Estancia comes alive in second half

Steve Virgen

While a goal seemed to ignite one team, a different goal appeared to

take the life out of the other. So went the story in a game of

momentum between crosstown boys soccer rivals Estancia High and Costa

Mesa.

The Eagles quickly responded from a 1-0 deficit early in the

second half and won the Golden West League opener, 4-1, Wednesday at

Estancia. Senior Luiz Mendoza scored two goals, while Rafael

Hernandez and Narciso Lumbreras added one goal each for the Eagles.

“I was pleased with our performance out there in light of the fact

that we were playing with so many people sick,” Estancia Coach Steve

Crenshaw said. “I’m happy with the performance. The guys were playing

with guts.”

Costa Mesa’s goal awakened the Eagles (4-3-1) and when they responded less than a minute later, the Mustangs (0-3) lost their

short-lived advantage.

After a scoreless first half, Costa Mesa got on the board in the

48th minute when junior Alfonso Pineda scored in front of the net

after a high ball settled and he shot into an empty net. The shot

came off an assist from Audel Torres and brought excitement to the

Mustangs.

Costa Mesa had played the first half without six starters who were

disciplined for violating team rules. But the Mustangs were at full

strength in the final 40 minutes and with their 1-0 lead they felt

comfortable. So they thought.

The goal revived an Estancia squad that had been in control and

missed on a few scoring chances in the first half. Less than a minute

after Pineda’s goal, Mendoza scored on a bizarre play.

With Willmer Hernandez, the Mesa goalie, down with an injury,

Mendoza dribbled to the net, paused to add effect and tapped in the

game-tying goal. Costa Mesa Coach Eugene Day said Mendoza tripped his

goalie and the Mustang coach asked Crenshaw if he could have a

videotape copy of the game.

Crenshaw, as well as Mendoza, said there was no contact made from

Mendoza on Hernandez.

“I guess the goalie was trying to get me a yellow card,” said

Mendoza, who also scored two goals in a 2-1 win over El Modena

Tuesday and has 13 on the season. “He kicked me and threw himself to

the ground. I was taking some time [to make the goal] to try to get

the crowd into it.”

The Eagles took the lead in the 58th minute when Rafael Hernandez

scored on an assist from Quiroga Campos. Day, who is not typical of

criticizing the referees, said he saw a missed offsides call on the

play. Estancia was called for offsides nine times.

“It always happens in a crosstown rivalry; it’s always a good

intense game,” Day said. “The referees took that out, definitely took

it out. There’s no way you can tell me that a guy trips a goalkeeper

and it’s not a foul ... We played with them very well. We had the

momentum and he gave it right back to them. That’s why I told Steve,

I need to see the video. I don’t want to be screaming for nothing.

What I saw is he tripped my goalkeeper. The referee took away the

game from us.”

Just four minutes after the goal by Rafael Hernandez, Mendoza put

the Eagles up 3-1 with a direct free kick from about 40 yards out.

Mendoza’s impressive goal sailed over the Costa Mesa goalie and into

the net, sparking celebration from Mendoza, who went down on one knee

and pointed emphatically toward the sky.

Lumbreras capped the scoring putting it away when a goalie

deflected an earlier shot.