Birmingham Handles Irate El Camino Real
An El Camino Real High fan summed up the boys’ soccer team’s day when she yelled, “I want my money back.”
The woman was referring to a $2 ticket, a price not nearly as high as the one the Conquistadores paid for their defensive breakdowns and offensive drought.
El Camino Real, a team known for discipline and pride, folded under pressure as Birmingham posted a 4-0 victory over the defending City champions Tuesday in a West Valley League game at Birmingham.
“People are going to be shocked when they see the score,” said Birmingham captain Mike Erush, whose team can clinch the league title with a victory over Taft on Friday. “A 4-0 win over the City champs; this will probably never happen to Birmingham soccer ever again.
“But this is nothing. This is just conference; we’ll meet them again in the playoffs.”
Birmingham (14-4-2, 6-0-1 in league play) didn’t dominate the game as much as the score would indicate, although the Patriots capitalized on their opportunities.
The key was causing El Camino Real (14-4-4, 4-2) to abandon its normal style of play by throwing hard tackles, resulting in the Conquistadores losing their cool and the Patriots maintaining theirs.
El Camino Real was called for 20 second-half fouls and seven yellow cards.
“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Coach David Hussey of El Camino Real said. “We lost our cool. They were hitting us and our guys weren’t going to roll over and take it.”
The Conquistadores yielded a season high in goals and were shut out for the first time this season.
Chock up Birmingham’s first goal to a lucky bounce. Erush’s free kick from near midfield bounced 10 yards from the goal and over El Camino Real goalkeeper Karl Mayr for a 1-0 lead early in the first half.
Midfielder John Ortega extended the lead to 2-0 when he ripped a shot from 25 yards past El Camino Real goalkeeper Mike Sperber.
The Conquistadors regrouped at the half and appeared ready for a rally. But Ortega dashed those hopes when he hit a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, sneaking the ball just inside the left post for a 3-0 lead in the 60th minute. Jaime Gomez added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute.
“After the third goal, there was a big letdown,” Hussey said. “We can’t let that happen. The game is 80 minutes for a reason. We need to play a full 80 minutes.”
