The Godinez boys soccer team scored 77 goals in the regular season, is ranked 11th in the state and earned the No. 1 seed for the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
Yet Coach Ruben Fernandez was still a bit nervous before Saturday’s first-round match with visiting Fontana.
In the past couple of seasons, the playoff opener, he said, proved to be the biggest challenge the Grizzlies faced during the postseason, trailing by a goal each time late in the second half.
“In the playoffs, it can be anybody’s game,” Fernandez said. “One bad game can send you home. The best team doesn’t always win.”
That wasn’t the case on Saturday. Godinez was clearly the superior side, using three second-half goals to cruise to a 5-1 victory against the Steelers at Santa Ana Valley High. The Orange Coast League champion Grizzlies (21-1-0) will play San Luis Obispo (19-3-2) in the second round on Wednesday.
“I don’t think it was our best game,” Fernandez said. “But we executed well and finished our chances well. We had to adapt to the game plan.”
Midway through the first half, the Steelers (16-9-2) began to press the Godinez, preventing the Godinez from smoothly linking up on their combination passes.
It was during the 10-minute span that Fontana tied the game. A sloppy Godinez clearance allowed Juan Rodriguez to score an easy goal in the 26th minute, evening the game at a goal apiece. It was one of only two shots that Fontana put on goal.
Bryan Ibarra gave the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, and Rigoberto Lizardi delivered what turned out to be the game winner in first half stoppage time.
“We were fortunate to get that goal right before halftime because it settled our nerves,” Fernandez said. “For a while the momentum changed.”
Jose Macias, Ibarra and Andy Sosa each had a goal in the second half to set the final margin. Macias fought off two marks as he dribbled in the box, and put his shot in the upper left corner of the goal in the 44th minute.
Ibarra posted his 30th goal of the season in the 57th minute, heading in a corner kick. Sosa scored four minutes into stoppage time after collecting a rebound inside the 6-yard box.
In a CIF-SS Division 1 match:
Edison 3, Warren 1: Zac Ingalls scored two goals and Dom Bair added another to lead the host Chargers (20-4-1) to victory. They will play Mission Viejo in the second round on Wednesday.
