Alhambra Girls Varsity Soccer Game against Campolindo. This game was played on January 30, at 7:04, 2024. It was a crucial game for our dogs. The rivalry between coaches and teams raised the tension during the game. Last season our dogs beat Campolindo 3-2 to qualify for NCS. Last year Campolindo also made an Instagram post with the caption “PUTTING ALHAMBRA TO SLEEP TONIGHT!!” this made our girls play harder not only to show them who is the better team but to show the league that Alhambra aren’t the underdogs anymore.
Before kickoff, the tension started when both coaches were not allowed over while captains did the coin toss. We got kickoff and the game began. Shortly after kickoff one of the campo forwards took a cheap shot at Kylie Long our center back. This foul was not called by the ref this caused the Alhambra head coach Andy Orbell and assistant coach Keith to yell but the ref didn’t give them cards.
The whole game campos goalkeeper played a high line making it possible for Alhambras defenders or midfielders to lob a ball over that the forwards could run onto and score. In multiple plays the Dogs got the ball and had a chance but were fouled, the fouls were not called making Alhambra coaches and players enraged. 8:08 left in the first half campo scored off of a deflection from Emma Scott,10, the Alhambra goalkeeper. With 1:30 left in the first half campo strikes a long cross across the goal and it is finished into the back of the Alhambra net. In the last minute of the half, there is a blatantly obvious handball on Campo that the refs do not call. This results in Alhambra coaches yelling obscenities at all the refs and Coach Kieth receives a yellow card. This ends the half 2-0 Campo.
In the second half nine minutes in the clock at 31:11, the Campo goalie makes a crucial mistake while playing a high line, and Paige Larson gets the ball and shoots but misses by only inches. On the clock, it is 29:90 and Isabella Balogh makes an amazing shot but the campo keeper makes a good save. The sideline ref kept calling the Alhambra forwards offsides when they were clearly not off, this made the Dogs’ intensity and aggression rise. Siena Odiorne was fouled and the campo girl got a yellow which means she had to step off the field, she did not do this. Alhambra coaches start yelling and the Campo coach yells “Shut up Andy!” and they get into a quarrel that ends when the Campo girl finally steps off the field. With 8:34 left Campo scores once again which leaves our dogs looking distraught, but they do not give up. The clock stops at 2:00 to let the refs blow the whistle when the game is over but the ref’s timer is still running. In the last play of the game with 1:00 left Alhambra earns a corner. Paige Larson takes it and there is a tussle then the sound of the ball hitting the back of the net. A goal was acquired for the dogs by Isabella Balogh, this ends the game. Both teams line up on the 50-yard line and say good game while giving high fives. This was not the outcome Alhambra was expecting but they played 110% throughout the game.