excel. I guarantee you have not seen YV, Clayton, or Concord play. The DFAL also is a strong league. Lots of teams with talent. I bet you have not seen any of these teams either. Way to much to say any EBAL player would excel in other leagues. Of course there are a few that would, but not all.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
MV-2, SRV-1 final
January 17th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Konstantino is not hurt, nor is any key striker or defender for DLS.
With that said, the Spartans scored three minutes in and lead 1-0.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
matt, i think the post by soccerman wasn’t saying that DLS is missing any players, but comparing Cal’s current injury situation to what it would be like for DLS.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Renegades, you are completely right. I’m an idiot.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Konstantino is great, but watching the MV game tonight, I think their 2nd half keeper, Redd, is just as good if not better. Best save of the year so far and kept denying SRV the net time after time.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
BTW, Redd is the same keeper who made all those great 2nd half saves against Cal too.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
@ Cokito (#5)
All games start roughly at 3:30 pm
Jan. 19th- Oakland High vs Skyline @Skyline
Feb 2nd- Fremont High vs Skyline @skyline
Feb. 7th- Skyline vs Castlemont @Casltemont
Feb 9th- Oakland Tech vs Skyline @skyline
Feb. 14th- Skyline vs Oakland High @Oakland High
Feb 21st- Skyline vs Castlemont @skyline
Fev 23rd- Skyline vs Fremont High @Fremont High
January 17th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Reason No. 134 why I hate running the clock to zero. All the little stoppages added up to nine minutes of stoppage time in the first half.
This has to stop.
DLS 1-0 at halftime.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
DLS-1, Cal-0 at the half. And a big Happy Birthday to Brother Michael!
MV-2, SRV-1, final. Some fine goaltending in this match.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
acalanes is better than campo this year. Just look at the standings. I wish the dons would play yv this year. they sound like a very good squad this year and i think a match between the 2 best DII schools would be a very entertaining match. and as far as what tack said about this acalanes defense being “weakest” in years. the defense is definitely one of the best in the east bay and definitely the best in the dfal. yes they have let up more goals this year than they have the last couple years but still have one of the lowest goals-against in the east bay.
@matt
jacob carrol broke his tibia and will be out for the rest of the season. his loss will be immediately felt but i think the dons strong defensive display against cv is a testament towards how strong the defense still is. he should still be a strong candidate for east bay player of the year because we all know he would have gone nowhere but forwards had he not been injured.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
YV beat Northgate 2-0.
DLS just scored again. 2-0 with about 25:00 to go.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Horrible to hear about Carroll. Great player and a nice kid.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Matt,
Any score for CV and Concord?
January 17th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
3-0 DLS.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Hey Matt, is DLS really that much better then Cal by beating them 3 0?
January 17th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Concord and Clayton are tied 1-1 with 10 minutes left.
DLS is up 4-0.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Soccer5454,
DLS looks really, really good tonight. Moving the ball very well, not just playing kick ball. They are being patient offensively and closing down quickly when Cal gets in the attacking half.
I think Cal looked a little deflated after the second goal.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Concord and Clayton tied 1-1.
January 17th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Did the final for CV and Concord end up 1 to 1?
January 17th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Sorry Matt, didnt see your post.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Looks like the annual Spartan run to the playoffs has begun. They sure know how to peak at the right time.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Pitt vs Deer Vallley @ Dv 1-1…more like a grudge match then a soccer game. The field did not help pitt move the ball like they are used too.
Antioch vs Heritage 1-1..
January 17th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
dfalfan,
I hope you took no offense to my comment. I meant weakest as compared to previous years, not compared to other teams, as you already provided support for. However I stand by my words of Campo being a better team than Acalanes. Remember, though, my view is as a neutral opponent to both parties; Campo was a tougher opponent and had a midfield containing pure raw talent that Acalanes can’t live up to. They are a great team and definitely know how to win, but the loss of Carroll coupled with a normal midfield (is their keeper back yet? Matt?) should provide difficulties.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Any score from AV vs FHA?
January 17th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I meant AV vs Foothill
January 17th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
MV continues to prove people wrong. Are they a spoiler or a potential NCS contender. I believe Cal, SRV and De la salle are the contenders from EBAL. Can MV be included in there?
January 17th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Freedom 3 liberty 2
January 17th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
AV 3 Foothill 2
January 17th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Sparty is looking good. Structured but creative offensively. Defense was covering very good..some unsung heroes in back field and at mid. Some of the Cal players did seem a bit deflated but others kept up the fight. However it was good to see Cal’s Wilcox come in at GK..2nd half. He has a commanding presence and a new maturity about him and will be a factor as he recovers from shoulder injury and sees more time in goal and the push starts for NCS.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Matt:
Nice words (#41) but as you know the DLS v. Cal was not the game everyone expected due to Cal missing three top players and losing two due to injuries during the game. DLS scored early but was arguably outplayed during the second quarter, due in part to Cal’s control of the midfield in part because DLS was missing an ill strong defensive midfielder. Nevertheless, the scrappy DLS defense held strong; by my calculations this defensive line has not given up a goal in the past 5 1/2 league games and is a key component to the success of the team. Together with an offense hitting its stride, DLS left Cal further bruised and beaten…the DLS team is now tough to beat on both ends of the pitch.
This win is synonymous with the Richmond win over MV, so do not count Cal High out; they are a very talented, tough team that is just experiencing a mid-season blip due to a perfect storm of injuries and a strong player in the red card penalty box…
Kudos to MV. As I commented two weeks ago, this is a very good team; better than the sum of its part. SRV is, unfortunately, the opposite. Great players, no chemistry…they have a great coach, so look for them to find the key as the season progresses, and if they can hang in to the end they could run deep into NCS.
