Sunday Wins in Pleasanton Earn Medals for Alameda U14 Boys Select Soccer Team

The Alameda United U14 Boys Select soccer team played brilliantly on Sunday, Sept. 25, winning two games against tough competition to bounce back from a rough Saturday start and earn third-place medals in the Ballistic United Soccer Club (BUSC) Fall Harvest Classic in Pleasanton. 

Alameda United finished with two wins, one loss and one tie in the BUSC tournament, rebounding from a lackluster and sloppy start on Saturday, Sept. 24. 

The kicker (pun intended) was that Alameda came back Sunday afternoon to dominate, in playoff competition, the same Sunnyvale Alliance Soccer Club team that completely outplayed United the previous afternoon. 

“Our team showed a lot of heart,” said Alameda head coach Ben Putterman. “They came back and played like champions on Sunday.” 

But before the Sunday heroics, there was a heavy dose of Saturday heartache. Alameda began its Saturday struggles with a frustrating 2-2 tie against the eventual tournament champions, the Mountain View/Los Altos Clash, in a morning game that United should’ve won. 

Both Clash goals against Alameda were due more to defensive confusion and lapses than to Mountain View’s offensive prowess, and the second Clash goal came with just two minutes remaining in the game. Both of Alameda’s goals were scored by Jano Heljo, the second off a Prawat Somwongsa pass following a beautiful cross from Saul Vazquez. Vazquez’s overall performance at midfield and forward was a bright spot in this game. 

There were few bright spots in the first half of Alameda’s second Saturday game, against the Sunnyvale Alliance Impact Red. “We looked awful,” said Coach Putterman. “We came out flat, and were thoroughly beaten by a strong team in all phases of the game.” 

The result was a 5-1 halftime deficit. Alameda surrendered more goals to Sunnyvale in one half than it had given up so far in all of its previous games, and it was the first time this fall that Alameda faced a deficit at halftime. How did Alameda respond? “We put that ugly half behind us, and vowed to win the second half,” said Coach Putterman. 

Alameda didn’t win the second half of Saturday’s Sunnyvale game, but it didn’t lose it either — it tied 0-0, to keep the final score at 5-1. Second-half goalkeeper Ivan Garcia worked hard to keep the Alameda net clear against Sunnyvale in the final 30 minutes, with strong support from defender Wesley Cheung. Saul Vazquez stood out again as well. 

This tie, unlike Saturday morning’s, felt more like a victory. “Playing more competitively against a strong opponent that half was huge,” said Coach Putterman. “It set the tone for Sunday’s games.” 

Sunday was a fun day for Alameda — it shook off Saturday’s lethargy and played some of its best soccer of the season.

It started Sunday morning with a resounding 4-0 victory over Mustang Arsenal. For the first time all tournament, Alameda dominated play like it has in its league games, playing much of the contest in front of its opponent’s net and taking far more shots on goal than the other team. 

No one made more shots that morning than Alameda’s Ivan Garcia, who posted a three-goal “hat trick,” including a penalty kick, to give Alameda a comfortable 3-0 advantage. Prawat Somwongsa provided the icing on the cake with a second-half goal. 

The unyielding defensive back line of Wesley Cheung, Kenyon Ebert, and Carl Penney helped goalkeepers Markus Gilbert and Michael Woodworth post a shutout against Arsenal. This earned Alameda the maximum 10 tournament points for this win, pushing them into the consolation final game Sunday afternoon against none other than the Sunnyvale Alliance team that had stomped them a day earlier. 

The Sunday rematch was a completely different game. Alameda ‘s defense — led by goalkeeper Ivan Garcia and the back line of Wesley Cheung, Kenyon Ebert, Michael Woodworth, and Carl Penney — shut out Sunnyvale in the first half. Meanwhile Alameda jumped to a one-goal lead that it wouldn’t relinquish when Prawat Somwongsa lifted the ball over the Sunnyvale goalkeeper out of a scramble.  Alameda 1, Sunnyvale 0. That’s how the first half ended. 

Alameda built on that lead in the second half when Cameron Putterman headed a Jano Heljo cross into the net, setting off a coaches dance on the sideline. To its credit, Sunnyvale battled back for a second-half goal, but it was too little, too late.  Final score:  Alameda 2, Sunnyvale 1. Third place medals: Alameda.  “I love playing Sunday afternoon soccer on tournament weekends,” said Alameda assistant coach Phil Woodworth. 

Head coach Ben Putterman agreed, and also had these closing words: “I’m proud of our boys. They came together and played terrific team soccer [on Sunday]. The whole team earned its medals, but I should mention several of our boys for special recognition. 

“If I were to pick a tournament MVP for us,” Putterman continued, “it would either be Wesley Cheung or Saul Vazquez. Wesley was a warrior for us this weekend, as he usually is. Saul was steady, solid, and reliable in every game. He’s relatively new to our team, and his play this weekend was a revelation to us coaches. He contributed greatly and played smart everywhere we put him. Both boys are a joy to coach. 

“Other boys stood out as well,” Putterman added. “Ivan Garcia played great in goal and filled in spectacularly at center forward when we needed him Sunday morning, scoring a hat trick. Osmar Vazquez (Saul’s cousin) played well this weekend — he’s a terrific passer and a solid defender. He’s a very good all-around player, like his cousin. And last but not least, a shout-out for Sam Yuen. Saturday afternoon was rough for him, but like our team, but he bounced back, stayed positive, and made good plays on Sunday, particularly in the afternoon game when it really mattered. His coaches noticed and were impressed.” 

The next travel tournament for Alameda United will be the Davis Legacy Soccer Club’s Lily Nisen Memorial Shoot Out, Oct. 29-30 in Davis.  Alameda United resumes league play Saturday, Oct. 1 against the Piedmont Soccer Club Highlanders, a battle of the #1 (Alameda) and #3 (Piedmont) teams in their league.

Do you have pictures or game notes for an Alameda-based team or athlete? Send them to eve@patch.com.