The highly anticipated rivalry game between Buena and Ventura girls soccer Thursday Jan. 11 was an incredible 4-2 win for the Bulldogs Both teams fought hard to win this year’s crosstown rivalry game.
“I’m ready to be in this game [and] I’m ready to kick butt,” junior and captain Kimberly Chavarria said before the first kickoff.
Buena started the kickoff and connected several passes until giving the ball away. In efforts to get the ball back they foul a player from Ventura, the first of many in this chippy game.
Senior Amalia Nolan took the ball down to the corner and attempted to cross the ball, but was stopped by a Cougar and deflected for a corner kick. Junior Kayalily Penn took the corner kick but it’s batted away by Ventura’s goalkeeper.
Shortly after, Buena’s next corner kick resulted in a goal off of freshman Serena Paz’s header. With Buena ahead 1-0 everyone was pumped. Ventura used their kickoff to score shortly after tying the game at 1-1. For a while after the goal, the ball was kept on the Ventura side.
After a few shots by Buena were taken, a Cougar fouled a Bulldog. Freshman Delaney Machado took the free kick and placed it just wide of the goal. The score remained 1-1.
After a missed corner kick from Buena, Ventura gained possession of the ball and broke away. A great block from senior Delany Timmons kept the score even, until Ventura broke away again, but this time scored. At the half, Venuta was up 2-1.
“The beginning of the game definitely started out slow, we did not come out with the energy we said we were going to,” said Chavarria.
The beginning of the game definitely started out slow, we did not come out with the energy we said we were going to,” said Chavarria.
— Chavarria
As the second half started Ventura got the kickoff, they kept possession of the ball for just 15 seconds before turning it over.
The Bulldogs were unable to penetrate the Cougar defense, missing three corner kicks in a row. Junior Kayalily Penn shot the ball from the 18-yard line and it hit the post where Paz followed up and scored. The score was 2-2.
“That was probably one of my best games because I moved the ball a lot and scored, twice,” Paz said.
Off the kickoff, Ventura was passing the ball very well until a cougar fouled sophomore Tatiana Padilla in the box resulting in a penalty kick. Padilla shot and barely missed.
“Defense was doing really well with their shape after realizing what Venutra was doing and how they were playing their game,” Chavarria said.
The tension was present between the two teams as Buena and Ventura began fouling each other left and right.
Just one free kick later freshman Delaney Machado took the kick and Kayalily Penn took a shot and it went in. The Bulldogs were up 3-2 and they were looking to keep their lead for the rest of the game.
A few minutes later, sophomore Tatiana Padilla took the ball down to the corner and was looking to cross it, but the wind took it and she scored. Buena was up 4-2 with around 6 minutes left. Just a few more shots by players on Buena and the game was over. Buena won the rivalry game against Ventura 4-2.
“It’s great that we were able to come back from it and that we didn’t just stop and feel bad for ourselves or be down on ourselves,” said Chavarria.
This win was one that helped Buena secure 1st place in the Channel League.
