Boys soccer players and coaches from Hood River Valley and The Dalles need no introduction to each other, which adds to the competitive nature of this year’s non-league match-up — scheduled 6 p.m. Thursday at HRV’s Henderson Stadium.
In the past nine matches between the two teams, four have ended in ties and Hood River has won three out of the other five. That includes a 2-1 road victory a season ago.Â
The Dalles was scheduled to play its season-opening match on Tuesday, while Hood River enters the Gorge rivalry match-up having lost its opener, 3-1, on Aug. 29 at Class 6A Gresham.
The Eagles would never lead in the Aug. 29 match at Gresham.
Gresham scored first, before HRV senior Oscar Avalos tied the match by converting a penalty kick in the first half. Avalos patiently slipped the ball into the left side of the goal.
Gresham’s go-ahead goal came late in the first half when Carlos Lopez crossed the ball from the right wing to the center of the HRV goal. Edison Vasquez chested the pass and blasted a shot into the right corner. The Grophers added an insurance goal in the second half.
Three of Hood River’s best chances came in the scoreless opening 15 minutes and junior Aran Garcia had a foot in each of them. His left-footed free kick from 35 yards bounced off the upper right corner of the goal. A few minutes later, from a similar angle but closer in, Garcia one-touched a short pass that banged off the center of the crossbar. Felipe Mendez almost converted the rebound, but his shot from the left side went wide right.
Hood River, playing under first-year coach Al Lara, nearly took the early lead a moment later when Garcia and Mendez teamed up again. Mendez got a shot off inside of 20 yards, but the ball ricocheted off two Gresham defenders before it was cleared away.
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