October 3, 2008

Men’s Soccer:
LBCC edges Pasadena with second-half flurry, 4-3

As strong as the Pasadena City College men's soccer team played in the first half of its South Coast Conference game against Long Beach City College, the visiting Vikings managed to raise its level of play in taking control of the second 45-minute period Friday.

PCC's 2-1 first-half lead vanished as Long Beach scored two goals in a seven-minute span and went on to defeat the Lancers, 4-3, at PCC's Robinson Stadium.

Long Beach scored three straight goals in the second half to keep its undefeated record alive at 9-0-3, 2-0 in the SCC. The Lancers, had their four-match winning streak snapped, falling to 6-2 overall, 1-1 in conference action.,

PCC sophomore defender Malcolm Linton  was busy in this contest, making 24 throw-ins from inside Long Beach territory. Two of his throw-ins resulted in assists on Pasadena's first two goals.

In the fourth minute, his sideline toss was flicked by Ando Ghevandyan and then headed in by Gilbert Pogosyan for a 1-0 PCC lead. After, Long Beach tied it just a minute later off of a header by Manuel Batista. 

The Lancers regained the lead in the 23rd minute off of a throw-in that was headed in by Albrik Tahmasian.

In the 50th minute, Long Beach tied it again, 2-2, on a one-timer blast by Alex Martinez off a cross pass from Paco Prado set up by Batista. The Vikings took their first lead in the 69th minute on Batista's second goal of the match. Batista nudged a short shot over the head of Lancers' goalie.

In the 76th minute, LBCC would score the eventual game-winner on a throw-in of its own. England's Glen O'Gara tossed it into the goal mouth, 6-foot-4 Nigerian Oumarou Idrissa flicked it off his head, and another Brit, Warwick Newbold (from Kenilworth, England), fired in a short-range shot. The internationally-talented Vikings took nine shots in the second half after mustering just three in the first half.

Long Beach hosts Mt. SAC on Tuesday, October 7 in a 4 p.m. conference match.

- Pasadena City College Sports Information report