The Bishop Diego girls soccer team played in difficult conditions due to rain in Sante Fe Springs and lost its wild-card match-up 1-0.
“The field was under water,” Cardinals head coach Brent Gonsalves said. “It was just unplayable.”
Santa Fe Springs took the lead in the 35th minute when a ball took an odd skip on the soaked field and went through the Bishop Diego defense. One of the home team’s players chased the ball down and picked out an open player in the box, who put the ball in the back of the net.
With a 1-0 lead and a drenched field, the Cardinals struggled to get past Santa Fe Springs’ defense, who were content to stay back and play conservatively.
“The field was the best defensive player of the game,” Gonsalves said.
Bishop Diego finished the season with a 12-7-3 record. They were admitted into the playoffs as an at-large bid.
Despite ending on a frustrating loss, the team left the field with a positive outlook on its performance over the past few months.
“It was our best record that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Gonsalves said. “Each year has been a step in the right direction.”