Looking forward to hearing about the YV v. CV game on Thursday…
FJPHOTOGUY: Great to see you; looking forward as always to you spectacular pics…
Looking forward, Matt, to seeing you again at the pitch for the DLS v. Richmond game…
January 17th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Matt:
One issue: No defenders (other than one keeper) on the list of player of the year candidates…sad.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Matt, Seems a little early to be speculating on MVP’s and All league selections. Better served for 1-31 then take a look how all is shaking out with all of the talent and final push. This is like selling Christmas decorations before Halloween. DLS is looking interesting..they seem to be improving and peaking going into the final NCS push. Game at a time, week by week they are getting that edge nice and sharp.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
@dls defender
jacob carroll is a defender on this list and is very capable of winning that award, even with the very sad way his season ended.
January 17th, 2012 at 9:59 pm
I think a player overlooked in the candidates is Fardeen Shaiwany of Dougherty Valley. His name might not be in the stats, but he is pure magic on the ball. He orchestrates the Dougherty Valley attack and when on his game, he is nearly impossible to stop. Shaiwany might seem invisible in some games as he is man-marked, but taking the opposing team’s best defender out of the game still helps the Dougherty attack.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
@dls defender
jacob carroll is a defender and arguably the best in the east bay. its really sad to see him injured so badly during what was supposed to be his most special and best season. Still should be a contestant for player of the year.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
sorry for saying comment twice. when i looked back it didnt show up so i thought it didnt send. my apologies.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
I agree on Fardeen from DV. Kid is a freak. DV would be nowhere without him.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Martinez from Clayton valley has 9 goals and 8 assist and scored in today match against concord high. Do you think the combination of gomez and martinez can help defeat the power house Ygnacio valley in the leagues match up game this Thursday at 330 . Big home field game for the warriors but also a big game for Clayton valley too.
January 17th, 2012 at 11:05 pm
In every discussion about the “best” local High School soccer league I think it’s fair to say that the EBAL is ranked either #1 or #2.
With all this early player of the year talk it peaked my interest how few of the players named came from this league.
Now take a look at the stats at the top of this weeks rankings. Only 1 EBAL player on the entire list of leading goal scorers and assists.
So, what does this tell us?
Over rated league? Other leagues and teams have easier games so the stats are somewhat flawed?
January 17th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Midfielder, (#63)
There may not be a ‘best’ HS soccer league. And even if there is one, it may be a function of time, meaning one moment it is one league, one moment it is another.
I think it is fair to say that certain leagues usually have certain characteristics that others do not have. If one likes physical soccer, then maybe the EBAL is the best league. If one likes more technical, creative soccer, then maybe another league is the best.
As to stats, I think you answers are both reasonable. Yes, the EBAL is probably often over-rated. And yes, there are leagues in which it is easier to score than in the EBAL, though I have been seeing quite a few blowouts this year there.
January 17th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
ACCAL results:
Berkeley 2 – EC 2
Richmond 6 – Hercules 0
January 18th, 2012 at 8:08 am
Even though De La Salle is doing well in leauge, I think San Ramon Valley is the favorite in the NCS right now.
I watched MV vs. Cal and DLS vs. Cal. Cal is dominant and plays well in certain parts of the game but they play so physical and their tackles should be questioned. MV is the same way. Both the MV and Cal coaches need to get some of there players under control. All these Cal parents (above) need to stop complaining about injuries and red cards after what I have seen. They tackle late which leads to injuries. Cal doesn’t have the depth to compete against Richmond or SRV.
January 18th, 2012 at 8:21 am
Richmond flat out killed Hercules, but Hercules also lost a number of players who either quit or got disciplinary sanctions for unknown reasons. Still, Richmond pulled ALL of their starters at the half, and I have to say that their SECOND team, could beat a number of the other teams I have seen this year.
Again, DLS, Richmond is the game to see. They are fast ,clean, and tackle very well.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:35 am
Fardeen I believe is a former Earthquakes Academy player.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:47 am
can anyone help me with this question or situation?
Pk was granted. A player from the kicking team goes down, “injured” was not involved in the play and away from the action. Before the kick, the player was taken out and a new player brought in. Player taking the Pk was taken off the Pk for that new player that was substituted in. Can that player take the PK ?
Why do we let ref’s do this if not legal ?
Please help
January 18th, 2012 at 9:56 am
11 v. 11, that’s a great question. I think the new player can take the PK, because he is subbed in before the PK is taken.
I wanted to throw a few comments about the Clayton v. YV game out there. It’s going to be a great game, maybe the game of the week.
However, both teams are banged up. YV is without Ayala and Calixto while Clayton has injury problems in the midfield, and has players who are just coming back from injury who aren’t quite fit.
Regardless, should be a very hard fought match that I am very excited for. YV has the comfortable position of a draw really helping them, but I spoke to their coach who says they will absolutely play to win. I love it.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:56 am
Anyone on the field can take the PK, Goalie included. Up to the team/coach.
If the player came off injured and the ref allowed the sub before PK was taken. The sub is allowed to take PK.
As I understand it anyhow.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:37 am
The player who just came on to the field should not be allowed to take the pk. The coach can easily tell one of his players to fake an injury to get his best shooter in the game to take the pk.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:40 am
Thanks for the fast answers.
Matt-
I see you mentioned about injuries of players on this game of the week. It should matter in the sense of spectators and show.
Now its up to the coach’s to make it happen. How will they adjust and come out playing?
Will both teams have a big enough bench to cover those players out.
I see that the standings leaves it open for YV to tie that game , but any good coach will never have that mentality going into any game.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:42 am
DVAL1
I agree 100%. And great point about an injury.
Thanks
January 18th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Both the laws of the game and the high school rule book are very clear in stating that a player brought on the field at the taking of a free kick CAN NOT TAKE THE KICK. This was a serious error on the referee’s part.
I wish you could find out who this referee was. He should be reported to the assignor.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:57 am
Good knowledge, Mudhen.
January 18th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Matt, Will Ben loan you the horns for Geek on the Pitch?
Will the higher ups give you a live game blog or a weekly soccer blog..say wed at 12?
January 18th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Shinguard, you must be reading my mind.
