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Damian Dottore. Sports. HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – Something strange happened Friday at Anaheim High.

The Valencia boys soccer team gave up a goal. That has happened only four times in the unbeaten Tigers’ 13 games this season.

The goal, by Anaheim’s Eduardo Chavez early in the first half, also marked the first time Valencia has trailed this season.

At halftime, Valencia coach Barry Gardner told the Tigers they had to “play with grit,” make some tackles and get physical in the second half.

The Tigers listened, and in the 57th minute Noah Engstrom knocked in the equalizer for No. 4 Valencia, and the nonleague game ended in a tie, 1-1.

It was the 10th goal of the season for Engstrom, who redirected a free kick from Alexis Martin Del Campo. He is second in the county in goals, three behind Godinez’s Bryan Ibarra.

“If we would have played like that in the first half it would have been a different game,” Gardner said. “It was one of those games where we couldn’t play our possession game. Everything had to be more direct.

“It was a different style of game for us.”

Anaheim coach Joe Chavez said he changed his marking system for the game. He wanted to keep the Tigers (12-0-1) outside the box and force them to shoot from distance.

“We knew they weren’t going to be as dangerous if they had to do that,” Chavez said. “We had a pretty good scouting report.”

The Colonists (7-2-3) put pressure on the Tigers from the start, taking eight shots in the first 12 minutes.

In the third minute, Emmanuel David played the ball to Chavez, who ended the Tigers’ five-game shutout streak.

Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com