Girls soccer falls to Mountain View due to team setbacks
November 27, 2018
On Tuesday, November 27, the girls varsity soccer team played their first match against Mountain View High School to start off the season. However, they encountered issues with on-field communication and organization, and, as a result, they lost 0-4 against the Spartans.
Tryouts for the girls JV and varsity soccer teams were finalized the previous day, so this game was the first time the girls had played together. Originally, Coach Marcos Giovannoni planned tryouts before Thanksgiving break, but he was forced to cancel them due to poor air quality. This interference with their schedule denied players any practice time before their first official match.
“I think [the game] was rough at times, but there was a lot of positive things that we saw, and we haven’t even had a real practice yet,” junior Michelle Odnert said. “And there’s a lot of young talent, so I’m looking forward to the rest of [the season].”
During the first half of the match, Mountain View dominated the field and quickly scored three successive goals. Los Altos’s defense fell behind as the Spartans continued to control possession of the ball.
During the second half, Mountain View scored its fourth goal and widened the gap even further. The Eagles attempted to push their opponents to their side of the field; however, their efforts were continually obstructed as Mountain View intercepted many of the passes.
Minutes before the whistle blew, Los Altos advanced towards Mountain View’s goal post in a last-ditch attempt to score. Forward player Maddi Lee dribbled the soccer ball past two Spartan defenders. It seemed that Los Altos would finally score a goal, but another defense player blocked Maddi’s kick.
Coach Marcos Giovannoni expressed confidence in the team’s playing. Although they didn’t win, he noted the potential of the athletes and noticed the players’ abilities and skills.
“I think we need to get to know each other and that’s our only weakness,” Giovannoni said. “We have very talented players. Our plan is to work on shape, positioning and a little bit of the technical part.”
