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Mason Dixon Soccer League

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11

Aug, 2016

Portugal pitches shutout vs. Swiss

Jacob Trujillo scored three goals and the Portugal defense denied any opponent score for the second time in as many games, beating Switzerland 3-0 on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Commerce Street Park Field 2.

"Jake really brought an inspired effort for us," said head coach Dave Kavanaugh. "He had a couple shots go awry in our first match, but he was determined to put the ball in the net Saturday and made up for lost time."

The lost time in this case was literal. A full week's lineup of matches was cancelled due to widespread flooding and unplayable fields the previous weekend. Portugal had been scheduled to face one of its toughest foes, Colombia. It's unknown whether that contest will be made up.

"There are lessons to be learned from Jake's big day," the coach said. "One is that if you keep working hard and putting forth the effort in practice and on game day, good things will happen for you. Jake was a bit frustrated after not scoring in the opener, but he's kept at it. He was one of just two kids who practiced in the mud with us during that week of heavy rain and floods, and the results were evident Saturday."

Christian Larranaga recorded an assist, and he, Tatiana Kavanaugh, Mackenzie Martinez and Katyanna Tech all had shots to help pressure the Switzerland defense.

"Everyone had a role in this win," the coach said. "Everyone made plays, and that was key. Christian and Cody (Craig) did a good job controlling the dribble. Mya and Marie (Valdez) and Bobby (Jackson) were getting to the edges and turning the ball around. Kenzie has shown the potential for a big, strong shot, and she almost connected from a good distance. Katyanna and Tati teamed up for a few fast-break chances in the second half that could've doubled our lead. Everyone has shown they aren't afraid to go into heavy traffic to get the ball. And the best thing of it all was that we are increasingly getting cohesive as a team."

"We still have to work to clean up our game, however," he said. "A couple of our early goals were wiped away because we were caught in the box, which is illegal in our U8 division. And we had a couple of hand-balls down the stretch. We'll work on those things. But I'm pleased with the effort and the improvements everyone is making. We're on the right track."

Portugal is scheduled to play Belgium at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Field 1.

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