Early woes hurt Yuba men

Falling behind early, Yuba College's men's soccer team was unable to rally against visiting Skyline, and eventually lost, 6-0.

With the loss, the 49ers fall to 0-7 on the season.

“Mentally, we need to be ready right from the start,” Yuba coach Imed Dossy said. “We're getting scored on early every game right now.”

Dossy said his team has spent a lot of time talking about coming out ready to play at the opening whistle. The 49ers even have changed their warm-up routine, Dossy said. “But somehow, we still can't seem to get ready.”

The Trojans scored in the first three minutes of the game, when Jose Ruiz drilling the ball into the goal from the right side. Ruiz ended up scoring the next two goals as well, as Skyline opened a 3-0 lead less than 20 minutes into the game.

On his second goal, Ruiz displayed his raw speed as he dribbled the ball between two Yuba defenders before scoring, hammering the ball past 49er goalie Tim Lewis.

For his third goal, Ruiz took a pass from Wallid Saad, who received the ball in front of the cage off an indirect kick.

Before the first half ended, Skyline scored two more goals for a 5-0 edge. Daniel Rodriguez scored one off an indirect kick. No 49er marked Rodriguez, who was able to charge the goal unguarded before taking his shot.

Joseph Martinez scored Skyline's fifth goal. Ruiz set up the goal with a pass to Abraham Perez in the middle. Perez then pushed the ball to Martinez on the wing.

The Trojans kept up the pressure in the second half, but mustered just one goal. Edwin Vidaurre scored off an indirect kick from Hugo Aguilar.

Tighter defense and more relaxed play sparked Yuba in the second half.

“When we get down early, we panic,” Dossy said. “At halftime, I told the team just to relax.”

Yuba had several solid shots on goal that could have gone in, with the right luck.

In the first half, Theron Fereday passed the ball ahead to Jose Ramirez, who crossed the ball to Dominic Brooks. Brooks' header just missed wide left.

Moments later, Brooks set up right in front of the goal. His shot was smothered by the keeper.

Later in the half, Fereday lofted an indirect kick from midfield. Skyline's goalie was out of position and Brooks' header failed to find the open target.

Justin Nolasco figured in two scoring opportunities. On the first, his long shot on goal was pushed away by the keeper at the last moment. On the second, he made a nice pass to Daniel Ramirez, whose shot from the wing was snuffed by the keeper.

John Benvenuto made a nice pass in the second half to set up Brooks, but Brooks' header sailed wide. Bobby Lee got off a header following Nolasco's throw-in. The keeper grabbed Lee's shot at the last moment.

Defensively, Benvenuto came up with a heads-up play when he was one of the only 49ers to stop Ruiz. Ruiz dribbled up the middle and looked ready to take a shot on goal before Benvenuto stole the ball. Fereday also saved an almost sure goal when he booted the ball away from an open net, after Lewis came out to make a stop.

“We're playing pretty good as a team, despite the loss,” Dossy said. “We just need someone to step up and lead us.”

Dossy added the preseason games should help the team when it comes to conference play. “We play a very, very hard preseason schedule,” he said. “We need this experience. Hopefully, we'll bounce back the right way out of it.”

Appeal-Democrat reporter Richard Myers can be reached at 749-4714.