The Carpinteria boys soccer team’s season ended on Friday with a golden goal that felt more like lead in a deflating 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Laguna Beach in the first round of the Division IV playoffs.
The Breakers celebrated the game-winner only a minute into the sudden-death overtime period after a throw-in from Caine Fair was flicked on to Ian Greene who didn’t have to do much to redirect the ball into goal.
“It’s been one of the plays we’ve been counter-acting all year, it’s been one of our key plays,” Fair said.
“It’s sad to see the season end in a flash on a throw in,” said first-year head coach Daniel Torres, who led Carpinteria to its second straight Tri-Valley League title and an overall record of 19-5.
But for the second straight year the Warriors are done after the first round.
“We’re bigger and stronger and we had to use it to out strength,” shared Laguna Beach coach Patrick Coyne. “It’s a one-game system so you just have to play to your strengths to get a win and we were fortunate to get that.”
Fortunate because the outcome could have easily been different had the referee whistled a rough takedown of Carpinteria forward Allan Benitez in Laguna’s penalty area seconds before the end of regulation.
“It’s hard, with so much pressure being a ref, it’s hard to make calls like that in the last minute,” Torres noted, but was vociferously upset at the time of the no-call.
“It’s sad to see that it comes down to a ref not making a call there,” he said, obviously upset at seeing the season end so adruptly. “We were gunning for something else – for a CIF championship – but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.”
The Warriors’ one goal from Tony Alvarez was near perfection. Arturo Alvarez took a free kick from 40 yards out on the left side and placed it right on Tony Alvarez’s right-foot on the far post.
Breakers keeper Alec Williams was in position to stop any conventional angle that Alvarez could try so he deftly popped the ball over Williams’ head in one touch and into the left side-net.
The Warriors graduate five seniors and have major players returning next year.
In the end, Torres kept it in perspective.
“We’re a good team, no one can take that away from us. We’re league champions, no one can take that away from us.”
