Sports
Tigers crush Wildcats 6-1 in dominating fashion
Friday, 23 March 2012 by David Tuma
Angel Hernandez, one of several midfielders the Tigers used could start at forward for just about any team in district. Hernandez and company dominate the middle of the field feeding the ball to the Tigers forwards Luke Villamaria and Cameron Cooper who put the game away. Photo by David TumaBelton left no doubt who controls soccer in district 12-5A with a 6-1 pounding of a struggling Temple soccer program. Belton dominated the first half taking shot after shot on goal but were unable to score. In the second half Temple cracked and the Tigers scored six second half goals to improve to 16-3-1 on the season. Belton, looking for their fourth straight district championship, is 7-0-1 against the Wildcats the past four seasons.
The Tigers had a bad taste in their mouth after giving up a tie to Temple at Woodson Field earlier in the year. "We let each other down the last time we played them. We learned from that tie," said Luke Villamaria.
Luke Villamaria and Cameron Cooper took several shots on goal to start the game. Jorge Marquez had a stop on defense at 28:45. Cesar Cruz just missed wide at 29:23. Timothy Williams had a crossing pass that was headed by Cooper just missing. Cooper set up a corner kick at 24:43. Keegan Valentino had a shot on goal and Cruz added another at 20:11.
Belton's midfield simplydominated the first 20-minutes of play moving up into Temple's side of the field and keeping the ball almost exclusively on Temple's side.
Valentino had a shot on goal, Cooper a shot on goal and Villamaria a shot on goal near the 12-minute mark. Cruz had a shot saved by a diving goalie at 5:42.
Ryan Parker had a stop on defense playing midfield.
Cruz got an open look from 30-yards out and made the Wildcats pay by firing a shot past the goal to make it 1-0 to start the second half. Villamaria hit a crossing pass in front of Temple's goal that Cruz re-directed in the air to put the game way with his second goal at 35:43.
Carlo Mosnia had his first save of the game. Alvaro Martinez scored to make it 3-0 with 22:27 left. Temple scored from 50-yards out when Mosnia had the ball slip out of his hands and roll under his legs.
Cooper set up Villamaria who headed the ball in to make it 4-1. Williams scored to make it 5-1. Angel Hernandez scored to make it 6-1. Martinez and Hernandez simply dominated the game in the midfield. Villamaria and Cooper work well together at forward and give those one touch passes that simply flow and are very difficult to stop.
"We know the goals would fall and we had to keep up the pressure on them. We got that first goal and the broke down," said Cooper.
The girls game was a tie. Temple moved the game from their soccer field at Woodson Field to the football stadium and when the ball goes out it rolls and rolls and rolls slowing up the game keeping it a low scoring affair. Temple is 0-10-1 in the past six seasons against the Lady Tigers who are in position to win their eighth straight district championship.
