The Skyline men’s soccer team defeated Chabot College on Nov. 5 with a score of 3 to 1.
The Trojans played the Chabot Gladiators in bright, sunny weather and found themselves feeling radiant after the game. The first half went scoreless, but the Trojans played impressively. They were able to keep the ball in possession for extended periods of time. The team has obviously been practicing fundamentals that are crucial in changing the atmosphere of the game. Unaimed passes have been getting the ball downfield more often and more quickly. The players have steeled themselves to the chaos of the soccer pitch as well, and have gained better control over their emotions and the ball. Skyline’s Jeffery Mejia injured his ankle in the last ten minutes of the first half.
The Trojans feverishly fought in the second half as the teams were getting more desperate. Skyline’s Shadhi Fara withstood a nasty foul that garnered Chabot’s first yellow card. After about five minutes of play close to the Trojan goal, a close tussle within the goal box ended with Skyline’s Diego Sanchez unintentionally blocking a shot on goal with his face. He was able to stand up and play through quickly after.
Skyline quickly moved the ball down the opposite end of the field and used the chance to gain momentum. Another Chabot yellow card was pulled for unsportsmanlike conduct when one of the players kicked the ball away in frustration near their goal post. Skyline forward Shadhi Fara saw this breakdown in the Gladiators’ composure as opportunity and quickly sunk a beautiful goal from the left side.
With the score at 1-0, Skyline had all the more reason to stalemate the Gladiators. Chasing down a break-away ball by his lonesome, Yoann Rosas fought off defenders in a knee-brace and made a quick shot on goal before falling and injuring himself. With 15 minutes left on the clock, an air ball found itself close enough to the Gladiator’s goal to be headed in gently by Kevin “Butters” Hernandez.
Skyline faltered slightly in the last fifteen minutes with several minor mistakes, but they managed to hold the score at 2-0. With seven minutes left in the game, Chabot made a huge mistake in a foul on a skyline player within the goal box. The ensuing penalty kick was a crucial moment for Skyline in ensuring Chabot stayed out of scoring potential. The shot was deflected by the Gladiator’s goalie, but Emanuelle Hernandez rebounded the ball back in for the third Skyline goal. Trojan Coach Daniel Link warned his team to play safely and go for the shut-out at this point. Diego Sanchez fouled a Gladiator during the two minute warning in the goal box (he argued that he wasn’t even near the fallen player), which resulted in a penalty kick for the Gladiators. The shot got ensnarled in the back of the net for Chabot’s first and only goal. The final score was 3-1.
“The goal we scored was unlucky… Danny [Link] has beaten me twice on this pitch,” said Chabot Head Coach Tony Igwe.
This winning game has brought the Trojan’s season record to 4 wins, 12 losses and 1 tie. Their next game will be against Evergreen College on Nov. 9 at 2 pm.
“It’s nice to get a W when we deserve it…Two sophmores scored their first goals of the season,” said Link.
