On Sunday, Apple Valley Storm drew 1-1 at Ocelot Academy.
Pre-Game
It was matchweek three in the UPSL Premier SoCal north division as both Ocelot and Apple Valley Storm will encounter their 2nd match head-to-head. In the previous matchup, Ocelot blanked AV Storm 2-0 at home last April.
Storm was coming into the game with a double header last weekend, where they won 2-1 over AMSG last Saturday and tied 1-all with IEFC on the road.
Meanwhile, Ocelot had a W-L form defeating AYSD D1 Academy Premier 1-0 and losing to 88 Thirty 3-2 on the road.
Game Recap
The stage was set for the 3rd week of action on a warm Sunday evening at Colton High School, where the hosts, Ocelot Academy, take on Apple Valley Storm. Storm was in white and the hosts whore green.
In the first ten minutes, both teams played with high intensity but were trying to connect their passes and ideas. The team in green was feeling out their game plan with having more possession, but the white team was absorbing the blows and making breakthroughs after the turnovers.
The visitors strike first in the 13’ off an interception, turns to a run on the right wing inward to the box, passes it, and Jett P Casarez taps it in. Jett gets his 1st goal of the season and 12th for Apple Valley in 3 seasons.
On the reset, it was clear that the hosts wouldn’t change their game plan in reaction to being down in the game. They continued to play from the back, dictate tempo, and push the ball to the attacking midfielder, so that he can distribute to a winger on the sides.
The visitors would simply play counterattack to the green team’s mixed style of play. When they force a turnover, they then push forward, run to support open lanes, and are not afraid to challenge 1 on 1. In the backline, they did a great job preventing the green team from setting up chances in the box. They also had 2-3 players pressing the ball when the green team was in their half.
However, the green team would hold more possession, win more 1v1 battles in the midfield, and have more chances at goal despite a lack of good finishing.
It was a back-and-forth battle in the midfield, but the green team would hold the ball more and just found a tough time trying to get a clear shot to tie it up. The half would end 1-0 for the High Desert team.
The second kicks off, and the white team would play their same game plan, but would boot the ball out more to disrupt the play. While the green team played more forward and at a faster pace. They also were fitting into tighter spaces when they reached Apple Valley’s final 3rd.
The hosts did eventually transition into long balls, but the game with back and forth like a tug of war in the midfield.
It did lead to success for the hosts as they got the tying goal in the 70’. It was from a cross from the left side that found an attacker at the far post, he passes on the first touch, and his teammate taps it home from the box.
Afterward, the white team’s reaction saw fewer turnovers compared to the first half, while the green team still had a high intensity and showed that they wouldn’t settle for a tie. After back-and-forth waves of attacks by both sides (with the hosts having more close chances), the final whistle blew to end the match 1-1.
Post-Game
The final whistle ended the 2nd matchup between the two, and Apple Valley is yet to defeat Ocelot Academy. The High Desert team now has a 1-0-2 record with 5 points and sits 3rd in the standings. Their next match is against Santa Ana Winds at home next Sunday.
Ocelot Academy now sits in 4th place just behind Storm with a 1-1-1 record and 4 points. Their next match is on the road against IEFC on Sunday afternoon.