El Modena edges Foothill, stays in title hunt

ORANGE – The first shot bounced off the bottom of the post, but the second meant that Foothill was going to have to work a bit harder to win the Century League championship.

Nathan Brown dived quickly to his left and stretched out as far has he could to make the save for the Knights, but the ball glanced off his fingertips. Brayan Fajardo would get the goal, and it was the only one that El Modena would need as the Vanguards edged visiting Foothill, 1-0, on Tuesday.

It was just the second goal the Knights (11-4-4, 6-1-2) have allowed in league, and it was their first loss in their last nine games.

Even with the loss, though, Foothill is still in first place in the Century League. Hhad the Knights won the game, they would have been undefeated and would have held a commanding 10-point lead over second place El Modena (10-4-1, 5-2-1). Instead, they have a four-point advantage.

“They still have the edge. If we win out and they win out, they are still in first,” El Modena coach Chris Snyder said. “I think for us to have any chance (to win the league championship) we had to win this game.”

The Knights had to play the final 10 minutes a man down after Bogie Avalos was sent off for bringing down Dante Medina just outside the box. The referee ruled that Avalos was the Vanguards’ last man.

The Knights still couldn’t get off a clean shot in the closing minutes of the game. Foothill didn’t seem to have an answer for El Modena’s high-pressure defense, and the Vanguards had trouble making it through the midfield into the final third. 

Twice in the second half, Alex Hansen took a free kick from close range for the Knights, but both just missed, sailing just above the cross bar. Both of those were the best chances that the Knights had to score in this game.

In the first half, the Knights managed to take just three shots.

“That (pressure) makes team uncomfortable, and makes them make mistakes, even if you can’t apply it directly on the ball,” Snyder said. “If someone knows you are nearby and they are not completely poised, it alters what they do. But Foothill is a very solid, well organized team. The goal keeper is competent and couldn’t be faulted on the goal.”