Teams try not to get blown away in wind
Jeff Tully
The Burbank and Glendale high boys’ soccer teams had to struggle
with more than just each other Monday in a nonleague match at
Burbank.
Battling wild winds with gusts of 65 mph, the contest was a study
in frustration, as the Bulldogs and Nitros tried to control the ball,
only to have Mother Nature dictate otherwise.
Amid the bothersome Santa Anas, goals were still scored, as the
teams played to a 1-1 tie.
“It was really bad out there with the winds,” said Burbank forward
Jeff Ruiz, who leads the team with 14 goals. “No matter what you
tried to do with the ball, the winds took it another place. It was
all a matter of luck where the ball went out there.”
The wind affected almost every aspect of the match. Any ball
lifted more than a few feet off the ground usually sailed wildly, or
fluttered in the air and came right back down.
Even the goalkeepers had trouble, as their efforts often landed
out of bounds.
Heading into the contest, Glendale (5-4-2) Coach Edgar Manvelyan
had a definite game plan about how to deal with the wind.
“We knew we had to keep the ball on the ground and try not to get
it in the air as much,” he said. “I think we did that pretty [well].
“I’m happy with the way that we played. Burbank is a good team and
to get a tie is very good.”
It was the second meeting for the teams this season, as the Nitros
defeated the Bulldogs (5-2-3), 1-0, last month in the 11th annual
Ralph Brandt Tournament at Burroughs.
Burbank got things rolling in the first half, as Martin Armas
scored on an assist from Jose Flores to stake the Bulldogs to a 1-0
lead.
Glendale had its share of chances in the first half, however, it
wasn’t until the second half that the Nitros found the back of the
net.
In the 56th minute, Billy Torres made good on a direct free kick
that sailed past Burbank goalkeeper Rigo Maya for the score.
Burbank Coach Michael Bailie said along with battling the wind,
his players also had some rust to shake off.
“We haven’t played in two-and-half weeks,” he said.
“So we were a little slow and our legs were a little tired out
there. I could tell our team was a little off.
“But I am amazed more goals weren’t scored because of the winds.
When you have winds like that, the ball goes all over the place and
you can get a lot of goals.”
The Nitros had a chance to take the lead in the 59th minute on a
play in front of the Burbank goal. Eduardo Forero got the ball to
Neftali Aguilera, who blasted a shot. However, the offering went wide
left.
Burbank had a chance of its own in the 75th minute, but a header
by Eriberto Cosio rattled the left goalpost and banked out and into
Glendale’s possession.
“We have to have our forwards score more because I think they
haven’t scored in something like 10 [matches],” Manvelyan said.
“But our [goalkeeper] is just a freshman, and he played well.”
Glendale’s Abraham Andreasyan stopped five shots. His counterpart
-- Maya -- had six saves.