Photo by Andrés Oyaga
Staff Photographer
Boys’ soccer won its first league match over rival San Marino on the road on Saturday, January 5th. The Tigers overcame rainy weather and consistently maintained possession of the ball in the second half to secure a 3-1 victory
The boys’ team got off to a quick start, keeping constant offensive pressure on the Titan defense before scoring the opening goal in the 5th minute. Despite the team’s immediate success, the Tigers struggled to maintain momentum later on in the half as the Titans rallied and managed to take control both defensively and offensively. The inability of South Pas to create ball movement, combined with a number of crucial miscommunications between team members, kept the Tigers’ score at one until the half’s end. Even so, the efforts of senior goalkeeper Ryan Wong kept San Marino from evening the score with numerous critical saves, ending the half 1-0.
The Tigers buckled down on defense as the second half began, attempting to limit the Titan ball control that had costed them in the first half. Nevertheless, the Tigers were unable to prevent an attack by the Titans that overwhelmed the defense, resulting in a goal through the middle of the net that evened the score at 1-1. Following the goal, the South Pas offense reemerged with new energy. Sophomores Reo Snyder and Kevin Ebata led the reinvigorated attack, with Ebata finding a gap in the Titan defense to score the team’s second goal midway through the half. The Tigers kept the momentum and Ebata scored another goal with an assist from senior Henry Barbera five minutes later. As the clock wound down, the Titans showed no signs of a comeback, ending the match with a score of 3-1.
South Pas is scheduled to play against Temple City on the road on Tuesday, January 8, where the Tigers will hope to replicate their astounding preseason success.
