Birmingham Defense Stifles Star

Even the best soccer players can’t score without the ball, a fact the Birmingham High boys’ soccer team made painfully clear to Basil Grant and his Chatsworth teammates Thursday in a 3-0 Northwest Valley Conference victory at Chatsworth.

Grant, a former Birmingham player and one of the region’s top forwards, was held to a single shot by his former teammates, who dominated in the midfield and capitalized on the Chancellors’ porous defense.

Birmingham (7-0-3, 4-0-3 in conference play) moved into first place. Chatsworth (5-11-2, 2-4-2), a traditional playoff participant, remained in fifth. The conference’s top four teams are assured playoff berths.

Thursday was Grant’s first match against his former team, but he was ineffective because of his teammates’ inability to get him the ball and the tight defense of Brave stopper Joshua Smith.

Birmingham took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute when Juan Herrera scored off a throw by Cesar Gutierrez. The Braves made it 2-0 14 minutes later on a goal by Andres Cruz.

Pablo Lastorta finished the scoring when he ripped a 25-yard free kick over a wall of defenders and into the upper-left corner of the goal.