The Pierce College Men’s soccer team beat Glendale 3-1 on Friday after a slow start.
The team has a three game unbeaten streak and has earned points in five of the last six games.
After facing several tough opponents, the Brahmas went against Glendale, who are currently at the bottom of the table.
Head Coach Julio Castillo made the observation that his team may have suffered a letdown.
“We got complacent. We got cocky and we played down to their level,” Castillo said.
Pierce came out sluggish and allowed Glendale to dominate the first part of the game.
In the 10th minute, Pierce was able to score and take a 1-0 lead on a shot by midfielder Gilberto Chavez.
Glendale continued to put pressure on the Pierce defense and created several scoring opportunities.
In the 18th minute, Glendale tied the score which seemed to motivate the Brahmas.
Pierce took the lead in the 38th minute on a goal by Alexander Mazariegos off a free kick deflection.
Goalkeeper Daniel Lopez made several saves to keep Pierce’s advantage.
“I think I played well,” Lopez said. “For sure I could have fixed a couple things.”
In the 41st minute, a miscommunication between Lopez and a central defender resulted in an indirect free kick inside the box.
Glendale executed a set piece which created a point blank shot.
Lopez made a sprawling save to deny Glendale.
The second half began quite differently and seemed to please Castillo.
“We were able to step it up in the second half,” Castillo said. “We were a little more secure, simple and effective.”
Pierce controlled the game and played most of the game in the Glendale half of the field.
Chavez was able to take over the midfield and made several passes to create opportunities for his forwards.
In the 49th minute, Forward Mario Farias Jr. was tripped in the Glendale box and was awarded a penalty kick.
Forward Pedro Perez Jr. converted the penalty kick with a shot just inside the left goal post for a 3-1 lead.
Perez Jr. was very proud of his team’s performance in the second half.
“We were really bad in the first half,” Perez Jr said. “We were more confident in the second half and just played our game.”
Castillo emptied his bench and gave most of his starters a well-deserved break.
“They earned it,” Castillo said. “They’ve been working hard all year.”
The substitute players did not disappoint and continued to move the ball at will against Glendale maintaining possession and control of the game.
Lopez also noticed the team’s improved play in the second half.
“The second half was a lot better,” Lopez said. “We got a lot more shots in and we touched the ball a lot more. There was a lot more flow to the game.”
The team has steadily improved as the season has progressed.
In the last six games, they have beaten Glendale, Canyons, Antelope Valley and tied the top team Bakersfield on their home field.
With two games left in the season, Pierce’s first year back so far has been productive.
The Brahmas’ next game is on Thursday at Citrus College at 5:30 p.m.
