Rangel’s quick feet carry Las Vegas past Palo Verde
Las Vegas High boys soccer coach Rafa Mitjans didn’t feel much anxiety during his team’s two free kicks that led to goals Thursday. Mitjans had a good idea what would happen when Daniel Rangel lined up on the ball at Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex.
“When something happens, we give Danny the ball because he’s the best onetohave,”mitjanssaid.
Rangel had a goal and an assist off a free kick and added another goal to help the Wildcats beat Palo Verde 3-1 in the Mountain Region semifinals.
Las Vegas (16-1-1) will play Eldorado (11-6-3) Saturday for the region title. Las Vegas won the regular-season meeting 4-2 on Oct. 10.
Rangel’s first free kick came just outside the box to the keeper’s left in the 26th minute. He saw the wall to his left, and knew what he was going to do.
“I see the goalie in the center of the goal, so that’s already a mistake from him, and I saw the whole left side open,” Rangel said. “So I took a chance and I shot it there.”
Rangel scored, but Palo Verde (174-3) scored its only goal in the 38th minute — a redirect from Michael Vogel on a Cole Lawrence cross — to tiethegameatthehalf.
Four minutes into the half, Rangel struck again. He popped the ball up to Nathan Zamora, who was there to head it in, giving Las Vegas the lead. In the 61st minute, Rangel stayed onside and outran the defender to make it 3-1.
Palo Verde held a national ranking at times this year, and it was the second time Las Vegas beat the Panthers; the first time a 5-4 road win on Oct. 16.
Rangel said beating Palo Verde twice made the win extra sweet and that he can’t wait for his team’s first region title game since 2009.
“I feel incredibly happy with the team,” he said. “We worked, I’m telling you, our butts off during the summer. It feels good actually becoming something, becoming a name.”
Contact Justin Emerson at jemerson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2944. Follow @J15emerson on Twitter.