The De Anza Men’s Soccer team endured a frustrating loss last Friday to Cañada. It looked like a hopeful start with an early first goal scored by Luis Martinez. Assists were made by freshmen midfielders, Raouf Smati and Christian Chu.

The lead was short lived as the Dons gave up a penalty kick soon after. Without delay, the Dons picked up offensively and set the pace throughout the remainder of the first half. The Dons continued on their offensive attack during the second half, allowing goal scoring opportunities. Despite the Dons dominating possession, Cañada’s defense held the lead as De Anza determinedly attempted to score.

De Anza forward Jonathan Martinez turned into a legitimate offensive threat, persistently charging down the field trying to create goal-scoring chances. But it was Cañada that broke through, finding the net in the second frame, creating a 2-1 win over De Anza. The Dons were disappointed, yet remain optimistic for future games.

“We got a bunch of guys who are proud to play for De Anza,” said coach Mark Landefeld. “There were mistakes made and missed opportunities, but we’re improving on every game and only creating more chances for success than before.”

Midfielder Raouf Smati said the Dons are still a new team.  “More than half of the team is made up of first year players and we’re still learning how to come together and play well with each other. It’s a rough start to a new season, but we hope to build for next year and play hard for the rest of the season.”

De Anza’s next home game will be on October 11, at 4 pm, against City College of San Francisco.