First half goals lift Stallions over Coyotes

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera South’s Raul Arzola works to dribble the ball around Madera’s Diego Coronado during Friday’s match. Arzola scored two first half goals and the Stallions made it stand up in a 2-0 win in Memorial Stadium.

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For the Madera Coyotes and Madera South Stallions boys soccer team, their matches are the most intense of the season and isn’t short of emotion.

Friday’s match between the two teams was played with typical emotion and passion. The Stallions scored twice in the first 17 minutes of the match and held off a determined Coyote squad for a 2-0 victory in Memorial Stadium.

“Whenever it’s a rivalry, it’s always bigger than what it’s supposed to be.” Madera South head coach Enqrique Garcia said. “We are having a good season. They may not be having their best year. We know they will always step up. We know they were going to be physical.”

Four-year starter Raul Arzola scored both of the goals and helped settle down his team.

“Those two goals helped us settle down a little,” Garcia said. “We got out of our gameplan in the second half. It tends to happen when we’re getting hit and dragged. It takes you away from your game.”

Garcia said the game could have taken a turn for the better for his team, but credited the play of Madera goalkeeper Jesse Cuevas for not allowing the Stallions to increase their lead.

“Their keeper made some great saves,” Garcia said. “I take my hat off to their keeper.”

In the fifth minute, Bryan Oseguera fed Arzola in the middle. Arzola dribbled by a defender and took the ball to the goal. He shot past the oncoming Cuevas and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Madera had a chance in the 15th minute with a 25 yard free kick. Diego Guetierrez tried the shot, but Madera South goalkeeper Nathan Marroquin made a leaping save.

Two minutes later, on the counter attack, Ricardo Rangel got the ball on the right. He centered the ball with a high pass. Arzola leaped and headed the ball past Cuevas for a 2-0 lead.

In the 23rd minute, Cuevas jumped on a ball in the box after a scramble for the loose ball to keep Madera within two.

Madera’s Axel Para just missed a ball in front on a free kick in the 36th minute.

Marroquin punched out a free kick attempt by Diego Gutierrez in the second half.

On the counter, Arzola tried a long shot on goal that was headed to the upper left corner. Cuevas made a leaping save on the ball to keep it from going in. The ball deflected off the crossbar and Cuevas recovered in time to catch the ball.

Madera South had one more chance to increase its lead, but Fernando Zepeda’s long free kick was caught by Cuevas.