By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
CORPUS CHRISTI — Valley View coach Damian Magallan has been saying all soccer season this is the “Year of the Tiger.”
It’s looking more and more that way.
Valley View defeated Brownsville Veterans Memorial 3-1 on Saturday in the Region IV-5A final at Cabaniss Field to earn a return trip to the coming week’s UIL state tournament in Georgetown.
The Tigers previously advanced to state in 2013 and 2014.
“We’re very happy and content because our boys worked hard for this,” Magallan said. “Thank God we’re going to state and that we were able to correct every one of the things we’ve been doing wrong so that we can continue winning and have a result like this one (in the regional final).
“We’ve knocked on the door (for a state title) two times in Georgetown and we’re going back up there to give it everything we have,” Magallan added. “We’re just thankful to God for this result against Brownsville Veterans, a very good team that I salute. Veterans brought a strong game to the field. Now we’re hoping the third time we go to state will be the time that we achieve our goal.”
The District 31-5A champion Tigers improved to 31-0, while the District 32-5A runner-up Chargers ended the season at 33-3-6.
After a day of extremely strong winds at Cabaniss on Friday, it was another gusty day on Saturday.
Trailing 1-0 and just before halftime, Brownsville Veterans had a goal on a header by Albert Maradiaga waved off due to an apparent offsides call during the 33rd minute that would have tied the score 1-1.
Chargers coach Alberto Vasquez saw that no-goal call as the difference in the match.
“I thought it was a very good game,” Vasquez said. “I thought we had equalized it (on Maradiaga’s header), and the feedback I got (after the game) was it should have been a good goal, but that’s the way this game (of soccer) is.
“Valley View is a very good team, a very talented team,” Vasquez added. “They beat us 3-1, so what else is there to say? I would say my guys played very hard and I’m proud of them.”
The Chargers reached Saturday’s regional final with a 3-0 victory against Austin High on Friday. They’ve now played in the regional final two straight seasons and also came up short 1-0 against Lopez last year at Cabaniss.
For the Tigers on Saturday, it was another day of scoring three goals for standout junior striker Mario De Los Santos.
De Los Santos scored three goals Friday in the Tigers’ 6-0 regional semifinal victory against Marble Falls. He had three more Saturday to bring his goal total for the season to 69.
De Los Santos said he was feeling confident Saturday morning that he was going to have another productive outing at Cabaniss later in the day.
As long as it helps his team keep winning, he said.
“Our thoughts are to become state champions,” De Los Santos said. “We’ve purchased our ticket (to state) with this win (against Brownsville Veterans). Now we want to go over there and do it.
“Thank God that I was feeling very good this morning about this game,” he added. “I always have the hope and confidence that I’m going to score. I always know my grandmother is behind me and I know that God is too.”
The Tigers broke out on top 1-0 during the ninth minute when they put the ball in play on a corner kick from the left side. The ball soon came to De Los Santos and he drilled it into the net on a high shot from about 18 yards out.
Valley View led 1-0 at intermission and it remained a one-score match until the 62nd minute when a pass by a teammate from the right side came to De Los Santos. He then sent an uncontested shot into the net from about 15 yards out to make it 2-0.
De Los Santos reached his hat trick during the 70th minute when his shot from approximately 20 yards away hit the right upper post and bounced in.
For the game, the Tigers finished with a 9-2 edge in shots on goal.
Juan Amieva scored for Brownsville Veterans during the final minute to help the Chargers avoid suffering a shutout.