The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial
Long Beach Poly boys’ soccer had an emotional and exciting Senior Night while beating Jordan 6-0 on Wednesday. The dominant win secured Poly’s second place in Moore League.
Poly brought high intensity and energy from the first whistle. Their aggression allowed Anthony Martinez Urrutia to score in the first minute of the game to hype up the crowd and bench.
The match was physical, resulting in ten fouls for Poly and five fouls for Jordan. This physicality would benefit Poly, as the referee awarded the Jackrabbits a penalty kick in the middle of the first half. The penalty was taken by Noah Ramirez, who buried the shot, extending Poly’s lead to 2-0.
Poly also found success with their ball movement. The Jackrabbits used the field’s width to draw Jordan to one side, then would quickly switch the field to catch their opponents off guard.
Another way the Jackrabbits demonstrated their ability to control the pitch was via slip and through balls. The midfield would send Martinez Urrutia on a run, so he could cross balls in for his teammates to hopefully finish.
In the second half, Poly continued to put balls in the back of the net. Noah Ramirez scored his second goal, capping off his big night. Quickly after, it was Roberto Bermudez scoring to make it 4-0 Poly with 23 minutes left in the game.
Later in the second half, it was Salvador Alfaro who scored in the 86th minute to make the score 5-0 Poly. Lastly, Roberto Bermudez scored off a free kick in the 88th minute to finalize the game at a 6-0 win for the Jackrabbits.
In the end, the Jackrabbits outshot the Panthers 13-4. Poly’s defense stayed collected under pressure, allowing goalkeeper Ivan Urzua to record a clean sheet.
“The defense was there the whole game,” said Urzua, emphasizing his appreciation for his defensive line. “All credit to my defense for tonight.”
Poly’s victory meant a lot to the entire program. The post-game ceremony had emotions running high for Poly’s seniors.
“It’s sad. I’m gonna miss it, playing on this field, playing on the teams” said senior captain Noah Gonzalez.
Long Beach Poly will be playing in the CIF Playoffs next week. The game schedule and bracket will be released Saturday.
