Buena broke a scoreless tie with a late goal to send the San Marcos boys soccer team to a 1-0 Channel League-opening defeat on Thursday in Ventura.
“For the most part, we actually played a really good game,” said Royals coach Brian Eisen, who thought Alvaro Garcia and Erik Gutierrez really stepped up their games despite the loss. “The kids played with their hearts on their sleeves tonight.”
Garcia and Gutierrez both spent time at the sweeper and midfield positions, and Eisen said they did a good job of orchestrating play for the Royals.
But it was one defensive slip-up in the 70th minute that cost San Marcos as a Buena player got his head on a cross and found the back of the Royals’ goal.
San Marcos falls to 5-8-1 overall and faces Dos Pueblos next Thursday.
