Golden Valley rallies to reach Division III final
| Wednesday, Feb 25 2009 02:24 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:21 PM
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Top-seeded Golden Valley rallied for a 3-1 victory and will now host Porterville in the championship game Friday.
Highland's Mario Bulgara, left, and Golden Valley's Eric Chavarin eye the ball during the first half of Tuesday's playoff match at Golden Valley. Golden Valley won the match 3-1.
Golden Valley's Jose Garcia (11) clears the ball before Highland's Christian Quintero can reach him the the first half of their playoff at Golden Valley Tuesday night.
Highland's Mario Sorto heads the ball against Golden Valley's Eric Chavarin in the first half of Tuesday's playoff match at Golden Valley.
Golden Valley boys soccer coach Troy Lynch is known for his fiery demeanor and loud halftime speeches.
But with his team down 1-0 at the half of its Division III semifinal match against visiting Highland Tuesday night, Lynch unexpectedly took a different approach.
“I was calm for the first time in my life,” Lynch said.
The tactic worked to perfection as top-seeded Golden Valley rallied for a 3-1 victory and will now host Porterville in the championship game Friday.
“We were just going with too much urgency,” Lynch said. “We were dominating the game and they got a goal. They had two or three shots in the first half and one went in. I just told them ‘settle down and the goals will come. You just can’t force things. You have forty minutes of soccer.’ ”
The Bulldogs (24-2-3) controlled most of the action throughout but didn’t break through until Julio Cruz scored in the 43rd minute, just moments after Lynch’s halftime instructions.
“Coach said ‘pick it up the game ain’t over, there’s still forty minutes of play left,’ ” Cruz said. “ … And we picked it up.”
After finally tying the match, the Bulldogs kept up their relentless pressure on Highland keeper Carlos Rodriguez.
"I told them that they are going to come at you harder than they ever have before,” Highland coach Vince Gonzalez said. “I told them that they are going to come at you hard and they did.”
In the 65th minute, Cruz took a back-header from Joel Jaurequi and headed just inside the far post to put the Bulldogs up 2-1
Seven minutes later, Jose Tirado clinched the victory with a low free kick past a wall of Highland wall of defenders and into the back of the net.
“We played hard and it was a great game just like the last two games we played against them,” Gonzalez said. “We just fell short again.”
No. 5 Highland (16-9-4) had three first half shots on goal including a Jonathan Carter goal in the 22nd minute.
After sidestepping one last defender, the junior forward slotted the ball into the left corner of the net past Golden Valley keeper Edgar Valladolid who was off his line and had no chance for a save.
Golden Valley was the aggressor early in the match, dominating possession time and creating several scoring chances. One came in the ninth minute when Cruz fired a long shot from the middle of the pitch that appeared on target but sailed over the crossbar.
The Bulldogs turned up the heat even more in the second half.
“They knew it was do-or-die and their season was over,” Lynch said. “And they reached down and found something extra special and they put it away tonight. It was a tough game. Luckily we came out on top.”
