SOCCER ROUNDUP : Santa Ana Ties Foothill With Penalty Kick

Robert Sanchez’s penalty kick with about three minutes remaining gave Santa Ana High School a 1-1 tie with Foothill in a Century League boys’ soccer match Wednesday at Foothill.

Sanchez easily beat Foothill goalkeeper Lance Anderson with the shot that kept Santa Ana (11-2-6, 3-0-2) one point ahead of Foothill (15-2-4, 2-0-3) in the league standings after the first half of the season.

Neither team appeared satisfied with the result.

“Both teams were very, very tense,” Santa Ana Coach Samuel Buenrostro said. “We were maybe looking forward to playing each other a little too much.”

Sanchez’s kick came after Foothill’s Scott McClure was cited for tripping Gustavo Plasencia within the penalty box.

Foothill, the fifth-ranked team in the Southern Section 3-A, led early in the second half when Brian Rice, waiting 10 yards from Santa Ana goalie Hector Ramos, controlled a crossing pass and kicked it in.

Santa Ana, ranked No. 10, seemed to find its offense and appeared to tie the score midway through the half. But Sanchez’s goal was nullified by an offsides call.