I was trying to think of a time to set up a live blog. I could either do it from a game and update the game while answering questions, or do it on an afternoon. Thursday or Friday would be best for me.
Let’s hear from everyone on this!
January 18th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
I think both days for one or two hours would work ok. Since some coach’s have games on Thursday and some on Friday. … ?
January 18th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Mudhen:
Don’t be too hard on the Ref; I’ve been around the game for 40 years, coached for 14 and been a licensed ref for many…I may have missed that call…pretty uncommon… That said, rules are rules and this was good knowledge on your part!!
Shinguard: Can you give more info re “Geek on the Pitch”??? I’m new to this one…
January 18th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
DLS defender..CC Times..Ben Enos during football season does a clip called the “pig-skin geek.” go to cctimes sports you will find.
Matt does a great job on the soccer coverage and I think the interest would be there for a weekly live blog considering he hits over a 100 on most of these post.
January 18th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
At DLS Defender also check out DLS and CAL coaches interviews at baypreps..very good.
http://www.baypreps.com/2012/01/ebal-mens-soccer-roundup-audio/#more-4420
January 18th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
DLS Defender,
High school refs get a bad reputation just for that kind of mistake. I should know I am one(but not for EBAL).
One of the fascinating things for me on this blog is to read the ref comments. And I must say, many of them are warranted. High school reffing is full of old fogeys who can’t get the games in club or adult anymore, but for some reason are still the lords of the pitch in H.S.
You folks down EBAL way are lucky because Terry Broderick has a LARGE group of active state (and a few national) USSF refs to choose from, while to the North, there are some guys who should not be allowed anything over u-10 kids, but get the games due to personal relationships with the assignor.
A number of the games I have read comments about the officiating, well, I KNOW the guys you’re talking about , and it doesn’t surprise me at ALL.
Frankly, challenging or meaningful Boy’s varsity games should be reserved for state level centers and 7 level A.R.’s with current badges.
January 18th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Mt. Eden 2, Hayward 1
The HAAL is a little more wide open. The Farmers match with O’Dowd on Friday is a big one.
January 18th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Cal and San Ramon will be a cracking game tomorrow. Both teams need wins coming off tough losses in EBAL. Should be a fantastic game between two exceptional teams.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
DLS Pictures from last nights Cal/DLS game are available on http://www.fjphotoguy.com. Cal’s are going up right now. Please stop by to check them out!
Matt, it was good to finally meet you in person, wish the game had been a little more competitive but Cal is definitely short handed right now.
Sweeper, as always, good to see you and I appreciate your commentary as it’s always spot on (other than that crack about Cal parents…).
DLS Defender, as always, good catching up with you. Can’t believe how many years we have been watching our boys from across the field!
Conrad – where are your pictures? I want to see what that beautiful 300MM 2.8 lens is capturing – I’m very jealous!
I plan on shooting the Cal SRV game tomorrow night (weather permitting) and then hopefully CV vs YV on Saturday. See you on the pitch and keep it positive when you are supporting these fine young men.
Chris G. the FJ Photoguy
January 18th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Mustangfan53, how is SRV the favorite when they lost to DLS and MV and tied Cal, which DLS and Mv beat
January 18th, 2012 at 10:53 pm
Hey Chris,
Nice work again with the Cal@DLS match photos. Just curious, but does the DLS setup present any unusual challenges shooting a match? That setup is almost as outdated as The ‘Stick, doh! Brother Michael, the birthday padre on the 17th, should do something about that.
FYI, CV@YV is 3:30 Thursday. I still haven’t figured out how to make that one and then SRV@Cal: that darn work thing keeps getting in the way.
On Saturday, The Sweeper recommends Miramonte@CV at 12:00, then a stop at The Dog in Danville (1 block from SRVHS), then Richmond@SRV at 3:00, and then MV@DoughertyV at 5:00 (Note: DV has been charging $5 at the gate). Most of the action seems to be east of the tunnel on the 21st.
Regarding the officiating at matches, I believe that the EBAL scheduler got it right with the crews at SRV@MV and Cal@DLS. They were up to the challenge of these talented squads.
Cheers, and see you at the pitch!
January 18th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Mudhen, Hercules lost half of their 33 Var/JV players due to grade eligibility and cancelled all JV games. The team that played Richmond is a mixture of remaining Var/JV players. Unfortunately, this is very disappointing for both Hercules players and the JV teams that were scheduled to play them. Hopefully, Other teams will not face similar faith when the semester grades are out soon.
January 18th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
In addition to the Saturday matches mentioned in the prior posting, The Sweeper also recommends CPark@Dublin at 4:00. Can’t forget the props to Tack and the Gaels. Yet another east of the tunnel match…
I am thinking of catching the second half of CPark@Dublin and then the second half of MV@DV, and avoid the tolls.
Cheers, and see you at the pitch!
January 19th, 2012 at 6:35 am
EBAL predictions:
Liv 0, MV 3 (mv finding groove)
FH 1, GRA 2 (should be a good match)
DLS 3, AV 0 (dls on a scoring and blank sheet roll)
SRV 1, CAL 2 (if wilcox plays otherwise srv 3, cal 2)
Cals keeper keeps getting beat on the long high shot. (25-40 yards, 3 times in last 2 games.)
January 19th, 2012 at 7:03 am
Soccerman,
Can you give AV one goal? They roared past Livermore 5-0, scored 2 goals v Foothill in first 5 min, tied MV, and should have at least tied Cal except for a letdown and a couple mistakes in last 5 min (which admittedly were unfortunate)?
January 19th, 2012 at 7:17 am
Lionel Messi,
sorry, 2 things, first DLS is pushing hard for clean sheets. They have a streak going. second, the AV goals against cal were gifts.(own goal and a goalie mistake) I would love nothing more than to see AV pull off an upset, but my predictions are from what i have seen recently. I have now seen all the teams. Why is thier no talk about DLS’s #24 he was one of best players that i have watched this year.
anyway, good luck to all teams play hard with no injuries.
