Everett Alvarez Eagles soar over Bellarmine in DI Finals Match

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a packed stadium for the boys CCS (Central Coast Section) Championship Match at the Santa Clara University Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.  Some of the members in the crowd got tickets to a double feature as the Girls Division I championship was the first match of the day.  The Bellarmine Bells came into this match as the the #1 ranked team in the Central Coast Section (CCS), with an overall record of (17-2-3). They were the 1st place team in a super competitive WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League), with a record of (11-1-2) in league play and is the 23rd ranked team in CA.  The Bells advanced to the title match by beating #8 seed Lost Altos and beat Westmont 2-0.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Everett Alvarez Eagles were the 1st place team in a competitive PCAL - Gabilan League, with a league record of (11-01).  They also have an overall record of (20-0-2), and they are the 25th ranked team in CA.  The Eagles got to this point by beating The 6th seed Junipero Serra 2-1 and by edging #2 seed Mountain View in a Penalty Shootout (3-1 PKs).  They look to hold on to an undefeated record and win its first Division I title.  The Eagles have also scored 68 goals and only conceded 18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The stage was set and at the sound of the whistle, the crowd roared with anticipation as both sides brought a contingent of fans.  Both sides brought their A-Game and in the first half, it was pretty much all Bells.  Bellarmine came out blazing and [player_tooltip player_id='277899' first='Gregory' last='Gutierrez'] got the opening goal in the first 4 minutes of play.  A battle started just outside the 18 and multiple players from each side had touches on the ball, but during the scuffle the ball landed near his foot and Gutierrez slammed it to the back of the net.  The Bells got their second goal from [player_tooltip player_id='79838' first='Nathan' last='Johnston'] in the 11th minute to make it a 2 goal lead.  Both teams had quality attempts on goal for the first half, but it seemed as if this game was heading towards a blowout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895680323738112149">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895680323738112149</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895685323906301999","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1895685323906301999 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other standouts for the Bells were Luke Furtado, Dom Magana, and Ben Sutton.  They all contributed to the offensive and defensive side.  Sutton anchored the defense and made key stops in the first half.  Elliot and Furtado made combination passes to give their forwards an early lead.  They also tracked back and made recoveries on the defensive end.  They are the leaders on the team and I look forward to seeing them bounce back in the NorCal tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896443724533821491","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1896443724533821491 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896449992409371098">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896449992409371098</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896447359506354391">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896447359506354391</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not sure what was said or what inspired the Eagles, but they came out in the second half like a team on a mission.  They shifted gears and started firing on all cylinders.  They got their first goal of the match 15 minutes into the 2nd half from Fernando Matias who slipped through the lines before going 1v1 with the keeper.  In full stride, he placed it past the goalkeeper's outstretched arms.  About 5 minutes later, Luis Macias evened up the match with a penalty kick.  He did a little stutter step, a pause, then he left-footed it towards the opposite post.  Luis Macias scored the 3rd goal shortly after a cross came from the right side.  He ran in between defenders and one-touched it home.  The crowd went wild after the Eagles took to the lead.  Moments later, Jorge Hernandez shut the door on a Bellarmine comeback as he scored the 4th goal to make it 4-2 Eagles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For everyone seeing this match, not sure if we'll see another Epic comeback for some time.  The Everett Alvarez Eagles made the impossible comeback by scoring 4 unanswered goals.  They gave their fans and their school a performance that will last forever in CCS history.  Congratulations to the Eagles and who knows if these two teams will match up again in the NorCal tournament.  <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":281140,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Fernando Matias","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Everett Alvarez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"El Camino FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490ada4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Scored their first goal.  It was a really good run which split two defenders while slipping through the lines before going 1v1 with the keeper.  In full stride, he placed it past the goalkeeper's outstretched arms.  He also made precise passes to get other players in scoring position.  He plays club soccer for El Camino FC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895686529810665933">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895686529810665933</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":281141,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Luis Macias","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Everett Alvarez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"El Camino FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490ae51"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">His penalty kick goal was similar to that of something you would see on a weekend soccer highlight reel.  It had all of the makings of a pro level dramatical goal.  He did a little stutter step, a pause, then he left-footed it towards the opposite post.  It definitely received style points on that one.  He plays club soccer for El Camino FC.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895695970421317659">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895695970421317659</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895710857906307428">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895710857906307428</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":281142,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Edwin Moreno","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Everett Alvarez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"El Camino FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490aed8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Played as an attacking mid.  He distributed the ball well and made some nifty moves while turning players with his quick cuts.  His calm and collective approach helped to settle his offense down in the second half. He played a big part in their comeback.  He plays club soccer for El Camino FC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896451561808879794">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896451561808879794</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":281143,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Alvaro Reyes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"100","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Everett Alvarez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"El Camino FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490af7b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Made some big saves to keep the Eagles in the game.  His first half save was spectacular.  It started from a set piece which was sent to the middle of the penalty area, one of his players headed it out, but a Bellarmine player struck a hard dipping shot.  Just as it appeared to dip below the crossbar, Reyes got airborne and tipped it to the top of the crossbar and sent it over the top.  He also made some other crucial saves down the stretch.  He plays club soccer for El Camino FC.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896437253578301881">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896437253578301881</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":281144,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Christian Castro","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Everett Alvarez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490b000"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">He didn't let the big time match get to his head.  He sliced through the defense with quick and precise turns to create space and put his players into scoring positions.  His ability to find open pockets made it easier for his team to move the ball effectively in the second half.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896456817791898018">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896456817791898018</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":279628,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ben Sutton","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bellarmine","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Los Gatos United - U19","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490b09f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Played the center back position.  He can make the long ball passes and start transitions from the back.  His ability to close down runners is his strength.  He made a strong clear by cutting off the angle of a fast moving runner trying to turn into the penalty area.  He plays club soccer for Los Gatos United.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896447359506354391">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896447359506354391</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block 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Furtado","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bellarmine","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Los Gatos United","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c687490b13d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Made some key stops on defense.  He also made runs to the attacking third.  He makes hard challenges, but his best play was a clean textbook sliding tackle.  His ability to cover from touchline to touchline is a testament to his fitness level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1896443724533821491","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1896443724533821491 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895714300003774933">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895714300003774933</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895678299856388207","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1895678299856388207 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895676332732039416">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895676332732039416</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->