Gilroy High boys soccer coach Armando Padilla could relate to such a statement after his team lost 6-1 Friday. Opening play against De La Salle, which was hosting the two-game De La Salle College Showcase in Concord over the weekend, the Mustangs were struck by Murphy's Law as just about everything that could go wrong did.

"It was our worst game of the season so far," Padilla readily admitted.

A mix-up of how long his team would be given to warm up led to an impromptu start to the game, in which Gilroy's players had just a couple minutes to stretch. De La Salle made the most of the Mustangs' sluggishness by scoring twice in the first seven minutes.

"They just completely caught us off guard," Padilla said. "We knew they were going to be a strong team, but we didn't know they were going to be that fast and physical."

Gilroy got its lone goal later in the half when Jorge Sanchez scored on an assist by Carlos Cortez. Midfielder Andy Moya played the ball wide to Cortez, who then crossed the ball in for a Sanchez header.

"It was probably the best goal of the game," Padilla said. "Unfortunately, it was the only one for us and De La Salle had six."

The Mustangs (7-2-3) responded a day later by beating College Park 3-1.

Bruce Ocana helped Gilroy go into halftime tied 1-1 by slotting a penalty kick into the net. But, recognizing they weren't facing a team near as talented as De La Salle, Gilroy's coaches were left wanting more.

"I would say we had three or four quality chances inside the [box] that we should have finished, but we didn't," Padilla said.

Gilroy regained its form after intermission, as Ocana added another score, while Cortez netted a goal as well.

"We were happy to get out of Concord with at least one win, especially starting league [today]," Padilla said.

The Mustangs will host Alvarez (5-5) in the Tri-County Athletic League opener at 5 p.m. at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.

Girls' soccer

GILROY - Gilroy High's varsity girls soccer team ended preseason play with a 2-0 loss at home to Presentation Saturday.

It was the second straight game the Mustangs have failed to win after being victorious four games in a row. Gilroy tied Santa Teresa 1-1 on Dec. 30.

The Mustangs will start Tri-County Athletic League play Wednesday when they travel for a game at 3:30 p.m. at Alvarez.

- Staff Report