Eagles fall to Tesoro

The shots from close range stood no chance of going in during the nonleague boys’ soccer match between host Estancia High and Tesoro on Wednesday.

The furthest shot from goal proved to work.

Adam Roecker’s direct free kick from about 45 yards out was the difference in Tesoro’s 1-0 win at Jim Scott Stadium.

The Eagles dropped their season opener, while the Titans improved to 1-0-1.

Early in the season, both sides expected a low-scoring affair. It wasn’t until the 66th minute that Roecker broke a scoreless tie. He lined up to take the direct free kick on the left, near the Tesoro sideline. After he struck the ball, Roecker said he did not feel too good about where the ball was traveling.

“I actually messed up,” Roecker said. “It was supposed to be further out wide, but our center attacking mid [Dylan Williams] pushed the goalie away. [I was] just trying to get it to the far post, but I put it a little too close [to the middle] and it ended up going in.”

Goalkeeper Jesus Rodriguez mistimed his jump, letting the shot go over his head and into the back of the net. Estancia Coach Robert Castellano could not believe it.

Castellano was also surprised by his team’s lack of energy for the first match.

“Disappointed in the performance,” said Castellano, who is in his eighth season at the helm of his alma mater. “I know that we can do a lot better.”

The Eagles faced a program that is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs last season. They never really threatened Tesoro keepers Joe Gaggiano and Arnold Schroeder, who combined on the shutout.

Andy Martinez hurt his knee midway through the first half and it hampered the Estancia striker. Roecker, a defender, also helped slow down Martinez.

Martinez is one of eight starters back off an Estancia team finishing second in the Orange Coast League and going as far as the second round of the Division 4 playoffs last season.

The Eagles were without two of those key starters on Wednesday. Castellano said attacking midfielder Sergio Gutierrez, a three-year starter, is out the first two weeks because of a club commitment, while center back Gerry Pedrosa is recovering from injuries and is out the first month. Gutierrez is expected to miss four more matches, at Segerstrom on Friday, and three next week, against Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor, both Sunset League teams, and Santiago, a section finalist the last two seasons in Division 5.

Santiago has moved up to Division 3, which is also home to Estancia.

“It’s a very tough week,” Castellano said.

Tesoro wraps up this week with a difficult matchup at home with Corona del Mar on Friday. The Sea Kings are one of the section’s preseason teams to watch in Division 2, the Titans’ old division.

With the Titans, which shared second place in the Sea View League last season, in Division 1 now, Tesoro Coach Don Skaff has his team going up against two Trinity League programs in the premier division, at JSerra on Dec. 12 and at home against Santa Margarita on Dec. 16. Even though the Titans are unbeaten two matches in, Skaff said there is a lot of room for improvement.

“It was an interesting match,” Skaff said of the one against Estancia. “You can tell it’s early in the season. [We’re] not too sharp yet.”