Soccer Game Preview: Rio Americano vs. Ponderosa

The Rio Americano Raiders will take on the Ponderosa Bruins at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped with close wins against their previous opponents.

Rio Americano took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They never let River City onto the board and left with a 1-0 win. Rio Americano wouldn't have won without Isaac Carillo, who scored the game-winner.

Meanwhile, Ponderosa's game on Tuesday was all tied up 0-0 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Christian Brothers, sneaking past 2-1. Given the Bruins' advantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 121st, while the Falcons are ranked 252nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ponderosa's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only given up one goal over those four games. As for Rio Americano, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4-2.