Boys soccer fell to Poway in a close 2-1 match on Senior Night, Feb. 7. The loss brought Westview’s overall record to 7-6-4 and their league record to 3-4-1, placing them third in league standings.
Poway scored the first goal 30 minutes into the game, which EJ Sajo (12) said was discouraging. However, Westview quickly bounced back with Laith Koury scoring a goal shortly after and tying the game at 1-1 by the end of the first half.
“Some challenges we faced were getting scored on [the] first [half of the game] and struggling to put one in the back of the net ourselves,” Sajo said. “We also were having difficulty finding our rhythm in the first 20 minutes of the game. We overcame [this] by simply just playing. We just needed a little bit of time to gather ourselves and find our rhythm. After they scored, we scored about two minutes [later], so mentally we were back in the game. Everyone is bound to mess up, it’s about what you do after that creates a positive impact for the team and that’s what we did to get a goal back ourselves.”
Having played Poway before, the team knew Poway’s strategies and worked on countering them during practices.
“In practice, we focused on keeping the ball moving and perfecting our basic passes because we know Poway likes to press high up the field,” Sajo said. “Doing these types of drills helped us [during] the game advance up the pitch, eventually leading to our first goal.”
The game remained tied throughout the rest of the first half, both teams fighting for possession of the ball but ultimately each keeping the other from scoring. Going into the second half, a foul was called on Westview, giving Poway a free kick that resulted in a score. Captain Leica Yasukwa (12) said that mistakes, like the foul, have hurt the team throughout this season.
“The second goal was a free kick right from the edge of the box,” Yasukwa said. “It came from our mistakes, and we fouled him. With how our team operates, we make those silly mistakes and we’re not strong defending against set pieces or corners or throwing. We have to avoid giving them those opportunities. We can’t give them those corners, but we keep on making those basic mistakes that have been hurting us since day one.”
As Poway took the lead 2-1, Yasukwsa said the energy dropped among Westview, affecting their playing performance. He said that Poway’s determination to win helped keep them in the lead through out the rest of the game.
“I think Poway was a lot more prepared, and a lot more pumped up, mentally and physically,” Yasukwa said. “[For] Poway, they wanted to win, they wanted to get the points because they’re not high up in the standings right now. The energy was swayed more towards their side because I felt their desire, their need, and their passion to win.”
In the end, Westview couldn’t make up the point deficit and lost the game. Yasukawa said he felt that the loss came from Westview’s fundamental mistakes on the field which gave Poway the opportunities to score.
“There should have been no problem with how we played, but we lost, and in my opinion, that loss came from our basic mistakes on the field,” Yasukwa said. “The fundamental mistakes came from us and [Poway] really just capitalized on our mistakes.”
Using this game as a learning experience, Yasukwa said he hopes to lead his team to future victories. Westview will be facing San Pasqual and Del Norte, the top two teams in league standings respectively, in the final league games of the season.
“I think it’s all mental,” Yasukwa said. “It starts with how we practice, how we warm up, and how we approach the teams. It’s the mental aspect of having that passion, having the desire to win [that] is going to be really important in these next games because the team needs to start preparing for the playoffs and getting that momentum.”
On Senior Night, families and friends alike came to support the team, even bringing out cardboard cutouts of the players’ faces to show their love. For Sajo, seeing his loved ones in the stands pushed him to perform his best on the field.
“Senior Night definitely played a big role in the energy [we] felt before the game,” Sajo said. “With most of our team being seniors, the stadium was filled with loved ones coming out and supporting [us] so I think that played a massive role in [our performance].”
Despite the loss, Sajo said the game was a memorable experience for the seniors, bringing the bittersweet knowledge that their time at Westview is coming to an end.
“I felt nostalgic as it was one of the last home games I would ever play on the Westview pitch, so there was also a feeling of closure and gratitude for the cherished memories I have with the program,” Sajo said. “During the game, the best moments were just having a good time out there with all my teammates. Although we lost, it’ll be a game I remember forever.”
