NHB Black takes title

The NHB Black boys Under-10 soccer team finished its league

campaign Saturday with a 4-1 victory over So Cal United of Westlake.

Christian Ramirez scored all four of his team’s goals as NHB captured

first place in the Silver South Division with a 13-1 record.

NHB will take its overall record of 27-3 into this weekend’s Coast Soccer

League Cup Tournament, which begins Saturday.

NHB also tuned up for the upcoming Cup by winning the Nike Harvest Cup

Tournament in Irvine over the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Ramirez again led

the way with 10 games in five games while goalkeeper Randi Brito

surrendered just three goals in five victories.

NHB opened tournament play by defeating the Irvine Strikers Bronze, 7-0

on two goals by both Ramirez and Avi Villon and single scores by Jonathon

Rivas, Esteban Orejel, and Favian Robiatti. Their second victory was a

12-1 blowout of the Irvine Strikers-Churm, as Ramirez and Rivas each

scored three goals, Orejel and Bobby Tornel both scored twice, and Villon

and Chris Velez scored one goal apiece to round out the attack.

Ramirez and Orejel each scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Arsenal FC, a

win that secured the Black a spot in the semifinal round. In their

semifinal date with FCI Impact, Ramirez and Orejel again provided the

offense with two goals each as NHB posted a 4-1 victory.

The Black took on another unbeaten team, the Irvine Strikers Gold, in the

championship match. A first half defensive struggle, which featured

several saves by Brito, saw the two teams fight to a scoreless tie at the

break. However, Avi Villon broke the deadlock by weaving his way past

four Striker defenders to score at the two-minute mark to give NHB the

winning goal.

Ten minutes later, Ramirez scored off an assist from Villon and Rivas

added an insurance score with his fifth goal of the tournament. The

game’s final score came at the 19-minute mark, and sent NHB on its way to

a 3-0 triumph.

“Our unrelenting attack and teamwork really prevailed in this

tournament,” NHB Black Coach Alberto Robiatti said. “I expect the League

Cup to be very competitive, and this (Nike Harvest Cup) tournament helped

to prepare our team to challenge FC Barcelona, the league’s top team, for

the championship.”

NHB Black will take on Long Beach United Force Saturday in an opening

round Coast Soccer League Cup Tournament match at Mabel Paine Elementary

School in Yorba Linda.