Quartz Hill Fights Palmdale to a Draw

The Palmdale boys’ soccer team, leading the Golden League, meant to deliver a knockout punch to second-place Quartz Hill. Instead, the Falcons settled for a draw.

Rebel midfielder Matt Matalon scored on a 20-yard free kick midway through the second half of Friday’s match, salvaging a 1-1 tie.

Matalon’s shot, which curled around a wall of Palmdale defenders into the upper right corner of the net, prevented defending champion Palmdale (16-1-2, 9-0-2 in league play) from taking a commanding lead over the Rebels (10-3-3, 8-1-2) in the league standings.

“This season is far from over,” Quartz Hill Coach Mike Kuper said. “There are four more matches to play. But one more goal would have been nice.”

Goals were scarce, though.

Palmdale took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute on senior forward Mike Dibbini’s shot into the lower right corner of the net. The goal was Dibbini’s 29th of the season.

But Dibbini, who was marked closely by one or two players at all times, could not create another successful scoring opportunity.

That meant no goals for the Falcons, because their offense is built around Dibbini. Virtually every time a Palmdale player gained possession, he kicked a long pass in Dibbini’s direction.

“He’s a great player,” Kuper said. “When he gets the ball, you’ve got a problem. He’ll always get a shot off.”

But he couldn’t get off any good ones off in the second half, when Quartz Hill’s attack, dormant for most of the match, came alive.

The Rebels nearly scored on several occasions, finally breaking through on Matalon’s equalizer.

“In all fairness, it wasn’t defensed right,” Palmdale Coach Mike Shepard said.

Prior to the kick, goalie Beau Cline, who had two saves, did not direct his wall of defenders far enough toward the right side of the goal.

Matalon took advantage, bending a perfect line-drive shot into the vulnerable area.

“That was a real sharpshooter shot,” Kuper said. “I’m glad we got it.”

But will it be enough? Four more matches will tell.