Mexico’s Under-17 national team was fast and dazzling with the ball, but it struggled to finish its scoring chances against the UCSB men’s soccer team Tuesday night.
The Gauchos made the Mexicans pay for their scoring failures by pulling off a 2-1 exhibition win in double overtime before 8,425 fans at Harder Stadium.
Sophomore Joe Eubanks, who has seen all of 29 minutes of action this season and hasn’t taken any shots, scored the game-winner in the final minute of the second 10-minute overtime period. He collected Danny Barrera’s corner kick at the far post and poked the ball past goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez.
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“It just came and hit my stomach and I just hit it at the goal and not at the goalie,” said Eubanks. “I was just happy to get it.”
The goal came a minute after Eubanks was denied on a brilliant save by Rodriguez. Josue Madueno hit a perfect cross to Eubanks who was crashing the goal box, but the Mexican goalkeeper came out and blocked Eubanks’ header with his body.
Eubanks and Maduena were two of several young Gaucho players who got extensive playing time in the exhibition match against a Tricolores team that is headed to the FIFA U-17 World Cup next month in Nigeria. Mexico won the title in 2005.
“I had literally seven guys making their first college start,” said UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg.
“For what it’s worth,” he added, “I’m glad we won because we rewarded our guys for coming out.”
The young Gauchos had their hands full in the first half against the technically sound Mexican teens. Their quickness and speed of play generated several good scoring chances. Forward Victor Mañon broke through the defense and drew a foul in the penalty area in the 10th minute. Mañon stepped up for the ensuing penalty kick and his low shot was stopped by UCSB goalkeeper Trond Helge Takset at the right post.
Takset had a stellar game with eight saves.
Mexico continued to pressure the Gaucho defense. Takset made a save on Gil Cordero in the 30th minute and Cordero fed a beautiful through ball to Mañon, who hit his shot wide of the far post in the 34th minute.
Mañon, who plays professionally for Pachuca in Mexico’s First Division, frustrated the large contingent of Mexican fans by missing on seven shots, including a couple one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper.
Mexico finally broke through in the 38th minute on a free kick. Erick Vera hit the ball into the box, where it deflected off teammate Oscar Garica to Daniel Guzman, who banged it past Takset.
“I thought we had a miscommunication with C.J. (Cintas) and Tim Pontius, but that was expected because we don’t train with those two,” said Vom Steeg of the defensive lapse on the play.
The goal brought a huge roar from the Mexican fans, who were engaged in a vocal battle with the Gaucho Locos throughout the match.
Mexico almost scored again on a fast break just before halftime, but Abraham Coronado’s shot traveled just wide of the far post.
The fact the Gauchos were down only 1-0 at the half was better than what Vom Steeg expected.
“I couldn’t have scripted it better,” he said. “My concern going into the game was we would give up three goals in the first half while we organized and we wouldn’t be able to play our way back into the game. The worst thing was we’d be spending the rest of the game chasing it.”
The Gauchos caught Mexico napping on defense early in the second half and scored the equalizing goal. Peter McGlynn, coming out of the back, got the ball and dribbled through a huge gap in the Mexican defense before lifting a shot over Rodriguez and into the net to make it 1-1 in the 49th minute.
“I thought coming out of halftime we had good energy,” Vom Steeg said. “I thought we settled into the game and started playing.” The Gauchos got a couple of good looks at a go-ahead goal in the 53rd and 56th minutes. On the first chance, Nic Ryan hit a free kick into the box that Christian Dahlskog try to poke in but was denied by Rodriguez. Two minutes later, Russell Jackson was stopped by the goalkeeper.
Mexico regrouped, and Aaron Ponce created another scoring play for Mañon. This time his shot was forced wide of the net by Takset in the 61st minute.
Takset made a diving stop on a blast by Coronado five minutes later. Mexico outshot the Gauchos 30-16 for the match.
Mañon set up Ponce for a clear shot during stoppage time in the second half but Ponce hit the ball wide of the near post.
“They’re very good on the ball,” Vom Steeg said of the U-17s. “They’re very technical; there isn’t one player out there who can’t handle the ball. They space out the field all over the place. We didn’t want to chase them, but we still wanted to close.”
Mexico’s Rodriguez saved his team from an embarrassing turnover in the sixth minute of the first overtime. He leaped and tapped a blast by Eubanks over the cross bar.
The Mexicans suffered a hit in the ninth minute of the first overtime when defender Cesar Ibañez was issued a red card for a violent play on the Gauchos’ Ryan.
Even though it was down a player, Mexico kept putting pressure on the UCSB defense. But the Gauchos stood tall on the backline, Takset made a leaping save on a shot by Bryan Leyva in the 106th minute and Pontius hustled back to poke the ball away from Mañon, who had broken through on a nifty pass from Jesus Corona a few moments later.
The Gauchos would then mount a couple of rushes in the final minute of the second overtime. On the first, Rodriguez made a brilliant save on Eubanks’ header and the second resulted in the winning goal by the sophomore from Colorado.
“It was fun,” Vom Steeg said of the night. “We had a great crowd and my young guys hung in there. We tried to do our thing in terms of taking our chances, and with about 20-25 minute left I got (regulars) Danny (Barrera) and (Luis) Silva on the field to see if we could win it.”
Mexico will next play at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday and finish their California tour Saturday in Santa Maria with an 8 p.m. match against the Under-20 All-Stars from the Central City Soccer League at Santa Maria High.
No. 7-ranked UCSB plays at San Diego State on Friday and returns home Sunday for its Big West opener against UC Irvine.
What a great match, both side played hard through a double overtime, neither side lost face and the soccer was entertaining throughout. Thanks John. Viva Mexico!
What a great match, both side played hard through a double overtime, neither side lost face and the soccer was entertaining throughout. Thanks John. Viva Mexico!
What a great match, both side played hard through a double overtime, neither side lost face and the soccer was entertaining throughout. Thanks John. Viva Mexico!