By Rick Assad
In what could have been a tie turned into a victory by the Burbank High boys’ soccer team on Thursday afternoon versus rival Burroughs.
In the blink of an eye, the Pacific League match at Kemp-Kallem Field turned as senior central attacking midfielder George Atallah nailed a 15-yard goal in the 73rd minute breaking a tie and giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 win.
“I was impressed with our determination today,” Burbank coach Johnny Rotunno said. “We wanted to finish the year on a high note and I’m glad we pulled out the win.”
Rotunno doesn’t think his club will make the postseason.
“I think we missed the [CIF Southern Section] playoffs by one point,” he said. “Next year we will be much better.”
Burroughs coach Makan Afzali was a bit disappointed.
“Just unlucky moments. Things didn’t go as planned,” he said. “Players worked hard. That’s the most important thing.”
The Bears finished 6-9-1 and 5-8-1 in league for sixth place while the Bulldogs went 8-7-5 and 4-6-4 for fifth in league.
The Bulldogs pulled in front 1-0 in the seventh minute as senior left midfielder Bryan Juarez banged home a 25-yarder, but a tally in the 38th minute by junior Alexander Loera from 15 yards evened it at 1-1.
In the first minute, Burbank junior center defensive midfielder Rigo Garcia banged a 20-yarder that hit the top of the post.
In the fifth minute, Bulldog freshman center midfielder Grigor Parian added a 55-yard free kick.
In the seventh minute, Burroughs junior Danny Pascual slammed a 31-yard penalty kick, and Pascual added a 32-yard penalty kick in the 13th minute that was blocked.
Loera had a 20-yard penalty kick in the 15th minute.
Burbank had eight of the next nine attempts and they came from Parian on a 65-yarder in the 22nd minute, Parian on a 35-yarder in the 22nd minute that was too high and sophomore striker Aram Hovanessian on a 15-yard header in the 24th minute.
Junior center midfielder David Agababian tossed in a 25-yarder in the 28th minute and Atallah notched a 35-yarder in the 32nd minute.
Hovanessian had a 25-yarder in the 32nd minute and junior center midfielder Alfost Khalatyan collected a 20-yarder in the 33rd minute.
Attalah delivered a 40-yarder in the 37th minute before the Bears scored.
In the second half, the Bears had five straight kicks and they came from senior Dominic Quijada from 25 yards in the 43rd minute, Quijada from 20 yards in the 48th minute and junior Winston Bromhead on a 30-yarder in the 50th minute.
Loera mixed in a header from 25 yards in the 51st minute and Pascual had a 75-yard free kick in the 53rd minute.
Attalah had a 29-yard penalty kick in the 56th minute, Pascual attempted a 45-yard free kick in the 57th minute, Pascual added a 35-yard free kick in the 68th minute and Pascual managed a 35-yard free kick in the 69th minute.
The last three kicks came on a Burroughs 20-yard header, and from Burbank sophomore striker Raymond Soukiazian from 20 yards in the 77th minute and Burroughs’ sophomore Phoenix Elkin on a 25-yarder in extra time.
