Royal Shows Hart, Claims 2-1 Victory

Hart High’s soccer game against Royal had all the characteristics of a football game.

There was a post-game fight, 48 fouls, players covered in mud, an ejection, one player was kicked in the ribs while lying on the ground and almost nobody left the field without scratches and bruises.

Hart was the better football team but Royal proved it was the better soccer team by coming from behind to defeat the Indians, 2-1, Thursday in a Southern Section Division II quarterfinal game at Simi Valley.

“Both teams played physical,” Coach Ron Lindberg of Hart said. “That’s the way we played all year. . . .Playing physical has gone to our advantage all year, but [Thursday] it didn’t.”

After missing the playoffs last season for the first time in 14 years, the Highlanders (20-7-3) face Mater Dei in a quarterfinal game today. The site will be determined by a coin flip today.

Randy Wilson and Bryan Brooks scored second-half goals in a three-minute span to keep the Highlanders in contention for their first section title since 1997.

Both goals were nearly identical. Wilson knocked in a cross from Jerry Placeres and Brooks finished a cross from Wilson. The goals were on headers that looped over goalkeeper Kyle Reynish.

“We beat the goalkeeper in his weakness,” said Corley, whose team has given up two goals in the last seven games. “We knew he was weak to his left.”

Hart’s physical play early lured Royal out of its style, prompting the Highlanders to abandon their touch soccer and play kickball.

“At halftime I got on them for that,” said Corley, whose team lost to Hart on penalty kicks in the Royal Tournament over Christmas break. “We weren’t playing smart. It seemed we were more concerned with getting a reaction from our fans with the physical play. Our game is more of a passing game than Hart’s.”

“It could have got ugly, but it didn’t,” Lindberg said. “Soccer is a passionate game. It’s a game of emotions”.

Hart (19-6-2) scored 21 minutes into the game on a controversial penalty kick.

Midfielder Jose Ochoa sent a ball across the goalmouth toward forward Mike Caso, who was fighting with defender Tyson Fries of Royal for position when the referee called Fries for what he later described as a “bear hug.”

Ochoa converted the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead.