On a rain-drenched field with scrappy and unpredictable play caused by wet conditions, it was fitting that Mountain View’s game-winning header mirrored the chaotic circumstances.
Spartans midfielder Aidan Wong scored from a corner kick with 29 minutes left in the second half that would give the Mountain View boys soccer team a 2-1 home win over Fremont, with the goalkeeper unable to clear the ball and Wong right next to him to pounce on the opportunity.
“I saw the ball go up in the air, and the keeper and I both tried to contest it,” Wong said. “I think he mishit it and kind of hit me in the head. I headed it in because he just missed the ball, and there was nobody behind him, so it was a pretty easy goal.”
An intense game throughout the first half continued in the second as Fremont pushed for an equalizer in the last half hour, with Mountain View coping well with the frenetic pace and weather until the last 10 minutes when Fremont (5-6-1) became more aggressive, according to Mountain View soccer coach Jim McGuirk.
“Fremont was a really good solid team, and their counterattack gave us trouble all night long,” McGuirk said. “Every time they got the ball, they were dangerous.”
The scoring started quickly with two goals in the first three minutes of play, with Mountain View forward Viliami Sekona opening the scoring with a diving header after a minute played from a cross. Fremont’s Jandel Atayde responded with a goal a minute later. McGuirk credited Fremont with bringing intensity that tested the Spartans initially and for the rest of the game.
“I think they were totally ready to play, but then they gave up a goal, and I think we let down a little bit, actually,” McGuirk said.
The win is the sixth in a row for the Spartans (12-1), with the season’s only loss coming against Carlmont in a non-league game. The team remains undefeated in the Santa Clara Valley DeAnza Division and holds a big cushion over second-placed Homestead, which is 2-2 in the league. Mountain View has scored 13 goals in league play and only allowed two. Mountain View won the Central Coast Section Open Division championship last season and reached the Northern California regional semifinals, with every team in the league gunning for the Spartans this year due to the success.
“We have seven really good teams in this league, and everyone’s after us,” McGuirk said. “We won CCS last year, and we are now in first place.”
McGuirk noted that everything is going well right now, perhaps even better than he thought. Early in the season, he was concerned about losing eight starters from last year’s team. However, the team has depth, and even with a couple of starters out in the Fremont game, the team had enough off the bench to weather the loss.
“I didn’t think we would be this good, but I think we are this good,” McGuirk said. “I think we have a good team and have guys who can play every position. We are really deep on the bench, so I can sub guys.”
Mountain View finished with 16 shots, with 10 on target. Spartans forward Ali Edris nearly scored with a curling left shot with 26 minutes in the first half, while midfielder Sola Nishimura had several free kicks and shots on target that drew saves from the Fremont keeper. Fremont’s best opportunity in the second half came during a counterattack after a Mountain View turnover with 10 minutes left that saw Omer Klein break free on goal and get a shot off.
