The boys’ varsity soccer team defeated Branson 2-1 in a close game on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Redwood broke a 1-1 tie 15 minutes into the second half after junior captain Isaac Perper collected a ball that had been deflected by the goalie and blasted it into the upper left corner of the net.
After a slow start for both teams, Redwood initially took the lead when senior Miguel Rodriguez broke away and slipped the ball past the keeper with just five minutes left in the first half.
Branson started off the second half aggressively, scoring on a long shot from the right wing after three minutes of play.
A strong defensive performance allowed the Giants to hold onto the lead despite intense pressure from the Branson offense, including a Branson free kick from inside Redwood’s goal box.
Redwood’s win came without starting junior goalie Brennan Dwyer and senior defender Jaime Planes. Both were red-carded during last week’s match against Novato, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension.
The Giants have three regular season games left before MCAL playoffs begin on Oct. 27. As of press time, they are in third place, one point behind San Rafael and three points behind undefeated Terra Linda.
The team’s next game is Friday, Oct. 17 against San Marin.
