Mira Costa drops opening game of its CIF-SS semifinal series

MANHATTAN BEACH >> In the new format in place this season for the CIF Southern Section Open Division soccer playoffs, a loss, like Tuesday's for the Mira Costa boys soccer team, doesn't mean the end of the season.

Mira Costa, which hosted topseeded Arlington, allowed two goals on set pieces, resulting in a 2-1 setback in the first leg of their semifinal series.

“The entire team has their eyes set and we're extremely confident that we can come back from this,” Mira Costa's Marco Bottene said. “I think the entire game, was us dominating them, getting a bunch of chances and they had two set pieces and it was really frustrating that we messed up on those, but I totally think looking at the game we just played, that I'm really confident heading into this away leg.”

The home-and-home series shifts to Arlington for the second leg Friday at 6 p.m. The teams with the most goals after the two games advances to the CIF-SS finals.

Arlington's Javier Hernandez scored on both set pieces, giving him 30 goals on the season.

“He's a pure goal scorer,” Arlington coach Kevin Watson said of Hernandez. “He's as pure as they come. He showcased that tonight. A lot of the time, he wasn't finding the ball like we can get it to him, they did a good job, but he finds his moments and finishes them, that's what a striker does.”

Hernandez, who said his favorite player is former Galaxy and Mexican national team forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, opened the scoring in the first half, connecting on a header that settled inside the far post for a 1-0 lead.

That's where the score remained until resurgent Mira Costa (23-2-4) equalized five minutes into the second half on a goal by Bottene.

“It was a bunch of 50-50s (balls), I got the ball, turned the guy, I had my space, I kept driving and when they left the edge of the box with that space, I just hit and went for it and it happened to go in,” Bottene said.

Nearly 20 minutes later, Arlington (24-0) regained the moment, thanks to Hernandez's second goal. It came off a throw-in and the ball eventually fell to the right toward Hernandez, who finished the play.

“Luckily I was on the back post and neatly put it in,” Hernandez, who is headed to North Carolina, said. “We're all feeling good about it (the win), but the job's not finished, we have a game on Friday and we have to handle business there.”

The Lions had a couple of late chances to increase their lead, but Mira Costa keeper Evan Hansen came up with two saves to keep the score at 2-1.

“I think if you take their first set-piece goal out, our first half would been much different,” Mira Costa coach Al Brown said. “They scored and we kind of got distracted and we didn't move past it emotionally. I think 2-1 is fair, 1-1 would have been more fair in my book.

“If I look box to box, I'm really confident in our ability, but the pressure that we have needs to result in goals. Our job on Friday is make to sure the scoreboard reflects what's actually happening on the field. I think we were the better team, but we did not execute in the 18 (-yard box).”