SAN MATEO, CA - Junior forward Adan Alva scored twice - including the clincher in second-half stoppage time - to lead Valley Christian to a 3-1 victory over host Serra Saturday afternoon in a West Catholic Athletic League contest.
Alva's second goal dashed the comeback hopes of the Padres (2-11-2, 2-7-0 WCAL), who had pulled to within a goal on a spectacular first-time volley by William Rivera off a cross from the right side with just over seven minutes to play.
The clincher came off a long throw-in from the right side by Valley Christian junior left back Alex Lopez. The ball was initially won in the air by Serra center back Alexander Avila but it dropped to Alva, who managed to volley the ball with the outside of his right foot off the fingertips of Serra goalkeeper Sean Fang to make it 3-1. The final whistle blew just seconds afterward.
Valley Christian (7-3-3, 4-2-3) opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Alva beat the Serra offside line, took a nice through pass and slotted the ball past Fang.
The Warriors added a second goal just five minutes later off a quick counterattack. This time Alva played the role of distributor, sending Valley Christian's leading scorer Cody Buchanan behind the Serra defense with a well-placed through ball. Buchanan calmly finished to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead just 16 minutes into the match.
The Padres, who achieved success early in the match particularly down the left side through overlapping left back Matthew Herrera, struggled to get their possession game going after falling behind. Valley Christian began to control the midfield as the half wore on as holding midfielder Christian Carrillo and attacking mids Buchanan and Sam Yoshikawa began to exert themselves.
The second half was a different story as Serra started strong through the play of attacking midfielder Michael Neher and sophomore left wing Julio Rodriguez. The two nearly combined for a goal early in the second half but a shot by Neher from just outside the penalty spot was saved by Valley Christian sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Rose.
Rivera's remarkable finish gave the Padres hope and they nearly tied it a few minutes later off a long throw-in from the left side. Valley Christian struggled to clear and the ball landed at the feet of Colby Kosling inside the area, but his shot went just over the bar.
The win vaulted Valley Christian into a tie for second place with Sacred Heart Cathedral, a 4-0 winner at Archbishop Mitty. Even if the Warriors fail to capture one of the two automatic Central Coast Section playoff bids from the WCAL, they are in very strong position for an at-large berth. The latest Prep2Prep projections had Valley Christian as a No. 10 seed in the Division II playoffs, a spot that figures to improve with this victory.
The Warriors visit St. Francis Wednesday night (7 pm). The Lancers defeated St. Ignatius Saturday and are positioning themselves for a playoff run after suffering through a streak of five matches without a victory in the middle portion of the schedule. Serra, which has dropped four straight, hosts Sacred Heart Cathedral Wednesday afternoon (3:30 pm).
