Barry Faulkner
The stars are beginning to align for the Kaiser No. 1 fifth- and
sixth-grade boys soccer team and Coach Leisha Mello said she has the
Galaxy to thank.
Mello, who guided the Knights to a 5-1 quarterfinal victory over
TeWinkle No. 2 in the quarterfinals of the Pilot Cup Saturday at the
Costa Mesa Farm Complex, said she has used the reigning Major League
Soccer champion Los Angeles Galaxy as an example of how to use the
entire field to attack opposing defenses.
"I tell our guys they have to remember the field is wide," Mello
said. "Everyone else likes to crowd into the middle of the field, but
we like to spread the ball out to the sides. I tell our guys to watch
the Galaxy do the same thing. When they see them passing the ball
wide, it helps them realize it can work. I'm always yelling 'Go wide'
and it paid off today."
Will Munoz, running down the left flank, took advantage for
Kaiser's first goal, angling the ball into the right side of the net
after beating his defender wide in the 17th minute.
Munoz, who, along with teammate Mario Figueroa was identified by
Mello before the contest as the leading threats for the Knights, used
both sides of the field to produce his second goal in the 21st
minute. He took a feed on the left third of the field, cut back
across the middle, split two defenders, chased down his dribble and
directed a right-footed blast from the right side just inside the
left goalpost for a 2-0 cushion.
David Vasquez cut into the lead for TeWinkle, outracing the goalie
to a pass about 10 yards in front and flicking the ball under the
oncoming netminder and into the net just minutes before halftime.
TeWinkle continued to build momentum early in the second half, but
failed to convert two quality scoring chances.
Kaiser then reestablished control when Danny Ingalls ran down a
through ball along the right side of the goal and carried it in for a
short shot that found the net to make it 3-1.
Figueroa added to the lead on a penalty kick in the 48th minute
and then closed out the scoring on a breakaway to propel Kaiser into
today's 11 a.m. semifinal against Harbor View, a 2-0 quarterfinal
winner over Newport Heights.
In addition to the offensive spark provided by Munoz and Figueroa,
Kaiser received strong defensive work from goalie Wes Shaw (four
saves) as well as Dane Sequiera, David Jung and Matt Mello.
TeWinkle, coached by Mayu Iwatani and assistant Sal Burciaga,
advanced out of its four-team pool to get to the quarterinals.
