Dos Pueblos extended its scoreless streak to three games on Saturday, shutting out San Marcos 3-0 for a Channel League victory at SBCC’s La Playa Stadium.
The match had been rescheduled from Tuesday’s rain-out.
With the win, the Chargers (2-0-2) at least temporarily jump ahead of Santa Barbara in league standing, although Santa Barbara (2-0-1) has played one fewer games.
Eduardo Cortez scored twice for Dos Pueblos, which is undefeated through the first round league play.
Regardless of what the Dons do in their next game, the Chargers wrap up the first round of league play unbeaten.
“We tied Santa Barbara and we beat Buena and we beat San Marcos so our confidence is going up,” Eduardo Cortez said. “We need to win the rest of our games and just play hard.”
Cortez was responsible for two goals on Saturday and assisted on Rodrigo Perez’s score in the 53rd minute. His first came in the 7th minute from Danny Rowell and then again in the 62nd minute from Perez.
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“They’re just very dangerous players,” said Chargers head coach Tovi Eliasen. “They’re our starting, attacking duo basically. No matter how we attack, we want them involved.”
But it’s DP’s backline that has been the backbone of their success, recording three straight shutouts. Brandon Tangel, Casey Donahue, Danny Rowell and Kyle Schmechel absorbed most of the pressure San Marcos was able to apply in the first half, including a near goal five minutes into the game.
“Had we put that goal in, that opportunity, and we took a 1-0 lead in the beginning of the game, it could have been a totally different story,” said Royals head coach Brian Eisen.
Eliasen agreed, acknowledging how the Chargers used their first goal to their advantage.
“It seemed like San Marcos had to play a little higher because being down in the match you have to put some numbers forward which leaves you open to the counterattack,” Eliasen said.
“I would have done the same thing. You have to take some risks to get back into the match and we were luckily able to exploit some of those.”
Instead of the Royals grabbing a 1-0 lead, Cortez gave it to DP in the 7th minute. San Marcos kept up the pressure, trying to make up for their lost opportunity and equalize before halftime.
The Royals nearly got it but a goal was waved off due to an offsides call. Chris Olmedo almost got it later on a sharp volley from 20 yards straight out. The ball deflected off the outside of the goalpost. Erik Gutierrez and Angel Alfonseca were in the mix as well, creating several threats.
The Chargers defense held and the offense built a cushion in the second half, starting with Perez’s goal. Cortez found Perez in wide-open space with a clear path to the goal from midfield and the senior attacked all the way into the goalie’s box and past the keeper before banging it in.
Cortez caught the Royals’ defense too far forward a few minutes later, running down a quick pass from Perez and putting on a nice move to get by San Marcos keeper Efren Gutierrez. Cortez knocked the ball to the right of Gutierrez but ran by him on his left side.
“I saw that the goalie was coming out so I just tried to poke it outside so I could just go in by myself,” Cortez recalled.
San Marcos (0-3) faces Santa Barbara on Tuesday and Buena on Thursday this week. Dos Pueblos’ field is still drying out so Tuesday’s game with Ventura has been switched to Monday so that it can be played at Girsh Park.
“It’s unfortunate we’re 0-3,” Eisen said. “Just back to the drawing board. Hopefully we can find the right mix and the right chemistry to move forward.”
Dos Pueblos (8-4-6), on the other hand, is feeling confident.
“I don’t want to say that we’re peaking at the right time but we’re peaking at the right time,” Eliasen said.
