Soccer Game Preview: El Modena vs. Esperanza

The El Modena Vanguards and the Esperanza Aztecs will compete for holiday cheer at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Neither team made it on the board the last time they hit the pitch, so they've probably got a bit of extra motivation.

El Modena is likely headed into the contest with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Garden Grove on Wednesday. El Modena took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of Garden Grove. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Vanguards came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Argonauts are ranked 632nd).

El Modena's goal came courtesy of Cam Collazo, who's now up to four this season.

Meanwhile, neither Esperanza nor Katella could gain the upper hand on Wednesday so the two teams had to settle for a 0-0 draw. The Aztecs had to tread lightly for part of the game as Moises Alvarez and Bryan Catalan were both handed yellow cards, which could explain the final result.

El Modena has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-3 record this season. Esperanza's draw makes their record 4-3-3 this season.

El Modena came up short against Esperanza in their previous meeting back in January, falling 3-1. Can El Modena avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.