Neri, Martinez lead Estancia boys’ soccer to season-opening win at Trabuco Hills

Reporting from Mission Viejo —  The opening minutes of Estancia High’s 2017-18 campaign featured a lack of offensive presence coupled with evident struggles finding an answer on defense.

The initial results were not pretty.

It took less than 60 seconds for host Trabuco Hills to find the back of the net on Wednesday night. Estancia was a non-factor offensively for the majority of the first half, failing to fire a shot on goal until the 35th minute, as the Mustangs held a firm control over the tempo.

Fortunately for the Eagles, these woes slowly subsided as the boys’ soccer match wore on.

Trabuco Hills became gassed from its aggressive play early on, and Estancia stayed composed and patient while awaiting its moment.

After being held scoreless for the first 40 minutes, the Eagles caught fire for five second-half goals en route to a 5-2 victory.

“The other guys came out with a lot of intensity, and our guys were a little rattled,” Estancia coach Robert Castellano said. “I knew they were going to die out. No team can keep that type of pressure for the entire 80 minutes, and they did. After we got our first goal, we settled down. Then we got our second, and kept building confidence the rest of the game.”

Perhaps the biggest positive takeaway for Estancia was the growing chemistry between Aaron Neri and Andy Martinez. As the game wore on, it was apparent the forward duo was becoming more comfortable leading the offensive charge. The Eagles reaped the benefits as the pair continued to click, turning a one-point deficit at the half into a blowout victory.

The Eagles evened the score in the 45th minute, as Neri received a pass and cut into an opening before finding Martinez on the left side of the box. Martinez met the pass in perfect stride and fired a shot right past the goalkeeper, marking the game’s first goal since Trabuco Hills’ Alex Sanchez scored on an Anthony Botros cross in the opening minute.

In the 55th minute, Neri put his breakaway speed on full display in another scoring effort. Neri stole the ball near midfield and proceeded to sprint past a pair of Mustang defenders, sending a left-footed low strike into the net for Estancia’s first lead of the night.

“They haven’t really played much together,” Castellano said of Neri and Martinez, who each had a goal and an assist. “We’ve been working a lot on the final third, trying to get combinations in and working on breaking the line. Last week, we had a scrimmage and they were not on the same page. Today was the first time they were on the same page. Aaron is a sophomore, Andy is a senior, and they definitely clicked tonight.”

Botros tied the game at 2-2 just a few moments later, but the Eagles answered right back. Martinez found Nicolas Ramirez in the 60th minute for the first of three unanswered goals to close the contest out.

While there were some fundamental shortcomings for the Eagles, particularly on the defensive end in the early stages, the team’s composure as the game wore on was a promising sign.

“Something we’ve struggled with since I got to Estancia is composure,” Martinez said. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but now it seems like we’ve got it. It seems like we’re clicking. It took us awhile in the beginning, but we’re a brand-new team.”

JOSH CRISWELL is a contributor to Times Community News. Follow him on Twitter: @joshccriswell