Goals rain down on Day 2 of De La Salle Soccer Showcase

Goals, goals and more goals. The theme of Day 2 at the De La Salle Soccer Showcase was goals, in case that wasn't clear.   There were 31 goals in the four matches, with a 4-1 win by the hosts being the lowest scoring match of the day. The first two matches ended 5-4 while Whitney put up eight goals on its own.   Napa 5-4 Amador Valley   It started pouring down goals right away on Saturday, as Napa and Amador Valley combined for nine total, seven in the first half in a back-and-forth, topsy-turvy affair.   The Grizzlies scored twice in the first five minutes, but then found themselves trailing on two occasions despite jumping out to an early lead.   "When you go up 2-0 really quickly, I think we got overconfident and relaxed a little bit," Napa head coach Rafael Ayala said. "They have a great team, so it's not like they didn't work for their goals, so I'm not taking anything away from them. They kept coming and scoring and we didn't let that be a barrier for us. We still punched through that wall and I'm proud of them for that aspect."   Roberto Garcia scored for Napa inside of 60 seconds, scoring a first minute goal, followed by a fifth minute goal by Paco Munoz.   Sophomore Henry Beatty quickly made a name for himself at the Showcase as the Dons leading scorer put three goals in the net in a 22-minute span, the three of them very clinical, cool finishes with the third making it 3-2 in the 33rd minute.   The scoring before halftime didn't stop there as Munoz made it 3-3 in the 37th minute with his second goal, then one minute later [player_tooltip player_id='7727' first='Isaac' last='Hilton'] scored on a beautiful strike from distance to put AV up 4-3 at halftime.   Napa's talisman, senior Israel Luevano had a goal in the 51st minute to equalize, then his free kick in the 69th minute that just snuck inside the near post and trickled in was the difference.   "There are things that we need to pay attention to 100 percent of the time and with a team like Napa, if you fall asleep, then they'll hurt you," Amador Valley coach Scott Berglin said. "Most of our mistakes were solvable if we were paying attention and focused."   Razin Choudhury had three assists for the Dons while senior leader Allen Zhou had an assist as well.   Henry Beatty, Sophomore, Amador Valley, Forward   Beatty is a player who looks like he's in his element when he's playing. He uses his body very well to shield defenders, he makes very well-timed runs and has the speed to get behind defenders. He's AV's leading goal scorer despite starting the season late.   Anish Dhakal, Junior, Amador Valley, Attacking Midfielder   Dhakal was very solid in possession of the ball and very solid in his decision making when driving the Amador Valley attack.   [player_tooltip player_id='7727' first='Isaac' last='Hilton'], Junior, Amador Valley, Holding Midfielder   Hilton was able to win a lot of balls in the midfield for the Dons, stopping Napa transitions and starting offensive attacks for AV. He also had a brilliant strike from distance.   Jose Leyva Castro, Junior, Napa, Central Midfielder   Leyva made things happen when he had the ball, and he does good work without the ball acting as the general on the field and moving people around. People underestimate him due to his stature, but he is a very fierce, mighty and competitive player.   Israel Luevano, Senior, Napa, Forward   Luevano moved his season total for goals up to six after scoring the fourth and fifth goals for the Grizzlies. He showed his calm and poise on the pitch, he showed his skill with the ball, and he acted as a leader. He has great instincts and makes things look easy, and did so while nursing a groin injury.   Paco Munoz, Senior, Napa, Forward   Munoz scored a pair of nice goals for Napa after a slow start to the match. He is a long, lanky player who moves with a lot of ease and is very athletic. He is very technical, skilled on the ball and is hard to defend on the outside.   Richmond 4-5 Cathedral   Surely there was no way the second game could have as many, or even more, first half goals, right?   The Oilers and Phantoms outdid the opening act, scoring all nine of the game's goals in the first half, with an absolute flurry of goals starting in the 12th minute.   [player_tooltip player_id='58111' first='Alexander' last='Bastidas'], the junior attacking midfielder, had the first half of his life, scoring three goals in a six-minute span.   "There were a lot of goals going both ways, but I'm just happy we got the win," Bastidas said. "As a team we had never let four goals go in, let alone in one half, so coach said we needed to pick it up defensively first before we move forward and we held them scoreless in the second half so it worked."   Bastidas was happy to get the win for Cathedral and happy the team won both games in the Showcase, putting the team effort before his personal achievement.   Richmond got on the scoreboard first when freshman Cruz Diaz-Vilchez belted a beautiful strike from over 30 yards out, putting the Oilers on top despite the Phantoms keeping Richmond pinned down early on.   "They are a quality team, but for the first 20 minutes we weren't there," Richmond coach Rene Siles said. "There was no leadership, we couldn't get the ball out. We weren't understanding where to go with the ball. I think it's a game which shows us what we need to work on, which is what we wanted from this."   Giovanni Moreno scored just one minute later to level, then Kevin Romo had a brilliant cross to set up a goal by Ferny Villanueva to put Richmond back on top.   Then Bastidas took over, earning a penalty and converting to make it 2-2. [player_tooltip player_id='63541' first='Brandon' last='Cardoza-Lopez'] played a brilliant back heel on a ball in the box, which Bastidas finished calmly for his second goal. The third came on a free kick just outside the box which he drilled past the keeper.   After [player_tooltip player_id='63529' first='Christopher' last='Garcia'] scored his second goal of the Showcase, making it 5-2, Cathedral allowed Richmond back in the game with two goals before halftime.   "We unfortunately gave up a lot of goals but most of it came out of our mistakes with things like a PK, a free kick," Cathedral coach Art Lopez said. "But credit to them because they forced the situations in winning the ball in transition but we need to play a cleaner game."   Romo showed his quality to end the first half, converting a penalty for Richmond and then also scoring on a free kick just before the halftime whistle to get back within a goal.   Both teams settled into the game after halftime as the defenses were more organized and compact after making adjustments, and Richmond particularly had a hard time creating anything as Cathedral did a great job of taking away the middle of the pitch that Richmond likes to work through.   Diego Albarran, Junior, Richmond, Keeper   Albarran is not wide player, but had to play in the field for a short-handed Richmond today, and he played a position he had never played before Albarran is a very good keeper, in fact he filled in and nearly saved a PK, but in the outfield he offered a spark, played hard and never quit. He did whatever he could for the team, and was not concerned with personal glory.   [player_tooltip player_id='58111' first='Alexander' last='Bastidas'], Junior, Cathedral, Attacking Midfielder   Bastidas was outstanding on Saturday. He had a hat trick in the first half, and was a threat going forward all game long. He made great runs into space when he could, he controlled the pace of play moving forward and found a way to score or to help build up the attack. His imprint was felt all weekend.   Aaron Espana, Junior, Cathedral, Midfielder   Espana was in control in the midfield. He maneuvered the attack very well when the Phantoms were in the final third. He was constantly probing the defense, looking for an opportunity to play an attacker. He was a very dynamic player on Saturday.   [player_tooltip player_id='63529' first='Christopher' last='Garcia'], Senior, Cathedral, Outside Defender   Garcia is sometimes forgotten about because his fellow namesake, [player_tooltip player_id='63530' first='Christopher' last='Martinez'], is the leader in the defense, but Garcia had a fantastic showcase. He scored the game-winning goal against Whitney, his first for Cathedral, then scored again the next day. He won headers, he was really getting up and down the field well and offered stability for a shorthanded defense.   Kevin Romo, Senior, Richmond, Attacking Midfielder   Romo is a great player and really stood out in this game with a pair of goals and a great assist. But he also offered leadership, he never gave up and kept trying to make connections with the forwards. He is much better and a much more mature player than he was a year ago, and that says a lot because he was a good player last year   Cruz Diaz-Vilchez, Freshman, Richmond, Midfielder   Diaz-Vilchez also had to move out wide, not his normal position, and did very well for Richmond. He held his own against a very good Phantoms midfield, and he scored the first goal of the match, a great strike from distance.   Whitney 8-0 Serra   To say Whitney was disappointed with losing to Cathedral the night before might have been an understatement.   The Wildcats led 1-0 against the Phantoms, seemed in control of the match, but allowed two second half goals and seemed different after halftime. However, on Saturday, Whitney made sure not to lose its intensity.   Let by senior attacking midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='7389' first='Darius' last='Dukes'], who had a goal and four assists, Whitney topped Serra 8-0, building a 7-0 lead by halftime.   "It was really upsetting, losing the Cathedral game," Dukes said. "We felt like we dominated the first half and then we got complacent in the second. We played to defend rather than to keep attacking, so it was nice to respond and come out with a lot of tenacity. It was a mentality thing from the beginning of the game. We had them on their heels early and we kept that momentum the whole game."   The Wildcats certainly did have the Padres on their heels, and broke through early on as Ryan McAdam scored two goals in the first 15 minutes, both very good finishes. [player_tooltip player_id='7305' first='Cody' last='Wagner'] got in on the scoring in the 23rd minute where he deftly switched feet in the box and finished.   