La Cañada High boys’ soccer suffers late setback to Mountain View

LA CAÑADA — Thirty seconds away from accepting what would have been a frustrating tie, the La Cañada High boys’ soccer team instead found itself swallowing a more difficult pill.

Mountain View senior striker Miguel Guardian scored a counter-attack goal in the final minute of Tuesday afternoon’s nonleague match to deliver his team a 2-1 road victory Tuesday afternoon.

“We just didn’t finish and they got a goal at the end, that was about it today,” Spartans Coach Alex Harrison said. “I think we could have scored five, six goals today and only got one. So, that’s disappointing.”

With the defeat, the Spartans dropped to 1-3 this young season with setbacks versus El Camino Real (1-0 score) and Long Beach Millikan (3-2) and a 1-0 victory against Westlake.

The match-clinching goal took place after a sequence of plays in which La Cañada was the aggressor and had three separate possessions inside the Vikings’ penalty area, with the final surge resulting on a shot off a corner kick that was blocked by a defender.

Mountain View junior forward Ivan Castrejon took possession of the loose ball just past the 18 and found himself without a defender for 20 yards.

Castrejon dribbled past midfield and finally found streaking teammate Guardian about 30 yards from goal. Guardian grabbed the pass and then maneuvered around La Cañada sliding goalie Mikey Selsor (four saves) before peppering the game-winner from 25 yards.

“We were just lucky to get a good counter,” said Mountain View Coach Felipe Corona, whose team improved to 3-1. “It was off a corner kick and [La Cañada] put everybody up into the box wanting to score that last goal. That worked for us.”

Immediately after the goal, the Spartans attempted one last effort and entered the goal box in the final seconds before Spartans senior Daniel Baddie was taken down inside the goal mouth. However, to the dismay of the coaching staff, a penalty was not called and the game concluded moments after.

“There were just missed calls all over,” Harrison said. “If we’re ranking referees, they’re not the highest-ranking right now, but it is what it is.”

Tuesday’s final score seemed a long shot, particularly earlier on as the Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the second minute off a goal from Baddie.

Spartans junior Lawrence Ku helped lead an attack down the wings off a throw-in and crossed to teammate Nicholas Pereira inside the 18.

As the Vikings defense swarmed to Pereira, the senior calmly flicked a pass to Baddie, who one-timed an eight-yard shot by Mountain View goalie Michael Garcia (five saves) to put the Spartans up, 1-0.

“We’ve had some tough games to open the season, so it was great to start with a quick goal,” said Baddie, who balances soccer with also being a wrestler. “I just think we got out of our game, didn’t play the way we were supposed to and let one get away.”

Baddie’s strike accounted for one of three shots on goal for the Spartans in the first 10 minutes. The team finished with an additional three shots on goal over the final 70 minutes.

“I think we over thought situations and didn’t take advantage of what we had,” Harrison said.

Mountain View eventually knotted the game at 1 when Castrejon connected on a 24-yard goal top shelf off an assist from Miguel Hernandez in the 25th minute.