In relentless rain and slippery conditions, the Palo Alto High School Vikings (9-3-4) tied with the Homestead Mustangs (5-4-6) 0-0 Friday night at home.
With five league games left, the Vikings, currently fourth in the league, are fighting to place top three in the De Anza League to secure a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Viking junior Cole Baker said the Vikings made extensive preparations before the game.
“I think our biggest preparation was going very early to the media suite and going over every facet of the game to make sure we were defensively sound,” Baker said.
According to Viking head coach Luis Lodino, the Mustangs played solid defense.
“They’re very good at disrupting our effort and breaking our flow,” Lodino said. “If we could just transition the ball a little more, maybe we would find a better situation.”
The first half showcased a slightly defensive approach from Palo Alto, paired with some occasional steals. Viking senior forward Wilson Ernst came close to scoring early on, while Viking junior midfielder James Park narrowly missed a top-right goal. Viking sophomore fullback Rohan Bhatt delivered a promising shot from the right side that ultimately fell short, keeping the game tightly contested.
According to Mustang freshman Yoav Cabiri, the Homestead players didn’t play as aggressively as they would have liked.
“We had a hard time in the first half, but we did good,” Cabiri said. “We could have been a little more aggressive. I think during the first half, we let them get confident.”
Mustang head coach Adam Clarke said the Vikings are a tough opponent.
“What does Palo Alto mean in Spanish again? Tall tree?” Clarke said. “It’s just a different game when you play Paly versus other teams because they’re tall, they’re strong, and they play with a lot of heart.”
The second half saw intense back-and-forth action, with Viking goalie senior Jacob Kinsky making an incredible block to keep the score tied. Viking senior forward Wilson Ernst made a powerful charge downfield, while Viking junior midfielder Finnegan Schoebel pushed hard to create scoring opportunities. Viking senior forward Taishi Liu came close to scoring but couldn’t convert successfully.
According to Viking senior Zachary Crystal, the Vikings made strategic adjustments after the first half.
“We shifted our formation slightly to try to be a bit more attacking,” Crystal said. “I think we had some moments where we could have capitalized on that better.”
According to Viking senior defender Lucas Yuan, the Vikings need to work on both physical and mental aspects of the game.
“The following week, we’ll definitely work on shooting and finishing,” Yuan said. “We’ll also work on our mindset, making sure that we start off the new week with a fresh mind, because this week we had a loss and a tie, and that’s definitely not ideal for us.”
The tie preserved Homestead’s ranking as third in the league, leaving Palo Alto High School with a tougher path to improve their playoff seeding. The Vikings will play the Los Gatos Wildcats (6-6-1) at 6 p.m. next Wednesday at Los Gatos High School.
