Birmingham Holds Off El Camino Real Rally

In a battle of wills Friday afternoon, Birmingham High’s boys’ soccer team would not let history repeat itself and fended off host El Camino Real, 2-1, in a West Valley League game.

Last season, Birmingham blew a 2-0 lead and allowed the Conquistadores to score twice in the final five minutes to forge a tie.

Not this season. The Patriots, ranked No. 4 by The Times, held their own against the No. 2 Conquistadores.

Fullback Mike Erush and goalkeeper John Wall maintained their cool early as the Conquistadores mounted several attacks, then helped organize the defense late as El Camino Real finished with a flurry.

“I told the guys, these are the City champs and we have to play with all our hearts,” Erush said. “In the second half, we kept [play] under control.

“I said to the guys that this is a great example, because last year we were up 2-0 with five minutes to play and [El Camino Real] tied us.”

The Patriots (9-4-2, 1-0-1 in league play) were struck with suspensions of 10 players for two to four games earlier this season and are just beginning to gel.

They scored first 10 minutes into the game when John Ortega knocked in a 20-yard shot on a set play after a foul. It was the star midfielder’s first goal of the season.

Aaron Jackson would put Birmingham ahead 2-0 seven minutes into the second half when he took a low cross from Ortega and one-touched the ball to the far side of goalkeeper Karl Mayr.

With 14 minutes left to play, Birmingham was called for a foul in the box as El Camino Real (11-3-4, 1-1) was attempting a free kick. Jason Lara converted the penalty kick.

But aside from Mauricio Ocampo’s header going wide in the final five minutes after a throw-in by captain Ian Kogan of El Camino Real, and Chris Barrett attacking from the left wing but being blocked by fullback Jairo Zarate, who then gathered the rebound and cleared the ball safely, the Patriots controlled the action.

El Camino Real finished with 10 shots, and Wall made four saves, including two superb plays in the first half. He deflected a header after a throw-in by Kogan and later snuffed an attempt by Lara, who had broken through the middle of the defense off a feed from Kogan.

The Patriot defense and midfield slowly began to dominate play, which at times was physical, usually in Birmingham’s favor.

“We expect that of Ian,” said El Camino Real Coach David Hussey. “But we have to put away our opportunities. We can’t let them slip away like that.

“Ian needs to be a little more physical. He’s played better and we’ve played better as a team.”

The Patriots, who put 11 shots on goal and forced Mayr to make four saves, wouldn’t mind history repeating itself on Feb. 1, when the teams play a rematch at Birmingham. The Patriots won last season’s rematch, 1-0.

But El Camino Real went on to capture the City Section title.

“We can play better,” Birmingham Coach Jose Freire said. “We came out too flat [in a league-opening, 1-1, tie Tuesday to Chatsworth] after winning the championship at Sylmar [tournament]. We need to improve as a team.”