Cabrillo boys’ soccer made history in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinals on Wednesday night at home— and did so in uncharacteristic fashion.
The Jaguars have relied on their stifling defense all season, but exploded for two goals in each half of their 4-1 win over visiting Fountain Valley. The victory sends Cabrillo to its first CIF semifinal in program history at Riverside Poly on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“This is the most complete game we’ve played by far,” Cabrillo 20th-year coach Pat Noyes said. “But these kids want more. We’ve talked about that for the entire season. When we lost to Jordan (in Moore League) the guys were so upset for giving up one shot on target. They want to make history.”
Cabrillo (21-2-4) looked like the better team all night long in its third quarterfinals appearance in the last five years. The Jaguars speed on the flanks proved to be the difference, and that’s where all four goals came from while outshooting Fountain Valley 16-4 in the game.
Alexis Torres found Eduardo Mosqueda out wide in the 16th minute, and Mosqueda cut into the 18-yard box where he finished into the far side netting with his left foot. Arnold Giron doubled the lead three minutes later when he finished his own rebound created by a great ball forward from Leo Corona.
Fountain Valley cut the lead in half at the half hour mark when Sebastian Rus scored on a long ball into the box, but that would be the last shot on goal for the Barons.
“Coach Noyes always tells us to possess, and that won us the game,” Cabrillo captain Jonny Riquer said. “We just had to keep going at them.”
Cabrillo dominated the second half by keeping the ball in the Fountain Valley end, and Riquer made it 3-1 Jaguars when he scored on a free kick at the hour mark. Brayan Valenzuela capped the scoring in the 71st minute.
“We’re definitely a more defensive team than we’ve been before, but I think our best defense is winning the ball and being able to hold the ball and play out of the back,” Noyes said. “I also thought the referees were fantastic. They let them play like real soccer like young men should be able to play. It really kept the flow of the game going.”
Fountain Valley has scored eight goals in its first two playoff games. Cabrillo has now allowed only 12 goals in 26 games this season.
“We’ve been talking about (making history) and we prepared to do it,” Riquer said. “We were dreaming about it last night, and today we had to prove it to ourselves to see what we’re all about. We made our dreams come true.”
