Woodland's Pioneer boys soccer loses to Vanden in playoffs

At the first practice of the year, coach Anibal Morales told his players he wanted them to get a taste of the postseason.

Following Tuesday's 2-0 loss to host Vanden in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs, the Pioneer boys soccer team felt like it had taken a bite out of a sour apple.

Throughout the contest the Patriots were incredulous at the official's judgment calls, none more than a second-half penalty kick which was overturned. Trailing 1-0 with about 20 minutes remaining, Pioneer's David Michel was bruised up in the Vanden penalty box. Immediately, the referee signaled for a Michel penalty boot.

"(Michel) had it knee high, and the other player came in and put his foot in from behind and basically just tripped him," forward Alexis Corona said.

Once the official conferred with the linesman, however, the ruling was changed -- giving the Vikings the ball.

"I had a clear view of what happened, and it's not right," midfielder Julio Angel said of the reversal. "The center ref even called it and he just went to check on the side ref, and he called it off. It's not cool."

Morales was also confused.

"You call a penalty and then it's not a penalty?" the coach said. "That really was demoralizing for the players, and for us coaches."

The ref's decision was certainly troubling to assistant coach Marco Mendoza.

"That was a penalty to tie the game, and all of a sudden, he realizes, no," Mendoza said. "We were running out of time. If we had scored on that one, things would have been different, it would have changed."

Perhaps most upset was Angel. Between the final whistle and the handshakes after the game, Angel bellowed toward the Vanden team, "If that's how you want to win..." Morales had to place his hands on Angel's shoulder and ask him to calm down.

"I was trying to tell him, 'The game is over, there is nothing you can do to change the outcome,'" Morales said.

Goalkeeper Esai Guevara said the officials "just gave away our game." Until a header in stoppage time that sealed a Vanden victory, the junior had allowed just one goal. The initial Vikings score was midway through the first half. Guevara stretched out to his left to save a cross-net shot.

"I felt like there was more to come after (the first shot)," said the keeper, who saved that attempt. "I reacted, and then I looked up and everybody was just standing around looking at the ball, expecting me to get it."

There to punch in the rebound for a score was Vanden junior Dominiq Plutino-Laird, once a student of Morales' at Cambridge Elementary in Fairfield.

Morales was happy with how the Patriots held the Vikings from scoring again until the late header. Guevara attributed the improvement to better communication. Offensively, though Corona thought Vanden's style of play gave Pioneer fits.

"We couldn't get any balls in the air, because they all scrapped them out with headers," Corona said.

At halftime, Morales implored his players to work the ball on the ground rather than take to the air. Despite the adjustments, Morales still felt the game came down to the reversed penalty kick.

"Sometimes you play against 12 players, or 13 or 14 depending on the referees," Morales said. "Today, that was the case. It's frustrating. But once again, what can you do. (The officials) are the ones who call everything, and if you don't like it? That's it."

While the season is over, the Patriots who are not graduating aren't done yet.

Freshman Jovanni Morales, moved up from JV before Tuesday's game, said Pioneer would "get (Vanden) back next time." Meanwhile, other Patriots chatted as they exited the field about the possibilities of returning to the playoffs.

"Three (JV call-ups) played the whole second half," Coach Morales said. "That was the point, to move up players so they know what to expect next year."

Pioneer will spit out the infected fruit that was Tuesday's defeat and prepare for another taste of the postseason.

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