The562’s coverage of high school soccer is sponsored by Long Beach FC.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
Like your favorite Avenger or Justice League member, great athletes show up when their team needs them the most.
Lakewood’s Michael Gutierrez put on his cape Wednesday night at Long Beach Poly and scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute of a 4-2 Moore League boys’ soccer win that saw three goals in the last five minutes.
After a frantic finish, Gutierrez said of the hectic and clutch moments, “It makes me want to show out, play better and be the super hero.”
Gutierrez gave Lakewood a lead in the 10th minute and assisted on Andy Zarate’s 37th minute goal that put the Lancers up 2-0 at halftime. Poly pulled even thanks to Zak Delvechio and Jonah Gershenson goals in the 55th and 75th minutes, respectively.
The end-to-end match looked destined for a draw until Gutierrez settled a bouncing ball at the top of the 18-yard box and guided it though the Poly defense for the 76th minute game-winner. The junior has scored in the last four games and has 16 goals this season.
“That’s Michael for you,” Lakewood coach Alex Diaz said of Gutierrez, who is the program’s all-time leading scorer. “Every school is going to defend him but he finds a way. He’s been big for us.”
Lakewood’s Irving Ventura scored a counter attack goal on the last kick of the ball, but his more important contributions came in possession. Throughout the season half, the junior was able to evade multiple Poly attackers to keep the ball while still pressing forward.
“We work on that in training,” Ventura said. “It’s about maintaining possession to create plays. I used to not be comfortable with the ball, but (coach Diaz) is a really good coach and he’s helped me with that.”
Lakewood outshot Poly 17-13 while both earned four corner kicks and both were called offsides twice. Lancers goalkeeper Diego Ortiz made four saves and Poly goalkeeper Noel Gutierrez had six saves.
Both teams were called for more than 10 fouls in the game, but the Lakewood set pieces were the more dangerous in the first half. Gutierrez’s 10th minute half-volley from outside the box was a cracking opening goal, and he perfectly headed a long free kick service in front of goal for Zarate to smash home his own header three minutes before halftime.
Poly was on the front foot in the second half which opened the game up at both ends. A Jackrabbits corner kick in the 55th minute was sent in by Roberto Bermudez and headed home by Delvechio.
Both sides had quality looks at goal in the following minutes. Good efforts from Poly’s Kaya Paz and Lakewood’s Johny Garcia narrowly missed their targets.
In the 75th minute, a long Poly free kick sent into the box by Felix Rivera was deflected by Ortiz and Gershenson pounced on the rebound to equalize.
A minute later, Poly failed to cleanly clear a ball in from Brian Pioquinto while Gutierrez shook off his man-marked defender. Gutierrez found the ball at the top of the box and steered it past the Poly backline and the sprawling goalkeeper.
The Jackrabbits charged back in the final four minutes, but a big clearance from Lakewood defender Osiel Morales found Ventura behind the Poly defenders. Ventura used his speed to leave everyone behind and beat the keeper to score on the last kick of the ball.
Lakewood made history last year with a memorable CIF postseason, but lost a quality group to graduation, so the Lancers struggled at the start of this season while Gutierrez missed the first six games.
“Little by little they started to surprise me,” Diaz said of his young team that only has two seniors starters. “The Southeast Winter Classic really helped us. That tournament, I don’t know what got into their head but they started to believe and play as a group. To be up two, then they score two and we come right back with two… That’s a team that’s starting to believe in each other. I’m really proud of my coaching staff and the boys tonight.”
“We got closer (as a team) because most of the new players were from JV and we had to bring in that chemistry and bond,” Gutierrez said of the squad improvement.
With Millikan (8-0-1, 25 points) closing in on another Moore League championship, Poly (5-2-2, 17 points), Wilson (4-1-4, 16 points) and Lakewood (4-3-2, 14 points) are the chase pack with three matches left in the regular season.
On Friday, Millikan hosts Poly while Lakewood takes on Compton and Wilson faces Cabrillo.
