PLACENTIA – Something unusual happened to the Valenica boys soccer team Friday night at Valencia High.
The Tigers lost an Empire League game, the first time that has happened since 2014.
Leo Lopez and Alejandro Trujillo both scored for Western in its 2-0 victory, which halted the Tigers’ league unbeaten streak at 23 games. That streak included 22 victories and one tie.
“We just didn’t have it,” Valencia coach Barry Gardner said. “Our first touches were all over the place. We weren’t getting out as a team. We were very individual. Usually we combine really well, but we did some uncharacteristic stuff today.”
The loss moves the Tigers (14-4, 3-1) into a tie for first place with Western (7-7, 3-1).
It was also just the second time this season the Tigers have been shut out, while Western has outscored its first three league opponents, 15-1.
“It is kind of nice to do this, seeing as how they have been killing everyone in league,” Western coach John Neeper said. “We are playing good right now, but we could be playing better.”
Valencia didn’t go down easy. It took two acrobatic saves from Hernan Cortez to preserve the shutout for the Pioneers.
His first acrobatic stop came in the 59th minute when he knocked away a 20-yard shot from Jordan Viveros off of a corner kick. Saul Ramirez tried to sneak a follow-up shot inside the left post, but Cortez slid in front of the shot at the last second.
Western took a 1-0 lead on Lopez’s goal in the first half. Valencia didn’t take a shot in the first half.
“We’d get in that final third and blow it and not make that pass or take one too many touches,” Gardner said. “We just could not find our first touch today and that killed us.”
Trujillo scored in the 64th minute to extend Western’s lead to 2-0.
In the Sunset League:
No. 8 Edison 2, Marina 0: Sam Kemper contributed a goal and an assist to lead the host Chargers (15-4, 4-2).
Contact the writer: ddottore@scng.com
