MISSION VIEJO – For the second time this season, El Toro’s boys soccer team had to close out a game against South Coast League rival Mission Viejo while Ethan Thrall was injured and sitting on the bench.
In the 70th minute of Wednesday’s game, the senior team captain and anchor of the Chargers’ defense couldn’t put any weight on his left leg and had to be helped off the field.
Despite the Diablos’ repeated efforts to send long balls down the field to Alex Funez Gomez and Cory Siebert, No. 1 El Toro held on to beat the host Diablos, 2-1, and move into a tie with San Clemente for first place in league.
The Diablos (1-1-3) are in third place. The Chargers (10-0-6, 3-0-3) close out the regular season with a match against the Tritons next week.
“I think we are starting to peak at the right time,” El Toro coach Shawn Watts said. “You never want to peak too early. And I don’t even think we have peaked yet. We are on our way there. I am just hoping that come CIF, we will peak at the right time.”
The last time the teams met, the Chargers needed a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to knock off Mission Viejo. On Wednesday, El Toro had control of the game in the 21st minute, as Alex Rippeon volleyed a shot inside the near post to put the Chargers up, 2-0.
Khalid Francis scored in the third minute for El Toro. Hampton Erwin, Mission Viejo’s keeper, tried to grab Chris Denning’s cross into the 6-yard box, but Francis got a head on the ball before Irwin could grab it, and Dennning nodded the ball into the goal, just under the cross bar.
“That was huge for us (getting a two-goal lead),” Watts said. “It has been a while since we have done that. We usually have to grind games out.
“I just told them that it is nice to have a lead to protect. Now, you are playing for something. Now, you are fighting for something.”
Mission Viejo coach Roger Castle said his team seemed to be a bit “disjointed” due to this being finals week at Mission Viejo. The players, he said, are preocuppied with the studying they have to do, so they haven’t had their minds on practicing.
It showed at times on the field as the Diablos had struggled to connect on a series of passes.
The Diablos didn‘t threaten El Toro until 66th minute when Siebert headed in a long throw from Kyle Krucli to cut the El Toro’s lead in half.
“I don’t want to seem like I am making excuses. They (El Toro) have had finals as well,” Castle said. “I think the bottom line was they came out and got in front, which created some momentum. Goals change games. I think we learned. I learned a lot. We have got to be able to play our game with any style of opponent.”
Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com
