Godinez too much for Mesa
The high school boys’ soccer showdown between host Costa Mesa and Godinez featured two Orange Coast League unbeaten teams. One hadn’t lost in three matches this season, the other in the last 30 matches since 2012-13.
While Costa Mesa went into Wednesday having won each of its first three contests in the Orange Coast League for the first time in the program’s history, the Grizzlies continued their dominance in league.
The Grizzlies extended their unbeaten streak in league to 31 straight, defeating Costa Mesa, 3-0, at Jim Scott Stadium. With the result, three-time defending league champion Godinez moved into first place, overtaking the Mustangs.
“I thought we executed what we had planned. We came out with intensity early. We had a bunch of chances in the first half,” said Godinez Coach Ruben Fernandez, whose team scored each of its three goals in the first half. “I thought from that point on, we managed pretty well. We possessed the ball. We were hitting the counter as well. We had some chances. They didn’t have many chances to score, so I thought we defended very well as well. It was a pretty complete game.”
The Grizzlies (9-1-4, 3-0-1 in league), ranked No. 12 in the state by TopDrawerSoccer.com, showed against Costa Mesa (6-5-1, 3-1-0) that they’re a complete side.
The Grizzlies improved to 24-0-7 in their past 31 affairs in league. They attacked right away, watching striker Bryan Ibarra score off a deflected shot inside the box in the fifth minute and then defender Rigoberto Lizardi on a blast from the right side in the 12th minute.
The Grizzlies easily could’ve been up by four goals during the first 12 minutes, if not for a couple of tough saves by goalkeeper Samuel Mitchell, including one on a breakaway against Ricardo Diaz.
“They definitely came out strong,” Costa Mesa Coach Chris Sullivan said of the Grizzlies. “We just weren’t focused in the back at the beginning. We didn’t start off strong. They definitely took advantage of the weaknesses we had in the defense. We weren’t tight in the back.
“With the talent they have on that team [and with Ibarra] on top, he’s a very strong player, any space that we give him or chance we give him in front of goal he’s going to take advantage of it. The speed that they have on the wings, they’re going to expose any openings that we give them.”
Ibarra finished with two goals, the second coming in the 33rd minute. The junior split two defenders outside the box, poking the ball inside, where he then beat another defender and a sliding Mitchell, before striking it toward the back of the net.
The best scoring chances for Costa Mesa came off the foot of Rafael Dominguez. He hit the left post midway through the first half, and midway through the second half, his direct free kick went right to keeper Alex Peñaloza.
Peñaloza made a couple of saves, helping Godinez hold its eighth straight opponent in league scoreless. During the stretch, the Grizzlies have outscored the opposition, 27-0.
Godinez, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll, returns to Jim Scott Stadium on Friday to face No. 6 Estancia (9-3-3, 2-1-1) at 5 p.m. The two programs close out the first part of league.
Estancia is the last team in league to knock off the Grizzlies, pulling it off three years ago.
“This is still just the very beginning of the season,” said Sullivan, whose Mustangs can surpass their win total in league from the previous two seasons with a victory on the road against Saddleback on Friday at 3 p.m. “We came up against a very good team. The result didn’t [go] our way, but there’s a lot we can learn from it and we can improve on it. I’m not worried about one setback in league.”
