Last Thursday night, the Greeley West soccer team had a battle against cross-town rivals Greeley Central, losing the match, 2-0.

Greeley West fended off Central’s strikes well, leaving the first half 0-0.  Junior Cesar Hernandez said intensity was key. “Last night went well. We started off with a lot of intensity, we were controlling most of the game, we dominated the first half,” Hernandez said.

Greeley West went into the game wanting to show that they could go toe to toe with any team they faced.

“During halftime, when it was 0-0, telling them you guys were frustrating them. They thought they could come and win this game super easy and walk all over us, and that really motivated them. I just asked them to take more shots,” Spartans coach Jorge Cabral said.

Greeley West came into the game with a plan that was very apparent in their play Junior Ulises Sanchez described the plan.

“The game plan was to not let the outside noise affect us and to keep possession as much as we can, because even though we knew we were looked at as underdogs, we have what it takes to win,” Sanchez said.

Looking ahead of the loss, the team is ready to get back on the field and work even harder. Sanchez said, “ I feel like in practice we need to work on how to defend counter attacks more effectively…I also feel like mentally we have to let go of this loss and look forward to our future games.”

Off field troubles of the night were the absence of key players. Cabral stated, “We have a couple of players that can’t play due to injury or ineligibility. Once our squad is at full strength, a difference will be made in our team, because our missing players are mostly strikers.”

Hernandez summed it up as well.  “What we lack in the classroom, we lack on the field,” Hernandez said.