Giovanni Ugalde and Truckee's Nick Rae fight for possession of the ball.
The Greenwave boys’ soccer team was blanked by Truckee, 6-0, on Friday.
Fallon had a strong defense, moving the ball well with goalkeeper Cesar Molina making countless saves — during one play, he jumped nearly as high as the top bar of the goal, and on several occasions he made huge dives to stop the ball going in; during another play, Truckee made four or five back-to-back shots on the goal, all of which Molina saved.
“He’s an exceptional goalie,” said Fallon coach Nathan Toigo. “He definitely helps us stay in the game.”
Fallon’s defensive power was not enough, though, and Truckee nailed three goals in each half. This match was an improvement over the last time the Greenwave took on the Wolverines — their first match this season ended on the mercy rule, 8-0 with 20 minutes left on the clock.
“We went the full 90,” Toigo said. “I see a lot of improvement in our defense, especially our central backs.”
Toigo praised Cole Hamlin for his game. He said Hamlin may be smaller than other players, but he’s an eager player who is always running into the fray to get the ball or contest the other team’s advance. The coach also commended Jose Gonzalez, noting he’s getting better at reading the field and knowing where he needs to be for a given play.
Toigo said he feels they still need to work on winning the ball when it’s contested and they would probably work on it during practice. He said they’re hesitant at times, and slow to go after the ball when a pass goes wide or it gets launched into the air.
“More aggressiveness is what I need to see when they’re going for the ball,” Toigo said.
Fallon plays Sparks tonight at home, starting at 4 p.m. on the Churchill County High School soccer field. This weekend, the Greenwave travels for overnight matches in Elko and Spring Creek.
