LACC with 2nd Conference win on the records!

Box Score

Team Stats

October 19, 2021
LOS ANGELES -
 
Victoria is for Victory.
 
Only a win could give the Cubs the much needed oxygen they so desperately needed in order to keep their playoff chances alive when they hosted LA Harbor College on Tuesday, October 19th. It was a tough match for both teams but in the end LACC escaped with the win with a score of two goals to one. 
 
The match began with the intensity that characterizes college soccer. It was a battle in the midfield with lots of mistakes and turnovers on both sides but neither team could create clear scoring opportunities. After 45 minutes the stalemate tasted like defeat for the Cubs, for a draw would see their season end in early November.
 
But things in the second half changed when a free kick was played to Felipe Alvarez on the left wing, the 17 year-old freshman sent a cross that met Oscar Garcia and forced the keeper to make a save, but the rebound landed directly to Kristopher Rodriguez, who tapped it in for  his second goal of the season. One goal was not enough for the cubs as coach Javier Aguiniga Campos used an attacking rotation that could increase the advantage. 
 
One of these players in the rotation is Jason Victoria, who scored the second goal for LACC with a powerful shot that beat the keeper in the 65th minute. The goal proved to honor his last name, as it was the goal that ultimately sealed the victory. Shortly after that, LA Harbor would be a man down when Billy Lopez was red carded after a foul on Jonathan Garcia. The cubs seemed to be on cruise control until the 75th minute. 
 
An LA Harbor set piece found an unmarked man whose header hit the post and winger James Kay kicked the rebound from point blank range, his shot struck LACC defender Erik Perez in the hand as he stood at the goal line and the ref did not hesitate to give a penalty and an automatic red card to Perez. It was now 10 vs 10 when Harbor's Edwin Gonzalez made it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go. 
 
The goal gave Harbor the momentum as they tested the LACC back line in the last minutes of the game. Goalkeeper Jair Villegas made a miraculous save in the last play of the game and LACC sighed in relief when the ref blew the final whistle. It was a dramatic win that allowed the cubs to move up in the standings. Their next opponent will be on the road against Rio Hondo College on Friday, October 22nd.