In their most recent away game against Pierce College, the Highline College Men’s soccer team delivered a dominating performance, securing a resounding 5-0 victory.

Let’s delve into the details of the Oct. 14, match focusing on the two halves of play. In the first half, the game kicked off with Highline College establishing their presence early on the field.

Just over a minute into the match, Zane May opened the scoring for Highline, showcasing his offensive prowess. He was assisted by Dugsiye Ahmed and Damoni McKenna-Green at 1:11, setting the tone for the match.

Despite their dominance, the Thunderbirds missed two penalties in the first half, which could have added to their lead. “We had opportunities in the first half that we didn’t capitalize on,” said Anthony Naranjo in a post-match interview. “I think it’s important for any team to work on penalty situations in training.”

Highline’s relentless attacking style resulted in 14 shots in the first half, four of which were on target. Pierce College’s defense struggled to contain their opponents, with Highline’s first-half goal standing as the sole score at the break.

In the second half, Highline College maintained its momentum and took advantage of its scoring opportunities. Anthony Naranjo, one of the game’s top players, contributed to Highline’s success. At 56:09, he scored an impressive, unassisted goal to put his team ahead by two goals.

Star forward Zane May found the back of the net twice more during this half. The goals, which occured at 73:14 and 75:04, with assists from Damoni McKenna-Green and Reon Tezuka, respectively, further solidified Highline’s lead.

Emmanuel Mbula added the finishing touch, scoring at 88:14, assisted by Shoo Shee, completing the score at 5-0 in favor of Highline.

Highline College displayed remarkable teamwork and an aggressive offensive strategy in the second half, generating a total of 11 shots, seven of which were on goal. Their defense stood firm and kept a clean sheet.

Pierce College, on the other hand, struggled to create scoring opportunities, managing only one shot on goal and five shots in total. Their goalkeepers, Gavin Forman and Christopher Baez, combined for 11 saves but were unable to prevent Highline’s relentless offensive assault.

Following the game, we had the opportunity to speak with Naranjo, who played a pivotal role in Highline’s victory, and he shared his thoughts on the match, the team’s performance, and their coach’s guidance.

“The key to our success was to stay hungry and strive for more,” Naranjo said. “Even though we only managed to score one goal in the first half, within that half, we were constantly looking for more.”

“Our coach kept it simple at halftime and instructed us to play more directly, which I think we delivered on,” continued Naranjo. “About the penalties, that was just unfortunate for other players. After the game, we all just laughed about it.”

Highline’s men’s soccer team continued to maintain their strong season record with this win. Their next game is this Friday, Oct. 20, against South Puget Sound at Washington Premier Soccer Complex at 1 p.m.