Hope International men’s soccer opened its GSAC conference schedule with a 1-1 draw at La Sierra on Tuesday in Riverside, Calif. Erick Cabrera scored a long-range goal in the 68th minute to give the Royals the lead, but La Sierra responded with an equalizer less than five minutes later.
Cabrera’s strike came from 30 yards out, beating La Sierra goalkeeper Abraham Perez at the near post. The Golden Eagles evened the match when Daniel Garcia converted a pass from Vinicius Goncalves inside the far post.
The contest grew physical, marked by 37 fouls and several yellow cards. Shortly after La Sierra’s equalizer, Hope International played the final 18 minutes down a man following a second yellow card shown to Matthias Alcaraz. Despite the disadvantage, Hope International outshot La Sierra 3-2 in the closing minutes.
Hope International’s goalkeeper Wyatt Schaap made two saves, while Perez had three for La Sierra. Cabrera led the Royals offensively with four shots total, three on goal.
The Royals will return home for their GSAC opener against Soka on Thursday, September 10, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at OC Great Park Stadium.
CSB Take
Hope International showed offensive potential and resilience by maintaining pressure despite being a man down late in the match. Erick Cabrera’s long-range goal underscores the team’s scoring capability and ability to create quality chances. As the Royals prepare for their home opener against Soka, building on this gritty performance could set the tone for a strong conference campaign.
Source: Original report
