Injuries cost Warriors in girls' soccer matches

Injuries will keep Fallbrook High School’s girls’ soccer team from repeating the Warriors’ 2018-2019 Valley League championship.

A Feb. 4 loss in Ramona gave Fallbrook a 1-4-2 league record for the season along with a 4-9-2 overall mark.

“The story of the season is mainly missing players due to injury,” Fallbrook coach Sergio Garcia said.

Fallbrook and Ramona High School tied in 1-1 match, Jan. 16, in Fallbrook. The Warriors followed that match with a 2-1 defeat Jan. 21, at San Pasqual High School.

“It was a close game,” Garcia said.

The game was scoreless at halftime.

“For five or 10 minutes in the game we actually had them against the ropes,” Garcia said.

Fallbrook also had five starters out with injuries and had only two players on the bench. Garcia had called up two players from the junior varsity to obtain the 13-player roster. The Golden Eagles had greater depth and took a 2-0 lead before Jade Kennedy scored the only Fallbrook goal.

“We came back and scored,” Garcia said.

Three of the Warriors’ seven league losses have been by shutout, and in the other four games Fallbrook obtained the final goal. One of those shutout losses was Jan. 23 when the Warriors hosted Mission Vista High School. The Timberwolves won by a 4-0 margin.

“I would say three out of the four goals were just mistakes,” Garcia said.

The Timberwolves had a 7-0 league record for their first seven Valley League games with five of those wins being by shutout, and Mission Vista’s overall record at that point was 11-2-2.

“Mission Vista is the strongest school in our league this season,” Garcia said.

Fallbrook’s lone win in the Warriors’ first seven league contests occurred Jan. 28, at Valley Center High School. The score was 1-1 at halftime, with Kennedy scoring Fallbrook’s goal. In the second half Delia Tapia scored with an assist from Alexa Sanchez, and the Warriors held on for the 2-1 victory.

“Close match. Just ended up taking advantage of the scoring opportunities we had,” Garcia said.

Fallbrook began league play Jan. 14, with a 1-0 home loss to Escondido High School. The Jan. 30 rematch in Escondido was a 3-3 tie. Kennedy scored the only goal for either team in the first half. The Cougars scored the first three goals of the second half. Tapia placed a shot into the net to narrow Fallbrook’s deficit to 3-2.

In the final minute of play, Sanchez scored an unassisted goal to create the draw.

“She kind of built the play and shot from a good 35 yards out,” Garcia said.

Fallbrook also scored a last-minute goal in the Warriors’ other league tie this season; Sanchez passed to Galilea Medina for the equalizer against Ramona.

In the case of the tie against Escondido, the Warriors overcame a two-goal deficit.

“Not giving up and coming back to get those goals and tie showed good character of the team, a fighting spirit,” Garcia said.

Ramona’s Feb. 4 triumph over Fallbrook was a 3-0 game for the Bulldogs’ first win over Fallbrook since 2015.

“They’ve got a girl up top who’s just fast,” Garcia said.

That forward who scored twice against the Warriors, Sidney Din, is a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. In last year’s CIF Division IV championship game Din scored in sudden death overtime to give Ramona a 1-0 win over Vista High School. Ramona’s four starting defenders and goalkeeper from last year’s CIF championship team are all on this season’s squad, and Din is one of three four-year starters. The 2018-2019 Bulldogs, who were fourth in the Valley League standings, had only five seniors.

This year’s Fallbrook team has four seniors.

“I think we’ll have a good young team next year, be a little more competitive,” Garcia said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].