Pali High Boys Soccer Falls to ECR 3-1 in Quarterfinals

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Optimism was high for the Palisades High boys soccer team before last Wednesday’s City Section Division I quarterfinal matchup at El Camino Real. Having beaten another West Valley League opponent, Granada Hills, in the prior round with eight of its best  players out of the lineup, the ninth-seeded Dolphins were confident they would knock off the No. 1 seed in the 16-team bracket and continue their quest to regain the championship they captured for the first time in 2016.

The Conquistadores, though, had other ideas, dashing Palisades’ upset hopes with three first-half goals on the way to a 3-1 victory.

After Palisades goalkeeper Jamin Bay stretched to make a diving save, ECR midfielder Bryan Galicia pounced on the rebound to put the home side on the scoreboard first in the 16th minute.

Just when it seemed the Dolphins would make it to intermission down by only one goal, ECR capitalized on two defensive mistakes in the last five minutes of the half to widen its lead. Emilio Vallin tallied from the left side in the 35th minute and  Matheus Coserta scored two minutes later, leaving the Dolphins in a state of shock.   

“The first one was just a pretty play on their part but goals two and three were kind of ugly,” Pali High Coach Dave Suarez said. “If we don’t have those breakdowns,  who knows? We have nothing to hang our heads about. That’s the No. 1 team in the City and No. 6 team in the state for a reason. The way they moved off the ball, and switched kept us off balance.”

Galicia just missed making it 4-0 on a left-footed shot early in the second half, but the Dolphins played hard to the end, getting a goal back on Jackson Page’s curving shot into the corner from 15 yards out in the 75th minute.

“No one quit out there, that’s what I’m most proud of,” Suarez said. “Eight league titles in nine years doesn’t cut it anymore. We have a higher standard now.”