El Camino Real Secures City Section Open Division Boys Soccer Title in a Tense Penalty Shootout
El Camino Real Claims City Title in Dramatic Penalty Shootout
In a thrilling conclusion to a tumultuous City Section soccer season, El Camino Real High School emerged victorious in the boys’ Open Division final, defeating Birmingham in a tense penalty shootout late Saturday night. The match, held at Pasadena City College, was marked by unexpected drama, including a 15-minute blackout during overtime.
El Camino Real secured its ninth City title with a decisive penalty kick from Jayden De La Cruz, the sixth player from ECR to step up. The match ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation, with sophomore Tiago Valdez scoring a late equalizer for the Royals. El Camino Real’s goalkeeper, Isaac Ortega, played a crucial role in the shootout, successfully saving two penalty attempts from Birmingham.
Birmingham had to navigate a rocky path to the finals, having lost to El Camino Real twice earlier in the league season. After South East and Marquez forfeited their semifinal match, Birmingham was reinstated into the tournament and defeated Venice 6-0 to secure a spot in the final against the Royals.
In the girls’ Open Division final, Cleveland High School claimed victory over Granada Hills with a narrow 1-0 win, bolstered by a goal from Grace Burgos.
In the Southern Section, Mater Dei triumphed over Orange Lutheran with a 2-0 win in the boys’ Open Division, while Felicity Nguyen led Santa Margarita to a 3-0 victory over Mater Dei in the girls’ Open Division, marking the Eagles’ second consecutive title and their tenth overall.
The journey continues as regional playoffs kick off this week, leading to the inaugural state finals scheduled for March 13-14 at Natomas High School in Sacramento.
