It was on Nov 15, 2019, when the Hawks men’s soccer team played their last official game facing Monterey Peninsula. The team has had a poor season from their first game of 2019 which concluded with a loss for the LPC team. The disappointing final game has left a bad taste on the players, the coach and fans of the team.
Specifically, the 2019 statistics showed an overall 7-11-1 reflecting a negative season for the Hawks. Players on the team who want to improve are in need of a fresh start. But, the disruption in the season caused by COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the team.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictions, the entire college level sports environment faced a dramatic stop. Entire sports seasons have gotten canceled and for several months even a team training on the pitch was an unattainable goal.
However, the news everybody was waiting for is finally official: The LPC athletes are coming back.
As happened for the other LPC sports teams, the men’s soccer team had to deal with several incognitos over the last season. But one of the constants that characterizes soccer at Las Positas College since 2016 is Andrew Cumbo, the head’s soccer coach. After a long break, he is ready to start again and to prepare the team for the coming competitions.
Cumbo said, “We’re just excited to train and hopefully be back on the field and competing against other colleges this semester.” Coming back after several months is an exciting prospect to players. It is evident that the whole environment around the team is thrilled because of the new start.
Tyler Martinez said, “I can easily say that me and my teammates are so thrilled and excited to finally have a season and get back to the sport that we all love and cherish.” Martinez is a defender for the Hawks who have provided an important contribution to the team during the 2019 season.
In addition to those positive feelings about the comeback, there was also space to put the lights on the tactical aspects of the team. And, Andrew Cumbo has a clear idea for the team: working hard on the pitch and keeping a solid mentality.
“Would you keep in mind the tendencies of the opponent, but from my experience, it’s better to just focus on our objectives in our system rather than trying to adjust what we do according to our opponents.” explained the coach.
If half of a team’s quality is built upon tactics, relationships between players are the other essential aspects that make a team competitive.
And according to Martinez, the group is more than solid. “We have an amazing group of boys that work extremely hard day in and day out on and off the pitch. The chemistry between the boys is on another level as well,” said Martinez.
It seems that the LPC soccer team is ready to start a new season with emphasis and quality in order to achieve the good result they deserve.
Finally, both Cumbo and Martinez shared some of their best memories from their past seasons with the Hawks.
The defender who admitted to being inspired by Sweden’s top player Zlatan Ibrahimovic (and that explains his offensive propensity) remembers a game played against Lassen in August 2019.
“The very first game we had last year I got put in with 3 minutes left in the half and scored off the bench to put the team up 2-0 in a 3-0 victory,” said Martinez.
Cumbo remarked one of the best seasons for the LPC Hawks highlighting the important achievement reached by the team on that occasion.
“One special memory I have with the men’s team was a couple of years ago at San Francisco city college and not only did we clinch an important road win, but we clinched an undefeated season and conference play that year.” said the coach. That Hawks’ triumph might remind the older soccer fans of the “Invincible Arsenal” of the 2003-04 season when the team of London achieved the title after a fantastic season without a single defeat.
For the team, the Hawks’ comeback is already good news. But supporters also wish the best to the players and the coach in order to assist in a fantastic season.
Alessio Cavalca is a staff writer for The Express. Follow him @AlessioCavalca.