January 19th, 2012 at 8:25 am
I will try to give full info on the CV vs YV game. Maybe not up to the minute but enough to have those missing this game feel not left out.
*** Please give this game a crew of great ref’s ***
January 19th, 2012 at 11:31 am
Big day in the DVAL. Most likely whoever wins todays matchup between CV and YV will win the league title. With the first match being a toss up, I expect the same from this match. Both teams have a lot of speed and are both very physical. I am predicting a 2-1 score in favor of CV. CV is coming off a tough last week with a loss to Acalanes on saturday and a tie with Concord. They will be motivated as they have been dropping in the rankings. With the league title on the line, it will be one of the tough matchups of the year for YV.
Anyone else have predictions on this game?
I will also give updates on this game for those of you that can’t make it out for the early start.
January 19th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Sweeper, thanks for pointing out my inability to match the date on the calendar to the day of the week, much appreciated. As to your question about shooting a game at DLS, it is actually a very good field. They have 6 excellent light standards which provide excellent coverage of the entire field (this compares with 4 crappy ones at Cal). The fact that there is no sideline on the press box side is a bummer but it does provide for some interesting angles that I don’t get anywhere else.
So my possibilities for shooting a game on Saturday are Miramonte @ CV at 12:00, Richmond @ SRV at 3:00, and MV @ Dougherty at 5:00 or College Park @ Dublin at 4:00.
The latter 3 are more geographically desirable and I would like to see Richmond in action but I can be swayed if public opinion is sufficient.
I would like to thank the people who have stopped by the site. I had 12,000 page views on Monday which is awesome. I also had several orders which I greatly appreciate. Traffic has been light on the DLS game, please stop by at http://www.FJPhotoguy.com if you have some time.
See you on the pitch and keep it positive while you are there.
Chris G. the FJ Photoguy
January 19th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Although San Ramon has lost some games I would call them a very strong NCS contender. With that being said I do not think they are an NCS favorite by any means though
January 19th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
@ Soccerman
Excellent insight on how keeper choice could influence the outcome of the Cal v SRV match. Wilcox tips the whole equation in Cal’s favor. He’s not only sharp between the posts, but he’s also a true defensive captain who can hurt you with the counter attack. The buzz is that he is… and has been… 100% ready to play, with many on the Cal side questioning why their coach is holding him back.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Just heard that Tata may be playing for YV.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
He’ll play, but won’t start.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
1 0 yv at half
January 19th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Yv 1-0 cv
January 19th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
the goalie will not make the difference in the srv game. their finishing ability will make the difference. if they finish, they will win. if not, they will lose or tie. they will create plenty of chances; they have in each game this year, missing way, way too many chances. for example, they missed many, many chances against MV including an open net from 7 yards out. it has been their issue all year. they are a very talented team having trouble putting teams away. also, the second mv goal was an OG; the game should have been a tie at worst for srv.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
YV 2- CV 0. Refs were horrible in both ways. Let parents yelling affect the game because they listened to them. YV played better and deserved the win. CV played some good kickball at best. Not to sure why CV coaches took out number 10 at the end. He was the biggest threat for CV and he was pulled with 10 minutes to go. Maybe an injury? Did not look like it to me. YV should have no problem locking up the DVAL title.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Yv 2. Cv 0
January 19th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Score CSL srv?
January 19th, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Varsity >DLS 2 Amador 0 at half.
JV squads 0 0 draw..many opertunites for both JV teams but some solid D was played.
January 19th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Of course I meant Cal v SRV.
January 19th, 2012 at 7:48 pm
DLS 2 Amador 0 > Final
January 19th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
SRV was up 5-1 last time I heard.
January 19th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Wilcox had substantial shoulder surgery during the summer and is still doing re-hab and is not 100% yet..Why push it… he still has 2 years. Save him for when you need him.
January 19th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
5-2 SRV Final.
January 19th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
I made both cal games this week, and the only thing I can say is wow. I know injuries happen, but this team is playing uninspired ball, they aren’t fighting for each others. I have been around this program for about 5 years now and not even three years ago when they won one league game did this team play without heart. We’ll see how the team really responds after a tough week as it’s the first time it has happened in three years.
January 19th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
EBAL Results
DLS 2 – Amador 0
MV 4 – Livermore 1
SRV 5 – Cal 2
Foothill v Granada ???
January 19th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Foothill-2, Granada-2, very even game!
January 19th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Listen, after an interesting week of games, it’s intriguing to see San Ramon coming back from a tragic loss to monte vista and run over cal. The game was 3-0 at half! Wow. And de la salle beating amador by a slim margin! Interesting. It’s going to be an interesting year ladies and gentlemen.
January 19th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Did wikcox play?
January 19th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Matt:
DLS scored early and again on a set piece in the first half…the second half was somewhat lackluster except for great plays by both keepers…outstanding!
Kudos to:
the AV coach who admonished his own fans when frustration got the best of them…best example of PCA principles seen this year…
FJPHOTOGUY for again posting the best soccer photos imaginable…and…
The DLs defense for another nil performance…
Congrats to YV…separated by a parking lot, would be a fun game v. DLS…
January 19th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Did anyone hear score of College Park v. Northgate? I heard Northgate 2-1. Earlier game was College Park J.V. 6-1 v. Northgate J.V. How can this be? College Park J.V. has lost 1 game all year…Varsity is nearing bottom of league.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
ACCAL Results:
Hercules 3 – Pinole 3 – there were incidents during this game; both coaches red carded
Richmond 3 – DA 1
Berkeley – Alameda Friday
January 20th, 2012 at 6:22 am
#115 Soccermom95,
no, he did not play.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:10 am
Northgate did beat College Park 2-1.
Anyone know the Liberty/Heritage score?
Any BSAL scores?
January 20th, 2012 at 7:35 am
Soccerman thanks for info. Baffled as to why.
January 20th, 2012 at 8:02 am
Any details on YV -CV game?
