High School Soccer Playoffs : San Fernando Stays Unbeaten With 2-1 Victory

San Fernando High capitalized on North Hollywood miscues and goals by Jaime Ballesteros and Arturo Carranza to register a 2-1 victory in first-round play of the City Section boys’ soccer playoffs Tuesday at San Fernando.

Carranza, a forward, scored the deciding goal with 10 minutes elapsed in the second half. San Fernando (5-0-6) advances to the second round Thursday.

Tiger forwards Sergio Pizano and Erik Campos pushed the ball into North Hollywood’s side of the field for much of the game. San Fernando had 18 shots on goal to North Hollywood’s six.

Ballesteros scored the first goal of the game with five minutes remaining in the opening half, and it looked like the Tigers would take control.

The Huskies’ Jose Umana had plans of his own, though, and three minutes later tied the score, 1-1. Suddenly, the momentum was on the visitors’ side, and not 30 seconds after Umana’s goal, the Huskies were given a couple of penalty shots. But, with less than two minutes left in the half, both attempts were unsuccessful.

“The game was relatively even,” North Hollywood Coach Chris Van Druin said. “We just made one more mistake than San Fernando.”

North Hollywood, which was second behind Monroe in the East Valley League, finished 11-6-2.