The weekend before the holidays the West Coast Tracy Terremoto Black Gold 2013 boys played a game that will long be remembered by all who attended, participants, parents and interested onlookers, alike. The crowd was large and boisterous, with noise makers and plenty of “ooohs and aahs”.  As one observer noted, “This game was so exciting, a nailbiter, and had everything you would want to see in a super-competitive game with both teams fired up and playing for a championship, with momentum changes, great goals and saves, and smooth coaching moves.”

The road to this final was not an easy one for Terremoto.  In spite of a few injuries and several players out sick, the team had played with no substitutes available in winning their quarterfinal and semi-final qualifying games.  Clearly, for this championship final game, the Terremoto boys were excited at the possibility of winning their second consecutive State Cup championship, this time in the Gold division. The boys spent the last two weeks before the game working hard with their coaches to try to be ready for the pressured final moments of the State Cup championship, including, fortuitously as it turned out, working on penalty kicks that might be necessary in a hard-fought game of this magnitude.  

Little did they know, though, this game would take everyone to the edge of their seats nervously through the final overtime moments before someone would emerge victorious. The energy could be felt from the opening moments as the players seemed just a little more focused, as they had been in last year’s State Cup championship game. You could see in their eyes they understood the significance of needing to play their best game ever against a very tough opponent. They understood this TSP team from Turlock was going to be a difficult challenge, and that it would take nothing less than their best efforts to win.

Starters for this game were Left Forward – Brayden Aycock #7, Right Forward Grayson Ryan #39, Left Midfielder – Luca Telli #00, Right Midfielder – Luke Achziger #12, Left Outside Back – Jose Moran III #30, Center Defensive Back – Mason Avila #1, Right Outside Back – Jaxon Horton #6, Sweeper – Gavin Su #32, and new Goalkeeper Ian Flores, #16. Additional players were crackerjack forwards Joaquin Retuyan #3, Kingston Vanderlipe #5, and Ojan Wahidi #0. The coaches were Jim Langford and Curtis Aycock. 

A more detailed recitation than might otherwise be in order is necessitated by the sheer excitement of this epic gargantuan battle of two great teams from different leagues, as follows.

The game began with competitive play by both teams but the West Coast Terremoto 2013 boys took the play into the TSP zone and maintained possession for most of the first half. The TSP team had some good breakaway chances with their exciting forwards and midfield play but was frustrated by the stellar play of the Terremoto back line deploying an offside trap, catching the TSP forwards offside many times. The score at the end of the first half was 0-0. 

Beginning the second half, TSP played the ball back into their own half on a kickoff play and then over the top of the pressing Terremoto boys into the defensive zone. After a quick race to the ball, TSP narrowly missed a shot just left of the goal box in its most dangerous scoring chance, keeping the score at 0-0. This would be an ominous sign of things to come, as there would be a number of battles between Terremoto’s strong and speedy defensive line, with the aggressive play of outside backs Jaxon Horton and Jose Moran, and toughness of Mason Avila and Gavin Su, tough all year the coach said, trying to shut down the speedy play of the strong and speedy TSP forwards. The midfield play would be crucial, held down by super players shifty Luca Telli and tough Luke Achziger to start, with substitutions and a rotation required due to the speed of the game, and need to cover so much ground in the middle.

With some good quick coaching on how to defeat an offside trap, TSP came out very aggressively and pressured West Coast from the very start of the second half. However, their quick start was quickly countered by West Coast when a long ball by quarterbacking center back Mason Avila was played from the center of the field up towards the offensive left side of the field, where the ball was quickly played defensively out of bounds by TSP. Tough left back Jose Moran quickly gathered the ball for Terremoto and from the left side of the field in the offensive zone made another great throw-in to Brayden Aycock, who outmaneuvered his defender and crossed a long ball across the goal to the right side of the field. Right forward Grayson Ryan tracked the ball down, turned towards the goal, was knocked down, got back up, and muscled his way through four (4) defenders to place a left-footed shot beautifully just past the goalkeeper into the left side of the goal to put Terremoto up 1-0 at 46:18 into the 60-minute game. [See goal at https://youtu.be/L3oJSVLhm3o .]  “At this point after such a great individual goal by Grayson, I was elated, I thought finally somebody scored, thankfully us, and now the pressure on the other team would work to our benefit.  All of our guys were working really hard” stated Coach Langford.

However, this first and sensational goal awakened a superb TSP team, as well as their raucous fans still anxiously sensing their own possible victory, and they were very quickly back on the attack. Shortly after TSP kicked off, after a few skilled dribbles TSP made a perfectly timed pass forward into the defensive zone where one of their players charged ahead and was able to get the angle on both trailing defenders. In a good play, their player placed a right footed shot across the goal into the left corner just past goalkeeper Ian Flores to tie the game 1-1 at 47:42 of the game. 