January 20th, 2012 at 8:23 am
Standings entering Friday, with Berkeley/Alameda, HAAL and MVAL games left.
ACCAL
Richmond 21
Pinole 13
Berkeley 10
Alameda 9
BVAL
Pittsburg 10
Freedom 7
DV 5
Antioch 4
DFAL
Acalanes 19
Campo 14
Dougherty 11
DVAL
YV 19
Concord 15
Clayton 13
EBAL
DLS 22
MV 18
SRV 13
Cal 13
HAAL
Hayward 22
BOD 17
Mt. Eden 16
MVAL
Logan 16
Newark 16
American 12
January 20th, 2012 at 8:23 am
Wilcox is still a sophomore and has two more years..so why push it. Cal is in a funk they need to pull it together or the balance of the season will falter.
January 20th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Good morning everyone…. YV vs CV
I asked the YV coaches if i could voice feed the pregame chat: ” To fast …. To strong ”
Coaches exchange rosters, captains pick sides , and game underway.
Knowing that a new line up with some players out YV came out the gate super strong and direct…. shot miss. Shot save.
YV with a fast direct touch on the ground and hunger to score, CV began by defending.
CV was playing a 4-5-1 style of offense and was some what predictable. Hit the target and put pressure on the defense and hope for an error. Gomez was and is so key for this team. #10 on CV plays great but was some what disconnected from Gomez. CV would attack fast and spread the ball out wide to have it a few touches later be centered and set up on top of the box for a shot. I saw YV’s defense everytime step up and challenge every ball possible, not giving CV a chance to shot.
14 -15 minutes in YV is on a break away from Aguilar to Damian, whom found himself on a one on one, with the keeper coming out and cutting off the angle , Damian looks to the left to find Hogan running side to side for an easy shot on gol. Damian pass, Hogan shot.
YV 1-0
Yv’s game plan seem to be control, control, control. And that they did. The sync this team has from Keeper to forward is great to watch.
Yv created more shots on gol but keeper made saves and kept things the same. Ten minutes left in the game yv’s defense becomes under fire. Ref did make some calls that were …. to be nice…. just not good.
Cv took some great shot and defense steps up once again getting everything out. In gol … ” Brian” so i heard … made some great saves and was always communicating with his defense. Great work.
CV #17 is great in protecting the ball and looks for his teammates for a better chance at a score. Great player. Runs and never gives up.
Half 1-0
Right of the gates … Cv comes full pressure. Yv was taken a bit by surprice but handled well. Brian again making good saves and communicating.
Yv holds on and keeps the same game plan from the start. Control , pass , control and pass.
Some very … not so great calls were made by the ref. Yellows began to fly, but nothing faster then this Aguilar kid. So fast and explosive down the middle.
Aguilars first touch gets him one step or two in front of any other player. The main control was held in the middle by Damian and Aguilar. This duo is magic on the field.
With the chopped up kind of a game the ref and players were giving us 20 minutes in, a light of brightness shined when Aguilar’s speed was too much for CV’s D to handle and with a one on one breakaway shot , which angle was cut off, the shot goes wide. CV held its breath long and hard will the fans for YV stood in awwww, just what they needed for the game to pick up once again.
Cv controlled the game in set pieces and gave Yv a scare. Great crossing chances were created by CV.
With a ball being passed back to CV’s keeper , Hogan challenged the ball and put pressure , keeper cleared it down the middle to a CV defender. A miss handled ball in the middle found the ball in TATA’s feet with a keeper out, a 40 to 45 yard shot was taken and the ball finds the net.
The players go crazy, the fans, the bench , that stadium was rocking.
2-0 YV.
With minutes left CV takes a shot … ball is bouncing in until a Defender clears the ball right off the line.
Still keeping a blank sheet at home for YV.
Another victory for YV.
Take a lot at what could be a record breaking stat year for YV.
I will look into it.
Great game. CV will do great in NCS , they are a great team.
January 20th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Sorry about the grammer errors …. Take a look* at what could be a record breaking stat year for YV.
At work…. SSSHHHHHHH
January 20th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Heritage 0
Liberty 0
Game was played majority in the midfield. Few break aways here and there, but a very nice played game. Neighborhood kids playing in the sandbox. Seemed that the players all knew each other
January 20th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
EBAL Fan – post #113,
I try to keep my comments to photography but I take umbrage to your statement that the Cal team is not playing with heart. 6 of the original starters have been out in the last two games and the boys on the field are still working their butts off to try and get things together. Many of the kids on the field have not played a single game together before this week so yes, the chemistry is definitely off.
The two captains in particular (Driggs and Grixti) are both really dinged up but they are working as hard as they can to right the ship (I have the photos to prove it!).
This is a tough patch for Cal, hopefully they can regroup and get healthy but please respect the efforts of the kids who are doing everything they can to win the ball for 80 minutes at a time.
January 20th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
Why is everyone so high on wilcox?
He wouldn’t start on his club team now that he can play. Konstantino would be the starter on this team since they are the 3rd team in the nation with him and have depended on him to take them passed crucial teams something wilcox wasn’t able to do. He is a great keeper but I believe the de la salle keeper has emerged as a top keeper in the area.
January 20th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
One last note – one of the boys played the whole game Tuesday on a sprained ankle and a foot that is most likely fractured. That takes a lot of heart.
January 20th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
cal did play hard last night. the difference for srv last night was that they finished their chances. they are a very fast, tall, skilful and very deep team. they have been creating plenty of chances, just not finishing. tomorrow’s game with richmond should be a good one. from a talent perspective, the only team in ebal that comes close to srv, in my opinion, is de la salle. the two teams are both very talented.
January 20th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
@ Ncschamps Frankly, I am surprised that Konstantino wasn’t on the list of potential “player of the year” candidates. The DLS captain is having a superb junior year between the pipes and he has yet to have an opportunity to show off his most amazing talent – stopping pk’s as he once again so expertly demonstrated in The Surf Cup final last summer. And there is no controversy about Tino’s playing time at DLS – he owns the keeper position and his play in goal speaks for itself every Tuesday and Thursday night.
