BREA – When Eli Rico-Torres began playing up top for Sonora, Brea Olinda coach Steve Teal tweaked his formation, man marking the senior forward and dropping players back into space to take away the Raiders outlet. It was the only way Teal saw to contain him.
“He (Rico-Torres) is so difficult to deal with. He is such a good player,” Teal said. “I knew it was going to be that way.”
Despite Teal’s efforts, Rico-Torres still got off three shots inside the box in a two minute span in the second half. Each one though was slightly off the mark, and host Brea Olinda edged the Raiders, 1-0, in a Wildcat Cup quarterfinal match on Thursday.
Bryan Reynoso scored the game winner for the Wildcats (3-1), knocking in a long throw in the 10th minute.
Despite returning only one starter on defense, senior center back Derek Moon, the Wildcats have now shutout their last three opponents.
“We are playing really well and staying really organized,” Teal said. “The guys are really tight, and it is going well for us. I am pleased so far with the defensive structure.”
Rico-Torres, who also plays a midfield role for the Raiders (1-3), definitely tested the Wildcats’ back line, launching two shots just over the crossbar and one off the right post in the second half.
While Willie Allgeier, Brea Olinda’s senior goal keeper, tried to field a ball just outside the 6-yard box, Rico-Torres continued his run in the 59th minute, got to the ball before Allgeier and had a clear shot at an empty net. The ball, though, just went over the goal, just like his shot from 18 yards out one minute later.
Rico-Torres finished his two-minute assault on the Wildcats in the 61st minute.
He collected a pass from Steve Vizarraga near the penalty spot and took at the right side of the goal. But his shot ricocheted off the face of the post.
“Soccer is such a funny sport. I think we played well enough to win. But it’s a game of chances and you have to capitalize on your opportunities. We didn’t. Brea did,” Sonora coach Cory Witt said. “They (Brea) had a couple of chances here and there and they put them away. But today was the best soccer we have played in four games.”
