Andrew Fasano
Staff Writer
The game of soccer can be unfair, especially when the team with more scoring opportunities is also the one shaking their heads after the game.
Mira Costa’s girls soccer team was defeated by Redlands East Valley High School 2-1 in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs in an away game on Thursday. The Mustangs were unable to capitalize on a late goal from junior midfielder Genevieve Watkins, leading to their eventual loss.
“We played well the entire game,” Watkins said. “We shut down on two occasions and we were just unable to finish our scoring opportunities inside the 18 yard box.”
Early in the first half of the game, the Mustangs conceded two goals which they weren’t able to counter until late into the second half. The Mustangs went back into the locker room at halftime trailing 2-0.
“We were all frustrated at halftime because we could not finish our opportunities,” senior midfielder Viviana Villacorta said. “With two goals put on us, our morale was low but the coaches told us to take a deep breath and play our hearts out for each other.”
Just before the halftime whistle, Villacorta made her way into the box, drawing a foul, giving the Mustangs a penalty kick. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Villacorta’s shot was saved by the diving keeper, keeping Redland’s lead at 2-0.
The Mustangs’ girls soccer team website.
“We definitely had the intensity and fire the entire game, especially in the first five minutes,” Villacorta said. “We had a missed penalty kick and a lot of one on one opportunities. The ball just didn’t want to go in for us.”
Video: The Mustangs battle on an offensive corner kick in its 1-0 loss to on the road to Redlands Valley High School in the CIF playoffs. The Mustangs face an early playoff exit n the first round, following their road loss to Redlands.
With just five minutes remaining in the game, the Mustangs were able to find the back of the net. Watkins was able to finish a volley off of a corner in which was taken by her sister, freshman forward Grace Watkins.
“It was exciting for us to regain some hope with a few minutes left in the game,” Genevieve Watkins said. “We were just unable to find a late winner in the closing minutes of the game.”
The Mustang’s recap of its schedule from the 2016-2017 winter season schedule.
The Mustangs conclude their season at 13-5-2 overall and 5-3-2 in the Bay League. Villacorta says the team had a successful season, but they had a couple of bumps in the road, preventing them from reaching maximum potential.
“This season, the team had its ups and downs,” Villacorta said. “It was hard getting the results we wanted when some key players were missing for a substantial part of the season. Our performance could have been better and we, as a team, felt we had the potential to win it all.”
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