The San Diego Mesa College men’s soccer team fell short in their season opener with a 4-1 loss to Allan Hancock College. 

“Although we lost 4-1, I believe the score is not indicative of our play,” explains head coach Ray Taila. “The men played ‘possession ball’ through the middle very well and dominated for the first 15 minutes of the game. We had plenty of scoring opportunities, we just could not finish.”

Before the team embarked on their 5 hour drive to Santa Maria, coach Ray Taila  explained that the team will rely heavily on returning players to mentor first year players. He also added that the team has a tremendous work ethic and expects the team to mature throughout the season, which will eventually create prime scoring opportunities. 

The captains will be sophomore Carlos Granados, sophomore Jonathan Martinez - Ramirez, and sophomore Alan Resendiz. New additions to keep an eye on this year are freshmen Farouk Essoussi (Madison HS) and Marco Arambula Jr. (La Quinta HS).  

The Olympians will look to bounce back by traveling to Santa Barbara, CA on Friday, August 31 to take on Santa Barbara City College. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.