OAKWOOD — For all the big offensive firepower of the No. 1-ranked Johnson boys soccer team, it was the play of the Knights smallest starter that had coach Brian Shirley all a smiles Tuesday following the Knights 8-0 shellacking of Fayette County in the first round of the Class AAAA state playoffs.
Sophomore defender David Flores didn’t score any goals or have an assist, but his play in the middle was gigantic in anchoring a Johnson defense that did not allow a first half shot on goal. He forced at least a dozen Fayette County turnovers and had three steals that helped spark fastbreak attack goals.
“David really put in a shift tonight,” Shirley said. “The defense was outstanding and that was one of his best efforts of the season. He may not be that big but he was huge for us.”
It was a slow start on the scoreboard for the Knights (17-0-1) but the Johnson offense put the pressure on the Tigers right from the opening kick. The Tigers defense collapsed anytime Johnson’s all-time leading scorer Fabian Abarca touched the ball but the Knights had several early chances.
(NOTE: Four area teams won in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday. For a complete list of scores and first round schedule, click here.)
A defensive breakdown by Fayette County on the second touch after taking the opening kickoff gave Abarca a clean shot on goal in the first 15 seconds but Tigers’ keeper Matt Sherry made the save to stave off a quick disaster. Less than a minute later the Knights’ Joshua Elizalde had a breakaway down the left side but could muster only a weak shot.
Two minutes after that a four-on-two for Johnson just outside the box left Sherry out of position but an Abarca shot at the goal was cut off by the Tigers defense to keep it scoreless.
One of the few attacks by Fayette County actually ended with a quick counter by Johnson with a long outlet pass and Elizalde finished with a blast from 20 yards that Sherry got a hand on at the last second to keep the Knights off the board.
Johnson finally was able to breakthrough with just over 10 minutes left in the half. Vazquez fed Abarca on a nice ball down the right side and Abarca side-stepped one defender, slipped, got back up while maintaining control of the ball, and somehow managed to slip a left-footed shot past Sherry for a 1-0 lead with 10:37 left.
Shirley said getting that first goal helped open things up for his group more than cutting through any playoff nerves.
“The guys came out aggressive. We had several chances to score,” he said. “That first goal really made (Fayette County) have to move out on defense and that really opened things up for us. That really gave us some space to work with.”
The Knights continued to wear down the Tigers. Alex Penaloza got a beautiful cross from Abarca from the corner and beat Sherry on the low side for a 2-0 lead with 6:05 left and then Junior Arellano blasted in a shot a shot with 1:16 left off a corner kick to give the Knights an eventual 3-0 halftime lead.
Abarca said the offense found its groove after the first score.
“We played well as a team,” he said. “They set me up for that first goal and then Alex was in the right spot for that pass on the next. After that, things just kind of opened up for us. We’ve been playing really well lately moving the ball around.”
Penaloza added his second goal of the game with 25:51 left after several near-misses for the Knights in the opening minutes of the second half. Bryant Anaya and Elizalde both missed chip shots from within 5-yards.
Two minutes later Abarca tallied his second goal on a breakaway after faking out Sherry in the box leaving a wide-open net for a 5-0 lead with 23:48 left.
Abarca said they talked before the playoffs about not becoming just another great regular season team that fizzles in the limelight.
“We talked about coming out ready to play and ready to win,” he said. “It was a tremendous effort by everyone.”
The defense started the Knights sixth goal when Arellano stole a Tigers pass and connected with Abarca on cross into the middle. Abarca then slid a laser pass through the Fayette County defense finding a streaking Anaya, who buried a shot past a diving Sherry with 18:38 left.
Even after mass substitutions, the reserves did not let up for the Knights, accounting for their final three goals. Felix Velasquez knocked home a goal on a rebound off a Rigo Campa shot with 11:39 left for a 7-0 lead. Velasquez closed out the scoring eight minutes later with his second goal.
"It was a total team effort," Shirley said. "The second and third team guys kept the pressure on and that will give them confidence later on."
The Knights next will play host to Pike County, a 3-2 winner over Thomas County Central, next Tuesday (May 3) in the second round.
NOTES: The Knights improved to 10-0-1 at home this season. ... The Johnson defense pitched its seventh shutout of the season and has allowed just 17 total goals and 1 goal or fewer 12 times. ... They came in averaging 5.1 goals a game and have now scored 96 goals (5.3 gpg) on the season. ... Fayette County came in on a roll having scored 24 goals in their last five matches before Tuesday.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/4/392383/boys-soccer-johnson-rips-off-8-0-first-round-playoff-win