Soccer: Clayton Valley Boys End Season With 2-0 Win Over Concord High

Clayton Valley’s boys soccer team got on the scoreboard four minutes into Thursday's match and kept Concord High scoreless, 2-0, throughout the last regular game of the season.

The Eagles’ Lucas Arriaga pushed the ball upfield and delivered a cross into the penalty box. There, Ben Hordy passed the ball to Zach Jacobson, who volleyed it past Minutemen goalkeeper Emmanuel Jimenez and into the back post.

“[The goal] was real important, we had to jump out soon to an early lead and put the other team on their heels and just keep the pressure on them,” said Jacobson.

The Eagles' quick and early score  threw Concord High’s tempo off rhythm, making it difficult for the Minutemen to succesffully approach Clayton Valley's goal.

What did it:

Hard work throughout practices is what Eagles head coach Rory Gentry credits his team's seven-game winning streak.

“We wanted to make sure we were staying consistent with our game plan,” said Gentry. “Keeping the ball moving, not trying to keep it all in one place, switching the field, making sure that the ball is being hit as hard as possible.”

The second Eagles goal came ten minutes into the second half after a ball got away from the Minutemen goalie.

The Eagles' Arriaga fired a low shot from the top-right corner of the penalty box and the Minutemen’s Jimenez made the save, but when the ball bounced out of his hands, Eagle Josh Gomez tipped it in, scoring the last point of the match.

What didn't do it:

“I just had a bad game, all game,“ said Jimenez. “It was just one of those games that you’re off.”

Both teams lost plenty of balls in the middle of the field and often found themselves battling for control in the air. Clayton Valley’s offensive players were able to connect on a couple of long passes, but did so incocistently.

“Right now we’re playing a lot of long balls and we start to get tired,” said Jacobson. “We need to start winning the balls in the air and we’re losing in the middle a little bit.”

Fatigue was evident on the Eagles' side of the ball late in the second half.

Concord High’s Travis Watson nearly scored after receiving a long pass and beating a Clayton Valley defender. Watson softly kicked the ball, barely putting the soccer over the goalie.

“It was my last breath and I was running as fast as I could and [the ball] was to my non-dominant foot,” Watson said. “I just one-touched it hoping it was going in, all I needed was a little more pop on it and it would’ve went in. The defender came out of nowhere to kick it out.”

What's next:

Both teams will be playing in the playoffs but have plenty of work before their next game.

Coach Gentry believes the Eagles can make it to the final and win the championship.

“Last year we got knocked out of the semifinals. We want to make the finals and win the whole thing. We got a great group of kids and they’ve work hard for four years and they deserve it.”

Concord High head coach Alfonso Muñoz knows his team needs to improve control of the ball. 

“We need to work on our transition game. We get the ball from the defense and we’re losing it in the middle, so we just got to solidify the middle.”

Jimenez believes the Minutemen need to first eliminate minor mistakes like that of the second goal, described above.

“Those are the things we need to work on at practice, follow every ball so that [other teams] won’t get goals like that. Goals like that aren’t supposed to happen in a game; your defense is supposed to support you so if you do a bad mistake like that, they’re there to clear it away.”

Clayton Valley finished the regular season with 17 wins, 4 losses and 3 ties, while Concord High finished 13-2-4.