MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Gunners shut out MACS-4 7-0 during a 2011 intramural soccer season game at Penny Lake fields here July 20.
MACS-4 started the game with possession. Its offense drove the ball down field, and squeezed through the Gunners’ defense and fired a shot.
Rey Mata, Gunners goalkeeper, was able to deflect the shot.
The MACS-4 players quickly stole the ball and attempted another shot only to have Mata block the second shot.
“Our defense gets complacent sometimes, that is when our goalie saves us,” said Christian A. Felix, Gunners forward.
Cesar J. Colchao, Gunners defender, passed the ball down field to Jose M. Nieto, Gunners forward.
Nieto was able to blast the ball past James R. Simmons, MACS-4 goalkeeper, which made the score 1-0.
The MACS-4 players stepped up their game and kept the ball on the Gunners’ side of the field.
Ricardo A. Borrego, Gunners forward, stole the ball and dribbled it down the grassy battlefield. Borrego kicked the ball into an open corner of the goal, which brought the score to 2-0.
MACS-4 tried to push through the Gunners’ defense, but Edgar A. Castaneda, Gunners defender, stole the ball from Ryan C. Snyder, MACS-4 forward.
“We need to improve our defense,” said Snyder.
Castaneda passed down field to an open Yuta Fleming, Gunners forward, who attempted to score, but his shot was blocked.
Colchao, who switched to forward, saw an opportunity after the goalie was still recovering from deflecting the last shot and kicked a grounder into an open corner bringing the score to 3-0.
Ross M. Whitaker, MACS-4 forward, managed to sneak through the Gunners’ defense and shoot for the goal. Mata blocked the ball.
The Gunners kept the heat going on the MACS- 4 defense, and David Ramirez, an open Gunners forward, was able to blast the ball past the goalie making the score 4-0.
The Gunners quickly stole possession and Colchao was set up to make another goal. He used too much power in his kick and sent the ball flying over an open goal.
Ramirez recovered the ball from the MACS-4 throw-in and made up for Colchao’s blunder by scoring the Gunners’ fifth goal.
“I have been playing soccer since I was a little kid,” said Felix. “I love it. It is my passion.”
The MACS-4 players fought through the Gunners’ defense but the referees called halftime before they could attempt to score a goal.
The Gunners started the second half with possession.
The Gunners’ forward players could not get their first two scoring attempts past the MACS-4 keeper.
“Playing soccer keeps up our endurance, but you have to practice for a few hours to be able to run during the games,” Carlos Barrera, Gunners forward.
The defensive wall of the keeper finally broke when Luis M. Lozano, Gunners forward, fired the ball into an unguarded corner of the net making the score 6-0.
Before the MACS-4 players could run onto the Gunners’ territory, Fleming stole the ball and scored the final goal of the game 7-0.
“We play really well together, I think that is why we scored a lot of goals,” said Felix.
The referees called the game with 15 minutes left on the clock due to the mercy rule.
The mercy rule states if a team is winning by seven points the game will end.
“This tournament gives the Marines and sailors here a good way to interact with each other,” Snyder said.
The 2011 soccer season games are scheduled to change to three games starting at 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights until August 24.