La Cañada High boys’ soccer falters late to South Pasadena

SOUTH PASADENA — Attempting to open the Rio Hondo League season with consecutive victories, the La Cañada High boys’ soccer team came up short in more ways than one.

Playing on a tiny converted baseball field, the Spartans held a lead at halftime, but couldn’t hold on, instead falling to host South Pasadena, 2-1, on Friday afternoon.

With the victory, the Tigers (4-3-2 overall, 2-0 in league) now have the inside route to be the league’s No. 1 contender to reigning league champion Monrovia (15-0-2, 2-0), which La Cañada (6-6-2, 1-1) next visits on Wednesday.

“There’s no real way to adjust to playing here, it’s just small and you’re limited in what you can do,” La Cañada Coach Alex Harrison said. “Did it affect us? Sure, but we also had several good looks that we didn’t finish.”

The contest was played on the outfield and part of the diamond of South Pasadena’s baseball field as Ray Solari Stadium, South Pasadena’s home field, undergoes renovation.

An attempt to play the contest at Occidental College was not possible, contended South Pasadena Coach Juan Zurita, who said the Eagle Rock facility was already reserved.

So, the Spartans and Tigers squared off in a contest with likely playoff implications on a field that ranged between 90 and 92-feet long and 58 feet wide, according to dimensions provided by Zurita.

The size of the contest gave way to unorthodox play, as goal kicks routinely reached opposing goal areas and throw-ins landed directly in front of the net.

While the Tigers had practiced on the field and had more familiarity, it wasn’t until the second half when that experience paid off.

The Tigers netted the game-winning score in the 69th minute when a cross into the box from senior halfback Aydin Pasabani was banged in from six yards off the right shin of Tigers junior striker James Tullin.

The goal put the Tigers ahead, 2-1, and capped a 20-minute surge in which South Pasadena took five shots within the penalty area.

South Pasadena initially knotted the contest in the 49th minute when senior forward Jordan Jackmon scored from 12 yards on a brilliant sequence.

Jackmon entered the 18 from the wing, received a pass from teammate Ramon Gutierrez and leaped over a slide-tackle attempt before burying the right-to-left goal.

Jackmon’s score countered La Cañada’s opening salvo, as the Spartans scored in the 38th minute to take a 1-0 lead into the break.

La Cañada’s score came due to stellar set piece execution as a deep throw-in from sophomore defender Jack Meeker was headed by junior Nathan Oh from 10 yards.

“With the size of the field, you really get the ball in deep,” Meeker said. “It’s just a different type of game and we saw that and took advantage.”

The goal was the final for La Cañada, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

The Spartans were within mere feet of tying on a few occasions, including in the 75th minute when a wide-open five-yard shot sailed high over the post.

A minute later, Spartans junior Lawrence Ku shot just wide left from 10 yards.

In the 78th minute, La Cañada’s JP Schaedel tested just-inserted Tigers back-up goalie Kevin Foster with a 25-yard laser that required a leaping save.

For the Tigers, the final 20 minutes of the match were about survival as much as winning.

South Pasadena’s Patrick Nelson was kicked in the face, resulting in a Spartans’ yellow card, in the 66th minute and had to be assisted off the field.

Exactly 10 minutes later, Tigers starting goalie Sam Hoadley-Brill was also kicked in the face. The play resulted in another yellow card against the Spartans as Hoadley-Brill, who was also kicked in the stomach in the 63rd minute, had to be taken out.

“We know just how physical La Cañada is and it was important to finish off this game,” Zurita said. “I thought it went too far, but I understand because of the field conditions, because of how small the field was, everyone was forced together and there was more contact. I’m just happy we won.”