ANAHEIM HILLS – Esperanza was winning its game against University, but not by enough.
And from the way the Aztecs were playing in the closing minutes of Friday’s Aliso Cup pool play match, Esperanza coach Conan Hawkins is sure that his players didn’t know how important it was to score a couple more goals.
To advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament’s premier Champion’s Cup bracket, the Aztecs had to beat the Trojans by three goals.
Although No. 10 Esperanza had two chances to extend its lead against the Trojans, the Aztecs couldn’t find the net and edged University, 2-1, meaning they finished second in the pool behind University, which advances to play for the Champion’s Cup.
“I tried to explain to them what they needed to do before the game (to advance in first place), but really all I wanted to do was see a good game from start to finish,” said Hawkins, who was coaching his first game of the season with Esperanza. He had to sit out Wednesday’s loss against Warren because he picked up a red card in a CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal match last season. “I think we got 60 quality minutes, but when Tyler (DeJianne) got hurt, things seemed to change after losing a dynamic player like that.”
Early in the second half, DeJianne collided with a University player, leaving him lying on the turf with a gash on his head above his eye. Hawkins said DeJianne probably has a “pretty severe concussion.”
Before the injury, the Aztecs (1-1) controlled possession and only let the Trojans put two shots on goal in the first half.
Esperanza took a 2-0 lead into halftime off of goals from Brain Hai in the 11th minute and Luis Martinez in the 15th. But Esperanza still needed one more to knock Warren out of first on goal differential.
Twice in the second half, the Aztecs almost got it. In the 45th minute, Jake Munivez headed a free kick just over the crossbar. Then, in the 65th minute, Luis Martinez blasted a shot off the left post, causing the ball to roll slowly across the face of the goal. But not one Aztec was following the play, so University (1-1) was able to easily clear the ball.
“This wasn’t a 2-1 game,” Hawkins said. University set the final margin with Daniel Brower’s goal in stoppage time, a shot which according to Hawkins should have been easily “parried away.”
“It was a 4-0 or 5-0 game,” Hawkins said. “We just didn’t put the hammer down when we needed to.”
