Jaguars drop a pair of league soccer games

Andres Rizo (12) scored Valley Center's lone goal against Orange Glen. (photos by Ray Flores)

Valley Center’s varsity boys soccer team couldn’t get the goals they needed when they needed them, as the Jaguars suffered a pair of losses in league play this week.
Less than a week after picking up their first league win of the season with a 5–2 victory over Del Norte on Jan. 20, the Jags hosted San Dieguito Academy last Tuesday and couldn’t come back from an early deficit in a 5–1 loss.
The Jags scored their lone goal in the first half, but the Mustangs scored two and held a one-goal lead at halftime. San Dieguito’s offense lit up the Valley Center defense in the second half, scoring three goals to put the win away.
The Jaguars went on to host Orange Glen on Thursday, and after falling behind in the first half once again, couldn’t get a late goal and lost, 2–1.
Orange Glen slowly built up more and more chances in the first half and finally broke through with a goal with 16:35 left in the half. The Patriots were given a penalty kick after a foul was called on the Jaguars in the 18-yard box, but the Valley Center crowd voiced its displeasure with the questionable call.
Trailing by a goal at halftime, the Jaguars responded by tying the game up just five minutes into the second half. On the play, senior Andres Rizo chased down a long pass down the left side and flicked the ball over the goalie’s head into the back of the net.
The Jags nearly scored again six minutes later, but a shot in close went just wide to the left of the post.
Just over five minutes after the near miss, the Patriots re-took the lead off a deep throw-in that was initially saved on a header, but the rebound found its way into the net to give Orange Glen the game-winner.
As the game wound down, both sides played more and more physically, but no fouls were called until a rough challenge by Valley Center’s Eddie Alba suddenly elicited a red card, which put the Jaguars down a man for the final seven minutes.
“The defense really stepped up, and we played a consistent game from start to finish,” head coach JD Dantas said after the game. “Even though we lost, this game is a turnaround for us. That early goal didn’t get them down and they played hard to the end. We’ve got a few more league games left, and we’re looking at maybe having a shot at making the playoffs.”
Valley Center is now 2–12–1 overall and 1–3 in league with four games left in the regular season. Next up is a home game against Canyon Crest on Thursday at 5 p.m.