Prep boys’ soccer: The future is now for Galt as young talent leads unbeaten season

The children aren’t only the future, they’re the present at Galt High School, where the boys’ soccer team is plowing through an unbeaten season thanks to young talent.

A 4-0 win Thursday over Union Mine was only the latest in their conquest of the Sierra Valley Conference this season. In four conference games, the Warriors’ flashy attack has been able to find the back of the net a total of 21 times while their defense hasn’t slipped up once, allowing zero goals. The team is 9-0-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play.

Against Union Mine, it seemed as though Galt was in possession for the entirety of the game. Galt attacked relentlessly, attempting a total of 23 shots as opposed to Union Mine’s four.

However, the game wasn’t flawless for Galt.

“Sometimes when we play a team and we beat the team by a lot in the first match, we come out thinking that we are going to win the game easily,” said assistant coach and former Sac State forward Alejandro Renteria. “We have a target on our back all the time. Every team comes out to beat us and sometimes the boys don’t understand that, so we came out slow.”

After a scoreless first half, which Galt head coach Alfredo Renteria called “sloppy,” the team was able to make plays happen in the second half. Forward Miguel Garcia did especially well.

“I think we played well,” Garcia exclaimed. “We struggled in the first half. A lot of balls weren’t playing out wide, we were playing through the middle, and they were getting all the balls we tried to receive. Our keeper could have been better, as well as our mids. They weren’t controlling the game. Also our forwards weren’t checked in as well, but we picked it up in the second half and got the results that we wanted.”

Garcia, a sophomore, was everywhere on the pitch. He scored two goals to increase his total as the team’s leading scorer. And he consistently set up opportunities for his teammates.

His combination of ball control and footwork is due to his love for the game and aspirations to be like his hero, soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I touched my first ball when I was about 3,” Garcia said. “Since I was young, I’ve taken notes from Ronaldo. My pants, my kicks, everything. He is my idol.”

Just by watching the way he moves on the pitch, it is obvious the talent Garcia possesses.

“We pulled him up last year as a freshman and he excelled,” assistant coach Renteria said. “He’s overall well-rounded and a really good kid. He is very skilled on and off the ball, IQ is there … he is definitely a skilled player.”

With hopes of remaining undefeated and having great success in the postseason, Garcia and the rest of the Warriors are focused and ready for any challenge that comes their way.

This type of attitude is necessary, especially as they prepared to face another undefeated team in rival Liberty Ranch on Friday.