By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
There are times when a soccer player is ideally suited for what his team needs him to do.
Israel Acero, a senior defender for Rivera, was that guy. Along with fellow senior Jesus Torres, Acero led the Raiders’ defensive unit.
In addition, Acero was often the one initiating the team’s fluid offense from the back as Rivera scored 138 goals while allowing only 24 en route to winning the Class 6A state title last month in Georgetown with a 28-0 record, a mark that included seven victories in the playoffs. Acero even scored a few goals himself as part of the Raiders’ seemingly unstoppable offensive attack.
For his role as a vital contributor in the Raiders’ perfect run to the state championship, Acero is The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro defensive player of the year for 2015.
“With our style of play and having the fullback attacking (and initiating the offense) from the outside, it made Israel even more easy to see (as far as what he could do with his skills),” Rivera coach Salvador Garcia said. “It showcased his abilities. He was always going up (to start the offense). He did well with his defending and also with his play in the air (to pass or score).
“What everybody liked most about him was his attacking abilities,” Garcia added. “As a defender, most of the time you expect them to defend only, which he was great at doing, but when you add to the mix the fact that he brought the ball up from the back and could send a long ball or a short ball, that was a big advantage for us.
“He’s just a complete player considering his size (5-foot-11, 155 pounds), his speed and his technique. He has it all, and he’s going to be great wherever he goes (to play in college). There’s no doubt about it.”
A three-year starter, Acero said constant communication between teammates was a key component to the Raiders’ success on defense.
“From the beginning of the year, being solid in the back was what we wanted to do, and our communication was what helped us the most,” Acero said. “That’s what we did. There’s a saying that ‘Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.’ We showed it.
“It was an honor to play for this team, and it was great to see the chemistry that we had evolve during the season,” he added. “It went just how we wanted it to go. When the ball came to me (to start the offensive attack), I just saw what was being given to me (by the opponent), and I tried to take advantage of that. From there, we could start breaking up the game, and we did. That’s how we dominated.
“We ended the season just the way we wanted to finish. We did what we had to do, and it was just a fun ride. We sacrificed and we had fun, and that’s what we loved about it.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.