2/11: Spartans Fall Just Short Against Memorial

The JV-A Spartans fought hard against Memorial but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 2-3 in a tightly contested match.

Memorial struck early, scoring at 25:00 to take a 1-0 lead. The Spartans responded at 15:00, when Samuel Garrido fired a 35-yard free kick that Sasha Otero finished to tie the game 1-1. Garrido continued pressing, making a strong run down the left side at 11:00 to set up a deep shot, but it was blocked. A penalty in the box at 2:58 resulted in a Memorial PK goal, and just before halftime, Braden Oliphant made a crucial defensive stop at 1:51, but the ensuing corner led to another Memorial goal, putting the Spartans down 1-3 at the break.

The Spartans tightened up defensively in the second half. Erich Cheng made a strong save at 34:00, while Chris Rogers cleared a dangerous Memorial corner with a header at 32:40. Taher Alkassem and Benton Byrd made key defensive plays to keep the Spartans within reach.

Momentum shifted at 20:27, when Garrido chipped a shot off the right post, then slammed home the rebound to bring the score to 2-3. Defensively, Mohammad Al-Mohammad, Brayan Guardado, and Byrd made key stops to keep Memorial from extending their lead.

The final seven minutes saw the Spartans dominate possession, creating multiple chances. Free kicks by Byrd at 7:17 and 6:00 led to close attempts, but the Spartans couldn’t convert. At 3:49, a pass from Garrido set up another shot that sailed wide, and at 1:15, a dangerous corner nearly produced the equalizer. Despite the late pressure, Stratford ran out of time and fell just short of leveling the match.

The Spartans showed strong resilience and attacking pressure, controlling the final minutes but ultimately coming up just short in a 2-3 loss.

2/14: Spartans Draw 1-1 Against Cy Creek

The Spartans controlled possession for much of the match but ended in a 1-1 draw against Cy Creek.

Stratford pushed forward early, with Mohammad Al-Mohammad and Samuel Garrido working the ball into the attacking third multiple times but unable to create clear shots. Eduardo Cordero delivered a 23rd-minute corner kick, but the Spartans couldn’t capitalize. Garrido created another opportunity at 20:50, drawing out the goalie and earning a corner, but the ball bounced in front of the net without a finish. Stratford kept pressuring, with Braden Oliphant, Ayden Zuniga, and Garrido combining for a 17:30 build-up, but Cy Creek’s defense held strong.

Defensively, Al-Mohammad made two key stops at 14:34, and the backline forced back-to-back offsides calls. At 12:40, Erich Cheng made an initial save, but Cy Creek finished the rebound to take a 1-0 lead. Stratford responded just before halftime, as Denys Artiukhov and Emiliano Ponce combined to push the ball into the box, and Artiukhov finished in the final minute to level the game 1-1 at halftime.

The Spartans' defense held firm to start the second half as Benton Byrd, Al-Mohammad, George Veneralla, and Brayan Guardado forced three offsides calls in the opening minutes. Kevin Espinosa took a 35-yard shot at 27:40, but the Cy Creek keeper made the save. Stratford continued to create chances, with Hudson Hennessey and Cordero nearly connecting at 22:57, and Chris Rogers finding Cordero at 19:37 for a shot that was blocked out for a corner.

As rain began to fall with 13 minutes left, Stratford continued pressing, with Espinosa’s 40-yard free kick at 12:30 being cleared. The defense held strong in the final moments, as Guardado and Oliphant made a key defensive stop at 5:00 to deny a Cy Creek attack.

Despite controlling possession and generating multiple late chances, the Spartans couldn't find the winning goal and settled for a 1-1 draw.

2/21: Spartans Play to 1-1 Draw Against Jersey Village

The Spartans controlled much of the match but were unable to convert late chances, finishing in a 1-1 draw against Jersey Village.

Stratford pushed forward early, looking for openings in the Jersey Village defense. At 28:30, Taher Alkassem sent a pass down the sideline to Eduardo Cordero, who delivered a well-placed cross, but the Spartans couldn’t capitalize. At 21:53, Mohammad Al-Mohammad fired a 30-yard free kick on target, forcing a leaping save from the Jersey Village keeper. The ensuing corner by Alkassem was played into the box but missed on a header attempt. Al-Mohammad remained aggressive, finding another shot at 17:37, but the keeper tipped it just over the bar.

The Spartans broke the deadlock at 11:52, when Samuel Garrido surged down the left flank, drawing a foul near the edge of the box. His 25-yard free kick arced over the goalkeeper and into the net, putting Stratford ahead 1-0. The Spartans nearly doubled the lead at 4:00, as Sasha Otero played Braden Oliphant into space, setting up a dangerous cross, but no one was there to finish. The half ended with Stratford holding the advantage.

Jersey Village increased their pressure in the second half, forcing goalkeeper Solomon into action at 25:45 to maintain the lead. However, at 22:32, the visitors found an equalizer, bringing the game to 1-1. Stratford almost reclaimed the lead at 22:04 when Garrido fired a shot that was deflected wide by the keeper. Elias Morales and Denys Artiukhov applied pressure at 19:11, keeping the ball deep in the attacking third, but the Spartans couldn’t find a clean look.

As the game entered the closing minutes, Stratford intensified their attack. At 18:17, a 32-yard free kick narrowly missed the target, and at 13:24, Garrido had another shot blocked, leading to a corner kick. He made a determined run at 11:42, carrying the ball from midfield, but couldn’t get a shot off before it rolled out of bounds.

The Spartans created one final surge in the last moments. At 4:29, Garrido sprinted into the box, but the Jersey Village keeper got to the ball first, clearing the threat. The best chance to steal the win came with just 38 seconds remaining, when a shot ricocheted off the top crossbar.

Despite controlling possession and creating dangerous opportunities, Stratford couldn’t find the late breakthrough, settling for a hard-fought 1-1 draw.