The thread on Wilcox is about how he can make a difference at Cal… not on his club team. He could be one of the keys to a mid-season turnaround for the suddenly struggling Grizzlies. Insiders say that he is healthy and ready to play. That’s what the Wilcox buzz is all about.
January 20th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Wilcox and Konstantino are on the same club team!
January 20th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
I agree that Konstantino is the better keeper both at high school and club levels.
Personally, I am not high on Wilcox but he would definitely make a difference at Cal. Don’t understand why he’s not starting. Just because he has two more years to play shouldn’t mean a thing. Guess I am not going to understand it.
January 20th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
NCSChamps you are absolutely correct!
January 20th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
@SoccerMom his injury was substantial he played most of last year with the problem. At best he is about 90% why waste a kid when he still has club and 2 full seasons of HS ball and possibly college. You are thinking short term…not long term whats best for the player. He should heel completely and work his way back in which appears is what is being done.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
So now that im hearing all about goalkeepers i wanted to bring up the goalkeeper from Concord, i was at the concord game against CV and YV and he did an awesome job both games. The tie concord got against cv was because of him, that game could of easily been 8-1, he saved concords butt, he is an awesome goalie and he is on the same level that konstantino is in.Hes been doing so good in high school.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Rogue. Thank you.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Soccer fan # 133, while SRV and DLS MIGHT have more individual talent than some other teams, in soccer individual talent means very little. This is why Monte Vista has been so successful…they play hard all of the time, they have great chemistry and they play as a team. Their coach is also good at identifying the individual talent of the other teams and devising a game plan to shut it down. I think surprises will happen in the NCS playoffs.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Hayward scored early to go up on O’Dowd 1-0.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Yes, talent does not matter in soccer. Of course, surprises will happen in the tournament. That is the nature of sports. Upsets happen, like when mvhs tied Livermore and Amador Valley.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
This is blog is not on a Boys Varsity match. But wanted to share that this game is as physical as any game out there. Just got word that the Varsity keeper for the Deer Valley Girls was airlifted to hospital after getting kicked for one and then her head hit the goal post. The word on the field is severe concussion. Let’s hope a safe recovery.
January 20th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Hope for a safe recovery indeed.
January 20th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
2-0 Hayward at half, and Castro Valley was beating Mt. Eden, last I heard.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Hayward wins 3-0.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Richmond vs San Ramon Valley Tomarrow at San Ramon at 3. A real test for Richmond.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Matt:
Tomorrow’s game Richmond v. SRV will be a huge game…SRV is coming into its own (finally)…they have too much talent–once the chemistry thing gets worked they will be very tough…
The DLS defense, which has only given up two goals in league play this year and has not given up a goal in January, will have their hands full next week…bring it on!!
January 20th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Whose is the player on Cal that is playing on an almost broken ankle? It’s just different from last year, I guess Cal was lucky last year as they went undefeated with no injuries to Rivas, Fagenson, Danielson and the core of their players
January 20th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Berkeley 1 – Alameda 0
January 20th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
In regards to the MV tie against Amador. I do not think Amador is nearly as poor as there record shows. They could have easily won 2 more games in the first cycle of EBAL.
January 21st, 2012 at 12:53 am
A lot to cover after a 48 hour work scramble:
Amador is a quality squad that should not be underestimated…but they need to cover all 80 minutes.
MV is playing well as a unit, and that goes a long way in the playoffs…except if they face Richmond again: it is a match-up thing.
SRV is like the friggin’ SJ Sharks, talented and routinely outshoots opponents, but the defense is not aggressive on scrum plays in the box and goals happen…they may just match up against the Oilers later today: we shall see.
Cal has truly been hit with more injuries than any team I can recall in the past 5 seasons…so the survivors need to regroup and get their act together over the next 3-5 matches, and then close strong. Cal needs to load their healthy talent in the middle (Chris, you know what I mean) and tough it out like I know they can.
CV seems to be the SRV of D2, very talented with firepower, and occasional defensive lapses…but never, ever count them out.
DLS is in fact hitting its stride, so they should cruise through the second half of the EBAL season…not really. From what I have seen, if the injury bug does not hit the Spartans (knock on wood), they will be the favorites come showtime.
Additional D2 comments will be forthcoming after next week: yeah you Alcal, Campo, DoVal, Dub, Mira and of course YV (the DLS of D2? what is in that Treat water?).
And then there is the NCS selection committee…UUGH!!!
Cheers, and see you at the pitch!!!
January 21st, 2012 at 9:19 am
EBAL Fan – #8 is the player with the ankle and foot injuries, unfortunately the doctor bills come to me on that one…
Sweeper, you are spot on as always. You should start a college soccer scouting service if you have not already done so. You also deserve a seat on the selection committee given the fact that you most likely will see more games this year than anybody.
I am still trying to decide what I do this afternoon but I am thinking of catching the first part of the Richmond – SRV game then heading over to Dougherty – MV if the weather is good.
Pics of Cal-SRV should be up by tomorrow morning at http://www.fjphotoguy.com.
See you on the pitch and remember to keep it positive out there!
Chris G. the FJ Photoguy
January 21st, 2012 at 9:48 am
A lot of good games today:
Richmond v. SRV
Acalanes v. Pinole
Miramonte v. Clayton
St. Joe v. Berean
CP v. Dublin
El Cerrito v. Alhambra
MV v. Dougherty
If anyone has updates or finals on these throughout the day, let us know.
January 21st, 2012 at 9:49 am
And if anyone has any BSAL scores, I could use them.
January 21st, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Sweeper: Kudos…you are spot on…we’ll see what happens to the SRV defense today…
January 21st, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Mt.Eden 3 – Castro Valley 0
January 21st, 2012 at 12:59 pm
SRV matches up to Richmond much better than MV did. Also playing on the more narrow field at SRV will help SRV greatly and hinder Richmonds style of play using the flanks.
