The top two high school soccer teams in the City Section drew 1-1 after regulation time, two overtime periods, and two five-minute golden goal periods, forcing players from Birmingham and El Camino Real to prepare for the drama of penalty kicks to decide the Division I championship.
Four times in a row, on a hot Thursday afternoon in Lake Balboa, El Camino Real players scored goals. Four times in a row, the Birmingham players responded with their own goals. These two very equal teams refused to budge even as the players fell cramped from exhaustion and heat.
Then everything changed. Birmingham goalkeeper Anthony Martinez clapped his hands as he anticipated the ball heading to the left and managed to stop it. Then Maika Apana-Bates stepped forward and hit the winning shot at the net to make it 5-4, starting a great celebration of victory for the Patriots (16-0-1).
“We have been practicing the penalty kicks and it comes down to concentration and self-confidence,” said Cristian Morán of Birmingham.
The two teams drew 2-2 in their West Valley League final, and this match was almost a repeat. The Pathfinders turned to Santiago Hopkins, who headed in from a corner kick in the first half. Also tasked with overshadowing prominent Birmingham player David Diaz, who was not allowed to score. Hopkins repeatedly put Birmingham on the defensive with his impressive throw-in skills.
El Camino Real appeared to be on the verge of a 1-0 win when the Pathfinders were penalized for a hand inside the 18-yard penalty area. That gave Anthony Mirón a chance to score, who put the penalty kick into the net for a 1-1 draw late in the second half. “I play better under pressure,” said Mirón.
Birmingham was in attack mode the entire second half. The game was intense, but the sportsmanship was also visible. Mirón helped Roberto Apolinar, a clubmate of El Camino Real, limping off the field. “He’s my brother,” Mirón said.
The two teams could have played well into the night, so it was necessary to resort to penalty shots to end the match. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had,” Martinez said.
Birmingham and El Camino Real will advance to the Southern California Division 1 soccer regionals.
To read this note in Spanish, click here.
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