Fiona McCarter

Facing off against their crosstown rivals, Buena tied the game to Ventura, 1-1.

On the chilly evening of Friday, Jan. 16, Buena’s boys varsity soccer team faced off against their rival, the Ventura boys soccer team at the Buena stadium, starting at 5:15 p.m. The outcome was an entrancing tie of 1-1 after an incredibly suspenseful match. 

The first half of the match was packed with enthusiasm from the crowd, their cheers egging the Bulldogs on, despite some downward enthusiasm from the guest stands.

Just about 10 minutes into the game, a surprising goal was scored by Ventura. However, Buena stayed persistent and collaborated to prevent any further scoring from the Cougars.

Fortunately, Buena soon struck back by scoring a goal, bringing the game to a nailbiting score of  1-1.

Preparing for the match, especially against Buena’s longtime rival, Ventura, takes a certain level of determination and commitment, as explained by number seven and junior Joaquin Guerrero.

“It’s a whole day’s process [from when] I wake up in the morning and all the way through school. Every class I’m thinking about [the game],” Guerrero said.

The second half of the game started off with a scary sight, with one of Buena’s own incurring an injury less than a minute after the half began. Claps sounded from both sides of the stadium as he was helped off the field by coach Alfonso Rodriguez.

With the score tied 1-1, both the Bulldogs and the Cougars worked tirelessly to score a goal, but to no avail. After many unsuccessful attempts from both teams, and many close calls from Buena, the Bulldogs finally scored a goal, but unfortunately, it was not counted as a valid point due to a foul.

The remainder of the second half continued as both teams tried as hard as possible to score, running back and forth from one side of the field to the other during this nailbiter of a game. Ultimately, as the game came to close, the final score came out to be a solid tie, 1-1.

“We’ve been progressing every game, and I think it’s showing. It’s a big rivalry game for us, and the boys stepped up when they needed to,” Rodriguez said.

As the Bulldogs evaluate their high and low moments during the game, they can prepare for the rest of their season and grow as a team. While the tie may be a loss in the minds of some, the valiant efforts put forward by Buena is a win in itself. 

“We’re trying to get out of this losing mentality and get to something more positive,” Rodriguez said. “We are doing it the Bulldog way, which is a great success.”