January 21st, 2012 at 2:02 pm
PV 2 Acl 2 > Final
January 21st, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Pinole will be a dangerous come playoff time.
January 21st, 2012 at 3:42 pm
1-0 Richmond 28 mins in.
January 21st, 2012 at 5:18 pm
SRV wins 2-1 on a header with .8 seconds on the clock!!
I will leave the analysis to the professionals (good to see you Sweeper and DLS D) but it was a very good game by two teams with very different styles.
The winning goal was maybe 5-10 feet from me so my autofocus choked (I’m gonna stick with this excuse) but I will have some good pictures up in a bit.
Chris G. the FJ Photoguy
January 21st, 2012 at 5:26 pm
SRV 2, Richmond 1
January 21st, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Alhambra 3 / El Cerrito 1 >Final
January 21st, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Matt:
The Richmond v. SRV game was a good one; two teams with very different styles of play.
I missed the first half with Richmond leading at half 1-0. SRV came out strong and dominated the first 8-10 min of the second half, but then seemed to stall. A nice cross from the left wing resulted in SRV’s first goal, and then the game changed. Coaches from both teams received yellow cards, a change in refs lead to tighter calls, multiple yellow cards to players on both sides, and Richmond was called for tripping from behind so many times I lost count. Could hear the Richmond fans screaming at the Ref…not good…my opinion: Richmond got a little dirty with the game tied and time ticking..
A foul on Richmond with 45 secs left resulted in a kick from mid-field by the SRV goalie who put it on the mark…the ball was deflected to Richmond’s left, but put back into mid field on the 6 where Richmond’s goalie–boxed out by his own player–was unable to punch it out…a header by SRV with 3 secs on the clock ended the game for the stunned Oilers…
It should be noted that the Oilers missed two breakaway opportunities in the second half to put the game on ice…only a nice defensive play (looked to me like a foul from behind but it wasn’t called) and great play by the SRV Keeper prevented what could have been a loss…
Makes for an interesting Race…SRV beats Richmond; SRV loses to DLS…DLS v. Richmond next Saturday…
SRV is clearly back on track, although missing a key player–Colin Barber–for today’s game…look for an even stronger offense with him on the pitch…
FJ Photoguy: great to see you…sorry about the autofocus, but you were able to capture the Oiler Keeper blocked out by his own player for the header…Nice!!
Sweeper: Great to meet you…looking forward to your analysis…hope to see you in Richmond…
January 21st, 2012 at 6:08 pm
clayton 2 miramonte 0
January 21st, 2012 at 6:09 pm
It was definitely a foul from behind, and a red card too, but hey, no call, no foul.
Now Richmond has to pull it together for DLS next Sat.
January 21st, 2012 at 6:10 pm
MV up 2-0 @ DoV, 28 left.
January 21st, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Photo’s of the last 30 seconds of SRV-Richmond are up on http://www.fjphotoguy.com. I will be uploading a gallery for each team tomorrow or Monday.
See you on the Pitch
Chris G. the FJ Photoguy
January 21st, 2012 at 6:35 pm
MV-2, DoV-0, final.
January 21st, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Dublin 0 – 3 College Park
College Park came to play today. Really nothing more to say.
January 21st, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Berean 2. St. Joe. 0
Berean won !!! Nice . This team needed that.
January 21st, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Correction …. 2-1 Berean
January 21st, 2012 at 8:52 pm
Albany 1, Miramonte 1
Albany 7, John Swett 1
January 21st, 2012 at 9:46 pm
SRV prevailed 2-1 at home against Richmond with a last second goal on a header. DLS Defender did an excellent write-up at #166, and his comment about the contrasting styles was spot on. Here are my semi-random comments:
Richmond, as is their style, controlled play much of the match, and SRV made good adjustments midway through H1 and at halftime, and never stopped challenging the Oilers.
The goal by Richmond was a textbook FIFA-quality touch-and-shoot laser from 25 yards, squeezing between the left post and the SRV keeper’s fingertips, and perhaps grazing both.
Each team created numerous scoring opportunities, with Richmond blasting, chipping, bending and skipping shots from all angles, and SRV bull-rushing the box in a forceful way.
The SRV coach was vocal and animated (in a good way) with the mid-fielders, and it paid off the last 50 minutes of the match.
There was an officiating shift early in the 2nd half (possibly injury related), and this changed the tempo of the match in SRV’s favor: more whistles and reduced flow. The Oilers struggled with the change (tighter calls), and yellow cards were awarded to on-field and off-field participants on both sides, including one yellow after the final whistle…no emotions there…yeah, right.
I did not see any plays that warranted a red card, and I had no particular gripes with either center ref’s style, though they too were quite contrasting.
Overall, this was a very entertaining match that lived up to my expectations, and both teams were tested to their limits.
Those in attendance today saw what I suspect could be a preview of an NCS semi-final match. Any rematch short of the NCS final will likely be hosted by the Oilers, as they should get a league champion seeding/hosting privilege.
The match next Saturday with DLS @ Richmond should be another high quality match.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention my “alert ref award” for today. There was almost an NHL moment at the Richmond@SRV match today, when during an out-of-bounds break, two opposing players were retreating side-by-side only inches from “throwing down the gloves” and going at it. The ref alertly and immediately intervened and rightfully awarded side-by-side yellow cards, while I sat in the stands, biting my tongue to behave like a high school fan, and thwarting a Shark-Tank feeding frenzy. I guess that I have not erased that positive coaching alliance kool-aid from my remaining brain cells: a good thing.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Andrew Konstantino > wilcox
Andrew has a goalie coach at de la salle whose got drafted last week, he has a team that trains extremely hard, and a backup who pushes him. he has all the right conditions to be the best in the league and is earning it, last week versus Amador he saved the game for De La Salle and against Cal had a self proclaimed best save of his life. You guys are crazy to think any other keeper in ebal, or JT is better, anyone whose watched JT play can tell you he isnt on andrews level
January 21st, 2012 at 10:59 pm
The SRV/Richmond game was very entertaining. Some very good soccer from both teams. 1-1 probably would have been a fair result in my opinion SRV was also missing Tim Scatterday today.
