AURORA — It is far too early for teams to start talking about “must-win” situations.
Nevertheless, there was little doubt the Fort Collins boys soccer team was desperate to avoid an 0-2 start Saturday at Legacy Stadium.
Junior Jesus Martinez made sure the Lambkins didn’t suffer that fate, scoring two goals in the second half to lead Fort Collins to a 2-0 victory over Grandview in a Class 5A nonconference match.
Fort Collins, the top-ranked team in Class 5A and the defending state champion, fell behind 3-0 early in a season-opening loss at Broomfield on Thursday but broke into the win column thanks to two picturesque, though vastly different, goals by Martinez.
“The goal is always to be better than you were last time, and the reality is our last game we just didn’t start well,” Fort Collins coach Justin Stephens said. “It was just out of control. We’re not worried about where we are record-wise. We just wanted to make sure we were better. We didn’t put the balls on-frame that we wanted to, but we started well.”
Both teams created numerous chances throughout the first half but were able to produce few shots on goal until Martinez took over.
Martinez broke the scoreless draw in the 51st minute, making a perfect read of a long centering ball from Isuru Gamage along the right sideline and heading a shot past Grandview goalkeeper Tim Tribbett.
Martinez benefited from a fortuitous bounce 10 minutes later as a Grandview free kick near midfield deflected off the Fort Collins wall. Martinez collected the loose ball before blasting a 30-yard laser past Tribbett that gave the Lamb- kins a two-goal edge.
“We came out way too overconfident Thursday for a state championship team,” Martinez said. “I think we woke up and we’re starting to get it together again. We came out the second half saying we wanted to shoot more. We weren’t really shooting in the first half, and we had to turn that around.”
Fort Collins 0 2 — 2
Grandview 0 0 — 0
Goals — Martinez (Gamage), 51st minute; Martinez, 61st minute. Shots on goal — FC 1-2 — 3; G 1-0 — 1. Saves — FC (Greuel 1); G (Tribbett 1). Corner kicks — FC 2-2 — 4; G 4-2 — 6. Fouls — FC 6-10 — 16; G 1-5 — 6. Yellow cards — FC: Gonzalez, Walker.
