Covid-19 Outbreak Cancels Pre-Season Game
By Kaiyo Funaki
After waiting two years to finally see their first official action, the men’s soccer team kicked off their 2021 season with mixed results.
They got off to a hot start against Contra Costa College, defeating the Comets 2-0 on Aug. 27.
They were originally supposed to play on the road, but field renovations in San Pablo turned this into a home game for the Rams.
This late change in venue, as well as the unusually high temperatures in the city, threw the Rams off their game in the first half.
“We hit the post like three times. We were pretty unlucky for a long time,” sophomore center back Sora Konishi-Gray said.
The Rams eventually shook off their rust by the second half with Oseas Hernandez scoring a goal in the 58th minute with an assist from Alejandro Palos, and Kai Norzawa-Auclair sealing the game with a long-range goal in the 73rd minute.
“There’s always room for improvement. … But for it being our first game since 2019, I think it was a good result on our end,” first-year center back Adrian Vasquez said.
However, the Rams could not maintain their momentum heading into their second game, falling to Santa Rosa Junior College 2-0 on Aug. 31.
Velasquez noted that minor mistakes, such as miscommunications and misplaying balls, led to their downfall.
The Rams play their next game at home against Napa Valley Sept. 3, then take nearly a two-week break before resuming play at Lake Tahoe Community College on Sept. 15.