January 21st, 2012 at 11:23 pm
This SR win today totally shakes up the rankings. DLS is my projected number 1 but now what do you do with SR, Cal, Richmond, Clayton Valley, and Monte Vista. All of these teams should shift around a little bit.
January 21st, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Hey Soccer Fan #178,
Good point about a fair result in the Richmond/SRV match being 1-1, though I was thinking 2-2, because each defense did show occasional vulnerabilities, such as: 1) clearing loose balls in the box, 2) clearing loose balls in the box, and 3) clearing loose balls in the box. Hmmm, I had another point, but it does rank close to 1), 2) and 3).
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2012 at 11:59 pm
That darn Paydirt handle keeps popping up. Sorry for the miss-post.
January 22nd, 2012 at 12:46 am
I was also able to catch the SRV vs. Richmond game. Lots of folks there catching the game as one would expect. Great to see everyone!
I was only able to catch the first half. Special thanks to fotoguy for sending me the final.
My view:
Creative play – Richmond
Speed of play – Richmond
Tech skills – Richmond
Counter attacks – Richmond
Possesion – Richmond
First to the ball – even
Size – SRV
Speed – Richmond
Goalie play – SRV
Create chances – even (although SRV’s best chance first half was a gift)
Fun to watch – Richmond
But the one that counts, final score – SRV (that’s soccer, especially EBAL)
and finally best formation – Richmond.
Kudos to Richmond Coach-
I love to see coaches shake it up and try different formations in order to give their team the edge. Leaning on their great players a bit in order to create creative play in the offensive 3rd. Richmond played with 3 backs the first half and it worked like a charm. Crowding the middle and ensuring a spread 3 on every counter attack up top seem to confuse SRV. SRV obviously made adjustments in the 2nd half. If Richmond’s left forward knew how to use his left foot better, I believe the score would have been different in the first half.
DLS will have their hands full. The fact the game is at the Spartan stadium does favor DLS.
I still see Richmond as the team to beat, although SRV did their job today(congrats), Richmond’s play is very creative and dangerous. In a rematch I would pick Richmond.
Just to comment on Cal’s recent struggles, I think it goes deeper than just missing 6 starters: confidence and not forcing play. Even with the players they have on the pitch now they are dangerous. They need to relax and play their game and they will be fine. The tough part is convincing the current starters of that. Get them to play simple, yet hard……do not force things and do not play kickball. I know easier said than done, but even when and if they get the main players back this will need to happen in my view.
Just my 2 cents worth……
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:15 am
Richmond high will choke and not win this yeaaaar like always will come to the finals or something they will choke.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:20 am
Yo Bench warmer,
The Richmond D.L.S.game is at RICHMOND. That should help the oilers as it is a huge field and the Sartans play a style more similar to SRV.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:33 am
@Bench Warmer #182: DLS travels *to* Richmond next Saturday at 4pm actually.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:48 am
@Mudhen you r correct. This weeks big game is at 4:00PM Saturday the 28th at Richmond vs De La Salle.
Sparty has a tough set of games this week all possible classics…Tuesday at home 6pm vs Monte Vista and Thursday 6pm at SRV then Saturday with the Oilers. Soccer fans you will not be disappointed if you make it to any of these games.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:50 am
thanks Mudhen and Ilovesoccer…well then….I think Richmond keeps their number 1 ranking after that game…….my prediction……
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:57 am
The Richmond DLS game is at 5:30 . Go early tho’ and you can watch two of the best JV teams hammer it out.
I do wonder about DLS scheduling three really vicious games in a row–they’re good, but even big teenagers wear out eventually, and SRV is gonna be loaded for bear after winning against the oilers.
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:31 am
@Mudhen..All info I have for Sat the 28th is JV game at 2pm and V at 4pm not aware of any changes. Oilers schedule in Maxpreps also shows 4pm for V game.
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:40 am
Let us pray to the soccer gods..may the referees be fair and not be hommers,may the phantom PK be non existent, may the whistle be limited so we have a rhythm to the game, keep the cards in the pocket unless fully warranted..Otherwise..PLAY-ON
PS Parents keep your cool.
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:59 am
also in regards to the cal losing streak. They have not lost to poor teams by any means. MV, DLS, and SRV. They will hit a bit of an easier stretch in upcoming weeks and recover.
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:34 am
Tuesday EBAL predictions
SRV 4 Foothill 0
Amador 2 Granada 1
Cal 5 Livermore 0
De La Salle 2 Monte Vista 1
January 22nd, 2012 at 12:52 pm
some people care way too much about high school soccer, like jesus christ, is this what u guys do all day
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Gameofficials.net(the assigning site for EBISOA referees)
shows the JV start at 4:00 P.M. and the varsity at 5:30 P.M. Matt, if you have OFFICIAL KNOWLEDGE that differs from the assignors, let us know
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Confirmation from Rene Siles from Richmond that the game starts at 4:00.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Vaporiking, I believe this is the 4th straight time MV was predicted to lose. Keep it up and they just might go undefeated the rest of the season!!
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:42 pm
EBALdad this is very true but even with MV’s good form I believe the game being at DLS, I had to give the advantage to the Spartans. I am very impressed with the Mustangs, dont get me wrong.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Playing at dls is very different. The field is very, very narrow. It really affects the flow of the game and makes long throw ins a key. Mv has a very good long thrower and is good in the air. SRV has 3 of its 4 losses on the dls field.
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:26 pm
can’t wait for the de la salle game.
January 22nd, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Today’s excuse is narrow field, tomorrow it’s De La Sale recruits, De La Salle practices 365.242199 a year, and they drink a magic potent. Seems like Spartans have done OK at Dublin High the past 3 years.
January 22nd, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Dublin ain’t Richmond.
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Not an excuse, just reality.