Just four (4) minutes later though, from another good throw-in by versatile speedy back Jaxon Horton, Luke Achziger passed the ball quickly back and forth one-touch with Grayson Ryan, who was able to juke a defender with the outside of his foot and cross a hard ball across the goal that contacted a TSP defender in the penalty area. The ball ricocheted back towards the top middle of the box where crafty midfielder Joaquin Retuyan had read the play nicely, moved into position, and then sends a well-placed 18-yard shot down into the corner of the goal past the TSP goalie into the net, making the score 2-1 Terremoto at 51:54 in this back-and-forth game with two obviously good teams.  [See goal at https://youtu.be/M4MmzazVhCM .]

Down 2-1 but certainly not out, and with their fans making a lot of noise, TSP pressed hard, with a number of good close scoring opportunities.  With one good shot after another, it was obvious the momentum had shifted in their favor.  Crucially, spectacular Terremoto goalkeeper Ian Flores had come to play, and was able to make save after important save, adding to the tense anxiety of all the crowd looking on.  Ian had only been playing goalkeeper for the team for a limited period of time but was playing like a professional particularly for these many crucial TSP attacks, in this period where momentum was clearly in the TSP favor.

Feeling the intense pressure of numerous close TSP attacks, the stellar Terremoto backline of Moran, Avila, Su and Horton was holding fairly well, but the team had not mounted much offense.  But at 1:03:00 into the game with his signature moves super speedy forward Kingston Vanderlipe drove the ball hard aggressively down the right sideline into the offensive zone. He passed the ball across to the top of the penalty area where Retuyan was able to collect the ball and play it back to the oncharging Vanderlipe, who began quickly driving in from the right side of the box towards the middle for a shot where he was sandwiched and taken down by two TSP players.  This resulted in a foul and a free kick from outside the penalty area, slightly to the right. TSP quickly set up a lengthy wall with several tall players to prevent a direct shot on goal.  

Placement shooting ace Ojan Wahidi was called upon to take the twenty-yard free kick.  A good opportunity, but the large wall looked impenetrable.  Sensing a possible score, Ojan studied the wall and goalkeeper placement intently as his coaches were imploring the team to get any rebound.  There would be no rebound.  With Ryan running a decoy to the right to distract, employing perfect shooting form and landing on his shooting foot, Wahidi fired a beautiful rocket shot along the ground into the far corner of the net on the goalkeeper’s side of the goal, putting Terremoto up 3-1 with only seven (7) minutes to go. [See goal at https://youtu.be/hM6Ts2xKS0k .]  “We were so relieved at that time, with a two goal lead and only minutes left – little did we know what would happen next!,” exclaimed an excited Coach Curtis Aycock.

So, as in any epic battle, this was not the end of the fight from TSP. Only one (1) minute later, after fighting hard to win the ball in midfield space and making several passes over the top into their offensive zone, the clever adjusting TSP offense was able to cross the ball diagonally to try to beat the offside trap. A TSP forward was able to rush by the last Terremoto defender to make a shot in the far corner past outstretched goalie Flores, for a 3-2 score at 1:04:02.  Again, as the score was now closer, “The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife,” said Coach Langford.  “I can’t say enough about our back line.  Fortunately, Su, Avila, Horton and Moran were up to the task, as was Ian, and they played like pros.  They were tough, aggressive, fast, and hard to beat.”

Yet, still the TSP team was not finished.  Minutes later, again with their crowd going wild, TSP scored yet another goal, this time with a long high-arcing thirty-yard kick that dropped in over the head of Flores, to tie the game at 3-3, with only two stress-filled minutes left in regulation time. This score would hold for the remainder of regulation and the teams would move into two (2) 5-minute overtime periods.

Both teams played with fight and heart, with their best efforts as they battled back and forth to try to secure a win in overtime. Neither team could score despite some possible scoring chances and the momentum that seemed to have shifted in TSP’s favor, as they had come back with only minutes left from 3-1, to now a tie at 3-3. 

With cleats laced tightly and continuing determination in their hearts, both teams would now have to decide their fates in a shootout. Each team would start with 5 shooters alternating back and forth until a winner was determined. Still more anxiety and tension to go!

By virtue of a coin toss, Terremoto Black’s Ojan Wahidi #0 was the first to take the lonely walk in front of the large crowd, slowly to the penalty spot, to nervously take his shot, with the State Cup championship on the line.  He had been perfect in penalty kicks he took all year. He placed the ball onto the designated spot and waited for TSPs goalie to take his position. Ojan shoots, but lo and behold, the TSP keeper makes a great save. But, oh, wait!  The goalkeeper moved before the shot was taken, off the line!  The whistle was blown and Ojan was awarded a second kick. Pressure!  “I was wondering how he would react to all this pressure, especially after what he thought was a miss for his first time, ever,” said Coach Langford.  Ojan resets, calms himself, and this time more firmly delivers his second shot to the right of the goalie and into the lower left corner of the goal, perfectly! Terremoto Black 1-0. “Ojan showed nerves of steel,” said Langford, “And our next guy up we had who I was calling ‘The Ice Man’, because he also made and shot his free kicks and penalties “Like he has ice in his veins,” he laughed.

