Fresno City College men's soccer wins big in coach Eric Solberg’s final farewell at home
In Eric Solberg's last home game as the Fresno City College men's soccer coach, the Rams ensured their coach would go out a winner at their soccer pitch.
The ninth-seeded Rams defeated No. 24 Contra Costa 5-0 in the first round of the CCCAA Northern California regional on Wednesday afternoon.
"A little bit emotional," said Solberg, who announced recently he is retiring at season's end. "I caught myself a couple of times right before the national anthem, and then I talked to the referees at the end."
It was a feel-good moment for Solberg, who got to play with all his players. He said it worked to their advantage, allowing the starters to get some rest for the second round.
Five different Rams scored, led by Ray Saldana in the 13th minute. Saldana finished the match with an assist.
The Rams will next face Central Valley Conference foe No. 8 Merced in a rematch on Saturday. That winner will face either No. 1 Santa Rosa or No. 17 Lake Tahoe.
Should the Rams defeat Merced and Lake Tahoe pull off an upset, Fresno City will host at least one more match in Solberg's final home match.
As he sees it, he figures this is it, who hopes to prolong the season.
"Hard to imagine 27 years have passed," Solberg said as tears started flowing. "I think it's fair to say that I proved my worth here as the soccer coach."