By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The landscape in District 32-5A boys soccer has changed somewhat during the past week or so.
Valley View, considered by some to be the No. 1 boys team in the Rio Grande Valley for at least last season and the current one, has lost its last two matches to Brownsville teams and dropped out of first place in the 32-5A standings.
Brownsville Porter won at Valley View 2-1 last Friday, and Brownsville Veterans Memorial triumphed at home 4-1 over the Tigers on Tuesday.
The end result has left Brownsville Veternas in sole possession of first place with a 10-1 record and 30 points. Valley View is second at 8-3 with 24 points, while Porter, coming off Tuesday’s 2-0 win against Brownsville Lopez, is third with a 7-4 record and 23 points.
Lopez is fourth with a 7-4 record and 20 points.
Rounding out the 32-5A boys standings, it’s Donna High (6-5, 16 points), Brownsville Pace (4-7, 12 points), Mercedes (1-10, four points) and Edcouch-Elsa (1-10, three points).
Brownsville Veterans coach Alberto Vasquez said Tuesday’s 4-1 win has provided a big boost for his team, especially after the Chargers didn’t play their best in losing 3-1 at Valley View during the first round of district Feb. 4.
“It’s always great to see your team come out and play a game with such determination (as we did Tuesday),” Vasquez said. “We did not play very well when we played them at their house, so we wanted to prove that we could play with them.
“The two-game lead in the standings is great, but honestly, all that we have been trying to do is stay focused on the next game,” Vasquez added. “Our district is extremely competitive, and we can’t afford to lose our focus. I hope we continue to play well and close district play strong.”
The Chargers made a strong statement Tuesday by surging to a 3-0 halftime lead. Scoring goals for the Chargers were Felipe Esquivel, Javier Ballesteros, Mark Boswell and Albert Maradiaga.
32-5A GIRLS
The Brownsville Veterans Lady Chargers continue to stay on the heels of the Porter Cowgirls in the 32-5A girls race.
The Cowgirls have led virtually the entire way and boast a 10-1 record and 28 points. Brownsville Veterans is close behind in second place at 9-2 with 24 points. The Lady Chargers have gone to penalty kicks three times and won all three times.
Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said a big motivation for his team this season is having missed the playoffs one year ago. Also, he said the Lady Chargers have been far healthier this season than last.
There are nine returning starters, including some who are coming off injuries from last year.
“The idea has been for us to do better and correct the things that kept us out of the playoffs last year,” Troncoso said. “The mindset has been to do better in the things that hurt us last year. Keeping the team healthy also has been a big factor.”
The Lady Chargers have been sparked by the play of center midfielders Vivian Gutierrez, a sophomore, and Areli Guzman, a senior.
“All the girls have been playing well, and those two have been key performers,” Troncoso said of Gutierrez and Guzman.
The Lady Chargers have a key showdown coming up at 5:30 p.m. today at Porter in a game matching the district’s top two teams.
Actually, the boys match between the Chargers and Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. today at Porter is a pretty huge one, too.
Rounding out the 32-5A girls standings, it’s Lopez in third (7-4, 22 points), E-E (7-4, 20 points), Pace (6-5, 19 points), Valley View (4-7, 13 points), Donna High (1-10, six points) and Mercedes (0-11, no points).
32-6A UPDATE
Life continues to be a tight logjam in the District 32-6A boys and girls races.
In the boys standings, it’s Los Fresnos (7-1, 21 points), Brownsville Hanna (5-3, 17 points), Brownsville Rivera (5-3, 14 points), San Benito (4-4, 11 points), Harlingen South (2-6, six points) and Harlingen High (1-7, three points).
In the 32-6A girls standings, it’s Harlingen High (6-2, 18 points), Harlingen South (6-2, 18 points), Los Fresnos (5-3, 14 points), Rivera (3-5, 11 points), Hanna (4-4, 11 points) and San Benito (0-8, no points).
There are a couple of 32-6A No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdowns on tap today. For the boys, Hanna is at Los Fresnos at 5:30 p.m. For the girls, Harlingen High is at Harlingen South at 7:30 p.m. for the latest edition of the Bird Bowl.