Men's Soccer Score Rough Win
Despite a rough first half involving physical and verbal altercations, a dominant second half for the men's soccer team results in a win.
As the season winds down it becomes more crucial for teams to win their final conference games to secure a better playoff spot, and that’s exactly what the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs men’s soccer team did on Tuesday, Nov. 1. They played against the Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) Eagles, who entered the game in last place in the Western State Conference (WSC) North Division with a 0-4-2 record, while SMC entered the game in second place with a 4-1-1 record. The Corsairs successfully held off the Eagles and won 3-0.
The game was not an easy one for the Corsairs as the Eagles were playing rather aggressively. In the first half, four different players on the Eagles side received a yellow card compared to the one Corsairs player, defender Sebastian Alvarez Luna. A sideline altercation occurred when midfielder Taj Winnard went to grab the ball from the Eagles tent. Some of the Eagles opted to hide the ball from Winnard, resulting in frustration and some shoves being exchanged from both sides. Throughout the game forward Alexander Lalor heard frequent verbal slander and profanities from the Eagles without much consequence.
No team scored during the first half and the second half remained scoreless until the 59-minute mark when midfielder Jaime Toledo scored for the Corsairs, assisted by midfielder/forward Jason Moreno. Moreno would go on to score just two minutes later, assisted by Winnard. The half continued a little rough with the Eagles receiving three more yellow cards, one of those resulting in a red card as a player on the Eagles received two yellow cards throughout the game, and the Corsairs received two, one by Lalor and the other by defender Connor Gilmore. The game closed out with an unassisted goal from midfielder/forward Menes Jahra at the 90-minute mark.
Winnard reflected postgame on his performance and the teams. He acknowledged it not being his best performance due to lack of shots, not really keeping his composure and playing a little slow. The team's composure during the first half was also something Winnard touched upon as they weren’t really calm and playing their best soccer. Besides that he was happy with the team's performance, especially in the second half, and is looking forward to playoffs.
“I think we can really go far this season and make a big playoff run,” Winnard said.
The men’s soccer team is now 5-1-1 in the WSC North and 12-2-5 on the season. They’ll seek redemption in their next game as it’s against Oxnard College, the only team to beat the Corsairs at home, on Friday, Nov. 4. The Corsairs last home game of the season will be on Tuesday, Nov. 8 against the Allan Hancock College Bulldogs, who the Corsairs beat 3-1 last time they faced off.
