CA - WCAL Boys Soccer: Top ranked Bellarmine at Archbishop Mitty

This was one of the most anticipated matchups in league as well as in the CCS (Central Coast Section).  The Bellarmine Bells came in ranked as the #17th team in CA and holds the top rank in the CCS.  Both programs have had a lot of success in both their league and in CCS Championships.  The Mitty Monarchs won last season's NorCal championship and the Bells won it the year before.  Aside from it being the battle for 1st place in league play, playoff seeding implications are also on the line.     The Monarchs opened up the scoring when senior midfielder Seunhyun Kim scored an awesome crossing header which just made it past the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper.  Both teams continued to make quality runs at the goal and the pace in which they played can only be compared to top level club matches.  The teams were stacked with players from ECNL and a couple of players from MLS Next teams.  Too many quality players on the same pitch is always a good thing, especially for fans, spectators, and the media.   Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='277899' first='Gregory' last='Gutierrez'] got the equalizer goal off a Luke Furtado assist.  It was a hard earned goal as Gutierrez battled through two defenders before sliding it past the keeper on the far post.  Furtado scored the second goal only a few minutes later to put the Bells in the lead.  The last goal was a beauty as Bellarmine started their attack on a throw in from their 25 yard line.  A long ball pass almost hit Gutierrez as the last defender was able to angle the ball out of reach.  Once the ball was sent to a player on the wing, the Bells set a trap and  #13 Jason Gore recovered it quickly and sent the ball to Gregory, who slammed it home for a commanding 3-1 lead.   As for HC Cesar Sanchez and the Monarchs (8-2-3) overall, they will try to keep pace with the Bells.  Possibly face each other in a showdown or high-stakes match for the season title during the last game of the season.  HC Conor Salcido of the Bells will keep his team rolling as they are locked in on another league championship, a successful CCS tournament, and possibly another run at the NorCal title.    Luke had a good game with an assist and a goal.  He read the game well and anticipated the movements of his opponents.  He regained possession by cutting off the winger and forcing him to make a move to the inside.  Furtado battled and recovered and made a quick pass towards his forward, who outran his opponent before slamming it home.  His strengths are also in making quick passess to spring players free, closing down opponents in the midfield, and finishing as he scored the go-ahead goal.     Really good at shutting down runs in the channel and 50/50 challenges.  He is a smart player who anticipates diagonal and overlapping runs to the box.  He uses quick and decisive movements to position himself in the attacking lanes.  Elliot also made some runs to the attacking third during counter-attacks.  He has the ability to recover back into his natural position, but can easily run the sides as a winger.  He definitely is a big part of their defense which has 6 clean sheets.     Strong player who can lock-down defenders as well as provide a quick counter-attack.  Dominic showed his strength as a box to box midfielder.  He has a good sense of where the opponents are making their runs and he quickly maneuvers himself to cut off lanes and battles for possession.  He also showed some smooth offensive and possession skills.  His ability to make precise passes to diagonal runners or forming passing triangles makes him a quality player on both sides of the field.  He won most of his challenges through strength and athleticism.     Played strong on the defensive side.  Challenged 50/50 balls and he is not afraid to make contact when defending outside or even in the 18-yard box.  He made a few aerial challenges to push back the surging Bells attack.  I really liked how he didn't back down against opposing forwards making strong runs to the box.  He is also quick enough to recover mistakes and chase down wingers.  Overall, he was very strong on the defensive side of the field.     Played with a fast pace as he made attacking runs down the line.  He made a few connecting plays which put his team in scoring positions.  His high tempo kept his opponents on their feet as he looked to be one of the quickest players on the field.  I believe he has the ability to breakaway from defenders with diagonal runs to the box.  He also challenged for possession and helped close down attackers making runs between the midfield line and the 18-yard box.     Showed a high level of fitness as he was at times the only offensive option.  The striker showed flashes of pace and agility.  It seems that he was only a touch away from getting a solid shot on goal.  He created space for his offense to cut through lanes and make runs to the box.  He did well in forcing a few turnovers and regaining possession near the box.  His constant pressing up top was one of his strengths as well as constantly moving to create passing lanes.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019 </div></figure>

This was one of the most anticipated matchups in league as well as in the CCS (Central Coast Section). The Bellarmine Bells came in ranked as the #17th team in CA and holds the top rank in the CCS. Both programs have had a lot of success in both their league and in CCS Championships. The Mitty Monarchs won last season's NorCal championship and the Bells won it the year before. Aside from it being the battle for 1st place in league play, playoff seeding implications are also on the line.