BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
HIDALGO — The raucous Valley View crowd expected it. The Valley View boys soccer team wanted it.
Sharyland Pioneer was trying to stop it.
Tied late during the second half, Valley View was pounding Pioneer’s defense relentlessly with shot after shot but could not break through. The experienced Tigers wanted the 31-5A district-opening victory at home. Upstart Pioneer was about to derail the Valley’s soccer powerhouse.
That was until Valley View senior forward Avi Garcia took a pass on the left wing near the hash mark and about 20 yards out from goal. He stopped, spun to the right and then unleashed a searing line-drive bullet into the uppermost left corner of the goal just past the keeper’s gloves, synging the net with 8:15 left in the match.
It was as spectacular a goal as you are going to see in high school soccer and worthy of much more. And in fact it was. The kick was the go-ahead and winning try for the team that wanted it, gave the crowd what it expected and beat the team that was trying to stop it as Valley View won 3-2 Friday night at home.
“At that time I told him (Garcia) we have to press, and he just made an individual play on the goal that he scored and it was one that no one was going to stop,” said Valley View coach Damian Magallan. “It gave me great satisfaction to see that goal. This young man has a lot of ability, and I think he just said ‘This is my goal,’ and he put in with the best of angles.”
Up until that point, the result of the game was sort of in question. But in the last 15 minutes of the game it was Garcia and the Tigers that played with an urgency not found on the other side. Valley View had eight shots on goal in those 15 minutes to one for Pioneer.
And as usual the Tigers’ laser-like passes and impressive dribbling were on display. The team played keep-away from Pioneer, often making 4-5 passes or even more without defensive interruption. That flow helped put them in position to score the first two goals — Ivan Rodriguez in the first half and Roberto Serna in the second half.
“That (ball movement) is something the team works hard on all week,” said Garcia, who wears No. 10. “We were just doing what we practice, and we put it to work on the field. And luckily our work paid off.”
Garcia and Magallan both said they expected a competitive match from Pioneer because it has well-trained players.
Pioneer was game for a tough match. It caught Valley View out of position a few times for its scores. The Diamodbacks also used their speed to win loose balls and worked hard.
Senior forward Leo Rios scored in the first half and junior forward Diego Ramirez scored in the second half that tied the game at 2-2 before Garcia’s heroics. Pioneer coach Alex Lopez said he was satisfied with his team’s intense effort.
“I am proud of them not just for keeping up with Valley View, but playing them like they did,” Lopez said. “Valley View did a very good job, and I think the difference may have just been their experience.”