Rachel Rosen
Staff Writer
Mira Costa boys soccer had an upsetting ending to their undefeated season, losing in penalty kicks against Long Beach Wilson in the second round of California Interscholastic Federation.
“I think we played really well overall even though we lost,” senior Malcolm Kluth said. “We moved the ball extremely easily and dominated almost the entire game.”
As the first half began, the Mustangs came out full speed as usual. They played their game and possessed well, but the opposition had big and strong players, making it difficult for Costa to create any real threatening chances. The first half ended 0-0.
“Wilson had a strong center back who was able to make it tough for us to score,” Kluth said. “I think we would win that game 9 times out of 10, but the ball just couldn’t go in that day.”
The Mustangs continued to dominate possession in the second half, but got shut down near their opponent’s goal. Wilson was successful in shutting down senior Josh Gaudiano, as they knew he was going to be an offensive threat. Regular time ended 0-0, adding another 20 minutes of overtime to the game.
“I was unable to score because I was double man-marked and could not get open to get a shot off,” Gaudiano said. “The chances I had were from tough angles and I could not place it around the keeper.”
Over time felt very long, as little happened in the 20 minutes for both teams, according to junior Dillan Argue. As time was winding down, the Mustangs prepared for penalty kicks. Seniors Gaudiano, Kluth, and Ian Sinkowitz and juniors Argue and James Riker were lined up to kick.
“Overall the team played pretty well,” Gaudiano said. “It’s unfortunate that we had to determine the winner in penalty kicks.”
The Mustangs were unlucky in the their penalty kicks, only making 3 out of 5. Unfortunately Long Beach Wilson made one more than Costa, taking home the victory. It was a hard fought battle that ended in the other team’s favor.
“It was unfortunate that it came down to penalty kicks because Wilson’s goalie was very good,” Argue said.
Even though the boys only made it to the second round of California Interscholastic Federation, they had an impressive season, going undefeated in Bay League for the first time. The team is hoping to improve next year and make it even farther.
“Even our season ended in a low, we had a very successful season overall,” Argue said. “I’m looking forward to coming back next season and hopefully we can win it next year.”
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