Valencia knew what was coming in the second half. The Tigers even made an adjustment to their defensive shape, dropping one defender back deeper into the box.
But nothing could stop Leonardo Morales on Monday as the Fullerton senior forward seemed to be able to run right down the middle of the field at will, scoring two goals to lead the Indians to a 3-2 pool play victory against Valencia in the Sunny Hills Summer League.
With 12 minutes to go, he knocked in the game winner after he ran right by the Tigers’ final defender.
Valencia’s keeper stopped Morales’ first shot, but the rebound went right back to Morales, who tapped in the ball to set the final margin.
Morales is called “Pony” by his teammates, but after this game, Fullerton coach George Shumaker said he might start calling him Bulldog instead after muscling his way through the Valencia defense.
“He has got the desire to want to succeed, and the only difference between winning and losing with high school kids is the six inches between the ears,” Shumaker said.
Morales, Shumaker said, also benefitted from playing up top last year with Yazi Hernandez and Michael Licon, both experienced leaders for the Indians who were lost to graduation.
“It (playing with Hernandez and Licon) made him a better player and leader. It made him a better student and he has a better attitude toward the game,” Schmaker said.
About 30 seconds after Valencia took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute off a free kick from just inside the semicircle, Morales knocked in the equalizer for the Indians.
Five minutes into the second half, after Morales fought his way through the Tigers’ backline and fired an uncontested shot across the face of the goal, Valencia coach Barry Gardner changed the shape of his defense. But Morales still had little trouble finding space in the final third.
“He has a lot better soccer intelligence (this year),” Shumaker said.
Martin Palacios also scored for the Indians, flicking in a long throw from Andy Pena in the opening seconds of the second half. His goal tied the game, 2-2.
Fullerton has become a fixture in the championship match of the summer league, but this year with just two games to go until the playoffs begin next week, Fullerton is in eighth place in the 11-team field.
“But we will be at the top,” Shumaker said. “We will be there.”
