The complexity that is soccer can come down to one seemingly simple play that reinforces why many deem it the beautiful game.
Simple, that is, if that is the correct word to describe a 40-yard kick that connects at just the right time and just the right angle to a teammate’s head, redirecting the ball past a goalie into an 8-by-24-foot goal.
“What an unbelievable game!” said Coach Amanda Orand of Hood River’s season-opening, 1-0, win Thursday at Portland’s Franklin High. “I’m so proud of our team for coming together to support one another and play as a team after just three practices together.”
That support enabled Magali Amezquita to convert a header off Amelia Huxtable’s corner kick for the match’s lone goal.
“We had just worked on both offensive and defensive corners the day before in practice,” Orand said. “The team did a great job of organizing themselves defensively to deny Franklin on corner kicks and finished the opportunity they were given.”
Orand said her halftime talk centered around the fact that HRV probably wouldn’t dominate possession and “how we had to become comfortable playing in our own half.
“Our defense rose to the occasion. Seniors Karla Barajas and Briana Santillan organized this effort,” Orand said. “Junior Ana Juarez won numerous tackles, sophomore Sarah Mata Marquez contained Franklin’s fast forwards and junior Aly Martinez came up with some key saves in goal in the last half.”
She said the midfielders supported the defensive line, while simultaneously providing passing outlets once the Eagles won possession of the ball. “We had quite a few break-away opportunities and an indirect kick that almost resulted in a second goal,” Orand said. “I’m incredibly proud of how our team supported one another on the field. They came together to play as a unit in such a short amount of time. We played with a ton of heart. You could tell our players had missed the game and one another; there was a level of joy and excitement that you are guaranteed every game.”
Orand said the Eagles tried a new formation that was suggested by co-captain, Mira Olson. “It’s slightly more defensively minded, so it will take some time to learn how to shift as a unit to possess the ball in the opposing team’s half,” Orand said. The Eagles had one day of practice this week to work on the formation before they were to host Hermiston Tuesday. Then they’ll have three more days of practice before Saturday’s game at Hermiston. HRV is scheduled to play another non-league match March 16 at Portland’s Madison before its district opener March 19 at home against Redmond’s Ridgeview.
HRV boys soccer
The scoreboard showed a 5-2 boys soccer loss for Hood River Valley on Friday at Portland’s Franklin; what it does not show were the very few regrets from the Eagles.
“This was a really good test for us,” HRV Coach Jaime Rivera said of the match against the defending Oregon Class 6A champions. “That’s a good team. (And) our effort was really good. I applaud our players for holding their heads up. It’s a unique team that, after a loss, the guys are chomping at the bit to get to the next practice.”
Quick-starting Franklin, with 11 seniors off last year’s title team, burst to a 3-0 halftime lead. HRV settled down after the break. Junior midfielder Jaden Dubon scored both HRV goals within a 10-minute span early in the second half. Dubon’s flurry pulled the Eagles to within 3-2 and Rivera said the match’s momentum shifted toward HRV with plenty of time remaining.
“We had a fresh look in the second half,” Rivera said. “We played a really good second half, not exactly crisp soccer, but we came out with a lot of energy.”
Rivera shifted his lineup some, including inserting junior Cody Cornejo into the mix. “He came off the bench and really gave us a spark,” Rivera said. “We were able to get the counterattack going. The energy was really, really good.”
HRV kept pressing offensively, but as often is the case against good teams, that proved to be the Eagles’ undoing. “We were pushed so far up the field (in offensive attack mode)… that they got us on a fast-break,” Rivera said of Franklin’s fourth, match-clinching goal (the fifth score was on an own goal).
The Eagles have three days of practice to get ready for their next opponent, newfound Gorge rival, The Dalles. Hood River had owned the series until recently. The two teams split Intermountain Conference matches in 2019; HRV earning a 1-0 forfeit win and The Dalles winning 3-2 at home. In 2018, The Dalles and the Eagles tied a match, 1-1, and HRV won the other, 2-1.
Hood River’s scheduled match Tuesday at Pendleton was cancelled. The Dalles won its 2021 opener 2-0 last Thursday against Riverside. The HRV-The Dalles match begins at 6:30 p.m. at Henderson Stadium.
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