Dukes score his goal in the 36th minute, and the scoring didn't stop there as three more goals were poured in before halftime. Ryan Eisert had a goal, Ryan Paduveris converted a penalty and Danny Yoon had a beautiful header on a set piece to give Whitney an insurmountable lead.   "The boys responded well, they were disappointed with how the Cathedral game ended, so they wanted to make a statement and they competed well," Whitney head coach Joel Williams said. "They calmed down and did what we expected them to do and what they expected of themselves."   Nagaa Joseph rounded out the scoring, putting across the lone second-half goal for the Wildcats.   Ryan McAdam, Senior, Whitney, Forward   McAdam is a very good-sized striker, and he used that to his advantage on Saturday. He used his body well, he was controlled and calm when in the box and showed the ability to finish and finish well, picking out his spot to beat the keeper on the first goal and then showing good body control with his turn on the second goal.   [player_tooltip player_id='7389' first='Darius' last='Dukes'], Senior, Whitney, Midfielder   Dukes was everywhere in this match. He pushed forward with an intensity and tenacity for every minute he was on the pitch. He showed excellent ball-handling skills, displayed great vision and really played on another plane, seemingly gliding around the pitch and leaving defenders in his wake. He was the best player on the pitch on this day.   Whitaker Tollman, Senior, Serra, Defender   Tollman, usually a solid defender, had to play out of position in this one and showed a lot of ability in the midfield. Tollman is a poised player, a good leader and did not get overmatched while playing out of position. He displayed a lot of technical skill and ability.   De La Salle 4-1 Turlock   The Spartans bounced back from a disappointing loss to Archbishop Mitty the night before, not leaving anything to chance.   Wherein the night before they controlled the first 60 minutes, but didn't score, De La Salle made sure to put this one away as quickly as possible. The Spartans scored three goals in a 17 minute span, going into halftime up 3-0.   "I was pleased with how we played tonight," De La Salle coach Derricke Brown said. "We were able to set our press, which is something we've been working on. I thought we were fairly organized, but obviously there are still some things we need to work on but it was definitely a positive outcome. Getting a positive result like this really just affirms the things that we tell them. This is a good group and I think we'll get stronger with every half and every game."   Hudson Merritt started the scoring in the 20th minute, turning a Turlock defender over near the area, then cutting inside, switching the ball to his left foot and rolling a ball in with pace just inside the far post.   The Spartans second goal was a thing of beauty is Lucas Pfister played a ball in the air to Leo Bravo, who flicked on to a breaking Cooper Kennedy who drove to the end line, then played a ball perfectly across the face of goal to Mateo Marchis for a goal. Five minutes later, Kennedy got a goal of his own, cleaning up a mess in front of goal.   Turlock scored just six minutes after halftime with Eduardo Zamudio scoring from the penalty spot to make it 3-1, but De La Salle would not let the Bulldogs get closer, and erased any doubt with a Sam Chose goal in the 77th minute.   [player_tooltip player_id='6874' first='Aaron' last='Gomez'], Senior, De La Salle, Holding Midfielder   Gomez didn't start in this game, but came off the bench and did well. He really dictated the play in the midfield. He was calm and composed on the ball. He moved ball forward when it was needed, and would play the ball back if nothing was available moving forward.   Mateo Marchis, Senior, De La Salle, Outside Defender   Marchis was all over the place. He started at the No. 2 spot, played the No. 7 spot at times, and even played some central defender. He showed great quality, versatility and he really plays with intent as he came to set the tone.   Hudson Merritt, Senior, De La Salle, Striker   Merritt showed well against Turlock, playing a very clean game and showed some versatility with being moved around the pitch a bit. His touch was clean, his goal was perfectly placed inside the far post   Lucas Pfister, Senior, De La Salle, Central Defender   Pfister is a defender that plays hard and with passion. He's the kind of center back a team needs. He's a leader, both vocally and by example and he really helps keep the back line organized. He knows when to step, he wins balls in the air and on the floor and won't back away from a challenge.   Julian Yanez, Sophomore, Turlock, Midfielder   Yanez played hard. He played with grit and pride and passion and wanted to represent the Bulldogs well. He pushed up the right side very quickly, with intent, when on the attack, and tracked back and played great defense anytime the Spartans were moving down the side he was on.   Eduardo Zamudio, Senior, Turlock, Midfielder   Zamudio didn't just bury the penalty. He was a driving force in the midfield for Turlock. He was strong on the ball, he handled the pressure well and did not back down from fighting for a ball in the midfield.

Goals, goals and more goals. The theme of Day 2 at the De La Salle Soccer Showcase was goals, in case that wasn't clear.