By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Not even inclement weather, it seems, can slow down the Rivera Raiders in District 32-6A soccer.
On a cool, 50-degree Saturday night with a steady drizzle, the 32-6A-leading Raiders remained unbeaten by dispatching Lopez 7-1 on a Lobos’ field that became muddy and slippery long before the match ended.
“We knew what the conditions would be, and I told our players I didn’t want to hear any excuses about the field — just play,” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “The (muddy) field didn’t help and neither team was able to play its style, but that’s the way it is. You still have to play.”
Added Eliseo Ortiz, who scored a pair of goals for the Raiders, “Every soccer player has a dream to play in the rain or the mud, so the dream came true today.Thank God we got the victory with a lot of goals. I would just say thank you to the people who came out to support us. We’re going to continue to work hard to get the win.”
Rivera (10-0, 30 points) now has outscored its first three opponents in the second half of district 24-1.
Lopez (7-3, 22 points) fell behind by three goals during the first half before closing the gap to 3-1 on a tally from close range 13 minutes into the second half. However, one minute or so after the Lopez goal, Ortiz scored on a chip shot over the Lobos’ goalkeeper, who came charging out. The Raiders quickly regained the momentum, and it was all Rivera to the end.
The Lobos finished the match at less than full strength due to players being sent off with cards down the stretch.
Alexis Herrera gave Rivera a 1-0 advantage barely five minutes into the game, and with 12 minutes gone, it became 2-0 thanks to a penalty kick by Isidro “Chelin” Martinez after a tripping call on the Lobos. Ortiz tallied his first goal from close range during the 28th minute after receiving a cross from Martinez, who attacked from the right side. That goal accounted for the Raiders’ 3-0 lead at intermission.
After Ortiz made it 4-1 with his chip-shot goal during the 55th minute, completing the scoring for the Raiders in the 7-1 win were Eliazar Acero, Herrera and Adan Cruz in the 59th, 70th and 72nd minutes, respectively.
When Rivera and Lopez played in the first round of district on a less-than-ideal Feb. 3 night at Sams Memorial Stadium that was actually even rainier and colder, the Lobos built an early 2-0 lead and almost went up 3-0 before the Raiders confidently rallied with four first-half goals and won 4-2.
This time, the Raiders wanted to be the ones getting off to a fast start.
“We knew it was going to be a hard battle (Saturday night) after that game in the first round of district,” Martinez said. “We got focused for them, and we knew the game was going to be ours. The coaches, the captains and almost everyone wassaying to be focused and that it has to be one game at a time.
“We knew we had to be focused every moment and on every play of the game because a lack of focus can cost you a goal, or even the victory,” Martinez added. “We were aware that it was going to be the same type of weather as the last time (we played them), so we knew we had to not base it on the weather but to just play our game and see what happened. We’re just going to take each game one at a time.”