Major setback for Mesa

COSTA MESA — Midway through the first half, Costa Mesa High Coach Alex Cordoba joked that he wore many hats on the soccer field.

The latest was trainer for the boys’ team.

Cordoba learned before the Mustangs’ crucial Orange Coast League home match against Godinez they would be without their trainer. He said the trainer called in sick.

The Mustangs were in dire need of help at Jim Scott Stadium.

Costa Mesa not only lost two starters to injuries on Friday, but the top spot in league. The Mustangs let a one-goal lead turn into a devastating loss in a hurry.

Godinez beat Costa Mesa, 5-1, and moved into first place in league. The Mustangs suffered major setbacks, seeing midfielder Franco Ramirez (knee) and goalkeeper Irvin Dorantes (shoulder) go down hard.

At one point, Cordoba had no ice to treat the two players.

Nothing could manage the pain. Seeing the Grizzlies (9-4-4, 3-1-1 in league) take first stung Costa Mesa (9-5-2, 3-2-1).

“When two of our starters get a little bit knocked out, it just kind of creates [a difficult situation],” said Cordoba, whose team struggled after Ramon Valdivia gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.

“It was kind of frustrating to know sometimes [in] the games, the head coaches have to wear different hats, the coach, the trainer, and then being psychologist on the bench, trying to get the kids motivated.”

Cordoba tried to do it all and get the Mustangs closer to claiming their first league title in eight seasons. It wasn’t an easy night for all those involved.

Cordoba dealt with the two injured players and another starter whom he said was having a hard time with a different issue. Whereas Ramirez and Dorantes couldn’t play due to their injuries, another starter didn’t want to return in the second half after the match was tied, 1-1, at halftime.

“I guess it came down to just something outside of soccer, outside of school that’s affecting his performance,” Cordoba said. “He asked me at halftime [if he could] just take a breather. I thought in like five minutes that he’ll want to step up and play. He just kept hiding on the bench. I didn’t know until later that [my team] told me that something’s going on.

“I just told him, ‘If he bottles it inside, it’s just going to get worse, and to talk to somebody who knows what it is.’ ”

When the player made it back to the field in the 72nd minute, the game was practically over.

Two minutes earlier, Godinez midfielder Fidel Nieves scored for the third time, giving him his first hat trick of the season and avenging the Grizzlies’ league-opening loss to Costa Mesa. Godinez hasn’t lost in league since then.

The Mustangs missed Ramirez, Dorantes and the other starter when the three were out.

When Ramirez went down late in the first half, Cordoba on the sideline attempted to wrap a bag of water around Ramirez’s knee because the team didn’t have ice. Ramirez’s mother, Carmen, came down to the field from the stands and stepped in. Ramirez’s father, Regi, rushed to a local store at halftime to buy ice.

By the time Regi returned with a bag of ice, Dorantes suffered a shoulder injury six minutes earlier. The senior crashed on the bottom part of the far post while trying to stop a shot to his left. Nieves’ blast from 29 yards found the upper-corner of the net and gave Godinez a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute. Five minutes later, Cordoba yelled to someone behind the bench.

“It’s like the ER over here,” Cordoba said. “I can’t even concentrate on the game.”