The TSP player steps up and places a spot-on shot into the lower left corner of the goal just to the right of Terremoto keeper Ian Flores. Tied 1-1.

Terremoto Black player (the ‘Ice Man’) Luke Achziger #12 steps up for his turn to shoot on goal. He places the ball, waits for the whistle, and places the ball to the left of the keeper in the middle right side of the goal. Terremoto Black 2-1.  The pressure stays on TSP to try to keep pace.

The second TSP player steps up to take his shot. He places the ball on the designated spot and at the whistle, matches the placement of Luke, putting one past keeper Ian.  Tied 2-2.

Terremoto Black player Gavin Su #32 steps up for his opportunity to shoot. Gavin quickly sets the ball on the designated spot, backs up, and promptly places the ball on the lower right corner of the goal, into the back of the net past the TSP keeper. Terremoto Black 3-2.  Pressure again shifts to TSP.

The third TSP player steps up to take his shot. Ian Flores takes his place in goal for Terremoto. The TSP player backs up, and shoots. Terremoto keeper Ian Flores dives to the right and narrowly misses the ball, resulting in a TSP goal. Tied 3-3. 

Terremoto Black player Mason Avila #1 steps up to take his shot. He places the ball, steps back, steps up again, readjusts the ball, and steps back, awaiting the whistle. He focuses, hears the whistle, and places a perfect shot in the upper left corner of the goal, just past the TSP keeper for Terremoto to go up, 4-3. 

The fourth TSP player steps up to take his shot. This time, it’s their goalkeeper, who has played very well. He’s looking to tie it back up and keep his team in the game. He sets the ball, steps straight back, and goes top corner in the upper right-hand side, just past keeper Ian. Tied 4-4.  Pressure on!  All the fans are as tense as one can get as we come down to the possible last man.

Terremoto Black player Brayden Aycock steps up to the line. (He’s Terremoto Black’s last shot on goal before adding additional players to the list of shooters if needed.) With confidence he had shown before, Brayden steps up, sets the ball, steps back, awaits the whistle, hears the whistle and runs with speed towards the ball. He contacts the ball with force and places the ball in the top left corner of the net, over the outstretched hands of the keeper! Terremoto Black goes up 5-4.

Now, it’s all up to Terremoto Black’s keeper Ian Flores. Save the goal and you win the game. Miss it and the shootout continues. 

TSP’s fifth player steps up, sets the ball, pauses for a moment and shoots….  He shoots the ball with force and picks the lower left corner of the goal. Without hesitation, Ian Flores dives incredibly to his right, outstretched arms, in full extension. He hits the ball and deflects it outside of the goal to the right!  No whistle!  TERREMOTO BLACK WINS!!!! 5-4 SHOOTOUT GOALS FOR A FINAL SCORE OF 4-3, State Cup Champs(!) in what was certainly one of the most epic games one could watch or be a part of.  The Terremoto kids rush to Ian Flores, who was another of the heroes all, and jumped up and down in sheer delight as the parents cheered and also rushed the field.  “It was truly emotional, to say the least,” relayed Coach Aycock.  Meanwhile, the Terremoto teammates surrounded their keeper with jumping chants of “Ian! Ian! Ian!, IANN!!

After the game, Terremoto coaches talked about how the time and preparation spent the week before helped to reinforce the basics. “We are so proud of these guys, they were under pressure but pretty much knew what to expect.  It helped a little that we won the State Cup last year also, but we had several new players and this one was a closer result, that’s for sure,” said Langford. “Just this past week in practice, we focused on penalty kicks, getting ball level, and getting the ball to the outside of the field in order to move it wisely,” he said.

“I knew our kids could do it, we practiced hard all year on being positive and the important things that got us here,” beamed Coach Aycock.  “These kids have worked towards this goal all year long and despite injuries and missing players, they continued to find a way to win along the way. Winning the State Cup Championship in back-to-back years at progressively higher levels is a great reward and all of these kids should be celebrated,” he said. 

Terremoto Black is a West Coast 2013 age boys team based in Tracy, CA. They won the State Cup Championship last year as a Bronze level team. They took 1st place in league play in the spring as a Silver level team and took 2nd place in league play as a Gold level team this fall. This was ultimately celebrated with the Gold 2 State Cup Championship win. The West Coast Terremoto 2013 boys currently also have a 2013 Bronze team who made it to the semi-finals of that State Cup this year and they are looking to add an additional Silver level team for 2013 boys this Spring. If interested in learning more about West Coast Soccer, please visit: https://westcoastsoccerclub.sportngin.com/