On the chilly night of Nov. 20, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys’ soccer team took to the Buena High School (Buena) soccer field. The Dragons suffered a crushing defeat against Buena 5-0.
In a pregame interview, Dylan Files ‘26 stated, “I feel like we have a pretty good chance as long as we play as a team, communicate, make sure we stay stretched out on the field and don’t all conjugate in one area.”
With the team pumped up and ready to go, Foothill Tech kicked off to start the winter sports season. Buena’s offense was strong in the first half, even attempting several shots. However, Foothill’s goalkeeper Adam Al Warhani ‘24 did not let up, as he made several early blocks.
As the half progressed, the Dragons began to progress to the offensive end of the field. Foothill Tech owned the ball as they maintained possession, led by one of the team’s captains, Nico Flores ‘24, making sure to let up limited turnovers. Foothill Tech even made a quick breakaway for the goal, but was stopped short after an offsides call.
Midway through the first half, things started to get physical, as tackles and shoulder checks were made, showing both teams’ competitive nature on the field.
With the clock winding down, the Dragons were eager to strike before the halftime whistle. Multiple attempts were made on the goal by Foothill Tech attackers Diego Flores Orozco ‘24 and Ricky Salinas ‘24.
Nearing the whistle, Buena broke the scoreless tie on a team goal in the box. The goal gave Buena a 1-0 advantage going into the second half.
After the halftime break, Foothill Tech was unrelenting in their forward attacks as they kept the ball very active and leaned heavily on their offensive abilities to try and break through Buena’s defense.
The game resumed after an injury and the Dragons came in hot, having many shots on goal, but all seemingly incapable of finding the back of the net. Foothill Tech still boasted strong defense as they kept the Bulldogs at bay, allowing them to have a late-game turnaround and tie up the score.
After a brief exchange of possessions, Buena took advantage of a defensive gap and got off a blazing shot right into the goal.
As the second half progressed, exhaustion hit the undermanned Dragons and the Bulldogs solidified their win with a series of two back-to-back goals and a final minute goal, leaving the final score at 5-0.
Stefan Hubner ‘25 looked back on the team performance, “The 5-0 doesn’t define how we played … Our talking in the back was our downfall for the entire game.”
Coach Louis Ramirez, when asked about the team’s overall performance, stated, “We were short some players, but overall I’m happy with their performance. We just need to get back in shape.”
After a difficult loss in their first game of the season, the Dragons look to bounce back on Nov. 27, 2023, where they will face off against the Ventura High School (Ventura) Cougars.
