It was an intense game as Aragon’s boys varsity soccer team faced off against its Sequoia High counterpart on Jan. 23.
“I feel like it was more competitive [compared to previous games],” said freshman and right midfielder Christian Dominguez. “We weren’t on the ball as much, so we didn’t have many chances, [but] we weren’t taking control over the game too.”
The game was rather even until Sequoia took control in the second half. The final score ended as 0-2 in Sequoia’s favor.
The team’s win rate has declined compared to previous years. Their record thus far has been 4-9-2 overall and 3-6-1 in their league compared to last year’s 12-6-2 overall and 6-4 in league.
The main reason is the vastly different lineup from before. The team this year is much younger, almost completely rebuilt and composed of largely sophomores and freshmen. This widely differing arrangement has reduced the connection between players.
“Last year, the team had more chemistry than now,” said junior and right back Peter Lopez. “Our team right now is full of younger kids, so [our] coach has to adapt.”
While the chemistry is still somewhat stagnant, the team is doing well in other facets.
“We have a pretty easy time connecting our passes to each other,” said senior and midfielder Rone Yamasaki. “We’re sort of forced to do that since we’re a young team, [and] we don’t have a lot of humongous athletes.”
Nevertheless, the team takes pride in their defense.
“We usually hold teams to no more than two [goals],” said senior and striker Benjamin Peachin. “I think the past few games have been pretty low-scoring games, like 1-1, 0-1, 0-0. Our strong suit is definitely our defense.”
The game started with Sequoia in possession, but within the first two minutes, Sequoia was edging towards Aragon’s goal, ready to attack. The back rank was able to repel them, stealing and passing the ball towards Aragon’s offense. By the eighth minute, it was Aragon’s turn to attack.
The tension of the game shifted back and forth for the next ten minutes, with both teams making their respective attacks on goal. 20 minutes in, Aragon had a chance to take a shot at the goal. It went slightly high.
In the 26th minute, it felt as if Aragon’s momentum came to a stop as #10, senior and attacking midfielder Josue Morales, got injured. He walked off and was replaced. Momentum continued to change, but by the end of the first half, the odds were shifted in Sequoia’s favor. They had made more attacks and had control of the game.
Sequoia rode the momentum into the second half, scoring the first goal of the game in the 59th minute.
“I felt like they took over the game and we just dropped our heads [after Sequoia scored their first goal],” Dominguez said. “We didn’t want to play anymore.”
Later in the second half, Sequoia had an injury of their own as #12 Alexander Kodl came down and was replaced.
In the 73rd minute, Sequoia was back on the attack and started to move towards Aragon’s goal. The ball, however, went slightly high and landed atop the goal.
From the 76th minute onward, the game’s intensity cranked up even higher. Sequoia continued to break through Aragon’s defense, eventually scoring a goal.
The final score was 0-2, a strong contrast compared to Aragon’s 3-0 win a month and a half ago. Some players reflected on the loss after the game.
“I felt like we could have done better as a team,” said Dominguez. “I felt disappointed because not everybody gave it 100%.”
The team is in a rough spot, being composed of young players. However, things still seem optimistic as the young team continues to grow. Their next game will be Feb. 13 against Hillsdale High School.
