Corner kicks are worked on almost daily during Burroughs High boys’ soccer team practices.
Generating success on corner kicks in matches can be paramount.
Burroughs scored on two corner kicks, including the winning goal by Dominic Quijada with about four minutes remaining, to earn a 2-1 Pacific League home win against Arcadia on Friday at Memorial Field.
Burroughs (2-2, 1-1 in league) regrouped following a disjointed 7-0 home league loss against Glendale on Tuesday. The Bears turned in a better defensive effort to hold the Apaches (3-2-1, 1-1) at bay.
“With corner kicks, you never know when or how they come into play,” Burroughs second-year coach Makan Afzali said. ” That’s why we practice them weekly.
“We wanted to be a lot better after the Glendale game. We showed today how we can compete and that we are capable. We were good at those two set pieces and a shout out to the two guys who scored.”
Quijada headed in a corner kick from Danny Pascual in the 76th minute to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.
Quijada, a senior forward, got in front of an Arcadia defender and beat Arcadia goalkeeper Lucas Gonzales.
“I saw the ball coming toward the goal and I knew I could get to it,” said Quijada, who earlier lined a 20-yard shot just over the crossbar. “I could see myself scoring right there. We had a tough loss to Glendale and I felt like we were more energetic and physical today. That was a big difference.”
And the difference in the 80-minute contest.
The Apaches closed out the scoring on a goal by James Nahui Rios with about 45 seconds remaining in stoppage time.
Burroughs opened the scoring on a corner kick by Pascual that was headed in by Sebastian Ulloa in the 36th minute.
The Bears, who took sixth in league last season, limited the Apaches to three shots on goal. Burroughs goalkeeper Frank Hernandez stopped a close-up shot by Aidan Pitorri early in the second half.
“We were better defensively,” Afzali said. “We had to be good during the crucial moments of the game and we were.”
Burroughs and Arcadia will face off again Jan. 16 at Arcadia.
Burroughs will battle Pasadena in a road league match Tuesday.
