INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I attended the Moreno Valley View-Riverside Arlington boys varsity soccer match on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, and came away thinking how one well-aimed long ball from the keeper can turn into a goal in under 20 seconds.

Valley View goal keeper Victor Silva picked up a loose ball and used his strong left foot to kick it past halfway. It was brought down by senior MF Mason Anderson, who only needed one touch before passing to junior MF Daniel Roman. By then, senior F Miguel Hernandez was making his run and Roman threaded a forward ball. Hernandez received the pass in stride and slotted the ball in the lower left corner. It literally happened about as fast as it took you to read that.

All of a sudden, a back-and-forth match had been turned on its ear. Valley View’s confidence grew. Arlington’s sideline simmered. It was now 1-0 in the 74th minute.

Both teams displayed a physical style of soccer, though Arlington (playing at home) looked to be getting the better of the 50-50 balls. They did far more running, and have to, utilizing the 2-5-3 system as they do, with junior MF Cesar Sanchez-Diaz (whom everyone calls “Puyol,” a Spanish international who Sanchez-Dian resembles because of his shoulder-length hair) playing a style something more like former U.S. international Frankie Hejduk. (I’ll get back to him in a minute.)

The Lions had put in a tremendous effort, had pushed forward more. Heck, they even came in with an 11-match unbeaten streak, but it was deflated by a moment that took less than 20 seconds. It was brilliant/heart-breaking.

Anyway, Sanchez-Diaz is left-wing midfielder. He plays from corner to corner. Basically, he’s Arlington’s left side. And he probably ran 8-10 kilometers on Wednesday. He’s sort of a project, but seems to have endless energy and a passion for the game. He and senior MF Eddie Morales were about the only bright spots for Arlington.

The Lions’ back line was constantly bending throughout the match, and provided several other tense moments. 

To wit: Hernandez had another clear chance in the first half but failed to convert when Arlington keeper Ivan Hernandez made the save on a shot from about 14 yards, and Jason Goichochea had his shot in the 58th minute parried by Arlington’s keeper but right to Hernandez, who played a deft centering pass from near the goal line. It was harmlessly cleared.

In the end, there wasn’t a whole lot separating these teams. Just a moment (20 seconds, actually) of skill.

Moreno Valley Valley View coach John Kush:
“I feel very fortunate because it was one (Miguel Hernandez) vs. (Arlington’s) two or three. My one guy was stupendous, and I can’t ask for anything more than that. I think it’s the middle of the season. I told them, ‘This is the toughest part right now. We’re going to be geared for the playoffs.’ It’s the toughest part of the season, especially with our schedule. We had to do a Canyon Springs, a La Sierra, an Arlington… and we had a couple of other games on the road. We’ve held up. It’s a young, inexperienced as playing on the field, team on the varsity level. But they’re a talented group. They’ve stuck to it. They’ve worked hard. Couldn’t be more proud. This is the best game we’ve played in three weeks, going back to (Moreno Valley) Vista del Lago. I know the game it was kinda spurts, here and there. They held possession the last 20 minutes of the first half but we battled, got the result here on the road, and that was what we were looking for.”

Riverside Arlington coach Kevin Watson:
“(The level of disappointment) is huge. We were on an 11-game unbeaten streak. Obviously, to let it in on a blown call — in my opinion the referee felt that my player went for a body — you could see the advantage was definitely to the offensive guy. It’s unfortunate because it was a great game and it was blown by one friggin’ call. We’re pissed. We’re absolutely pissed. We’re all in it for a title run. I’ve been telling my boys we play one game at a time, and unfortunately this is tough but we go right back to the drawing board and get a victory over Moreno Valley (next week). I mean Valley View, Canyon Springs and La Sierra all still have to play each other. Crazy things can happen.”