“It was a freaking pleasure,” Carrasco said. “It was a great satisfaction to see the way you guys finished this weekend. I take it with me forever. I want to say thank you guys, I wish the best for you guys…It was an honor and privilege to coach this group.” 

The Gators’ men’s soccer program officially ended on Saturday with two friendly games against the Menlo College Oaks and the Las Positas College Hawks. The Gators avoided the loss column this weekend, going 1-0-1 on Saturday.

Junior defender Angel Sevillano said this week was no different from any other week, despite it being the last week of the program’s preparation. He believes this week was just another example of how the team maneuvered throughout the year. 

In the first game, the Gators’ offense put on the pressure early. After a long through ball to senior forward Issac Sandoval, he passed the ball back to Sevillano. Sevillano then laid a ball into the left wing for freshman forward Ethan Jimenez Flamenco, which resulted in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Flamenco scored the first goal of the game.

“I was just trying to make things happen,” Flamenco said. “I noticed that my center forward is way taller than these guys, so he is just gonna hold them.”

A similar sequence unfolded for the Gators’ second score of the game. Sandoval took advantage of the Oaks’ defensive midfield. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Sandoval delivered a powerful strike into the back of the net. The Gators were up 2-0 at halftime.

The Gators’ second-half strategy was to park the bus and not allow any late-game heroics from the Oaks. The Oaks scored a free kick to reduce the lead to one with minutes of game time to spare. Despite the late-game effort, the whistle blew and the Gators won. 

Despite what the score may suggest, the Gators won their first game 2-1 against the Oaks in a dominant fashion. They started the day 1-0. 

After the game against the Oaks, the Gators played the hosting Hawks to end the day. 

The Gators started the first half similarly to their performance against the Oaks by applying pressure to their opponents. However, a mid-game substitution for senior defender Jairo Fernandez made all the difference.

Fernandez was in the middle of the field with no defenders around him. From outside the box, he delivered a flare shot into the back right corner of the net and the Gators went up 1-0.

“I just heard someone say ‘Shoot!’ and I was like, ‘Alright, that’s an affirmation,’” Fernandez said. “I was aiming toward that post, but I didn’t know it was gonna be that great.”

The Hawks responded quickly, scoring their own goal on a counterattack before the end of the first half. At halftime, the score was tied at 1-1.

Fernandez would shine again after receiving a through ball from the midfield. He finessed through the Hawks’ right-wing defender and shot a ground ball across the box into the opposite post. With less than a half to play, the Gators were up 2-1.

The Gators continued to fight until the end to defend their lead. Both teams had multiple scoring opportunities, but neither could convert as the game neared its end. After a 10-minute back-and-forth, the Hawks finally converted a scoring opportunity with minutes to play and tied the game at 2-2.

The Hawks’ freshman goalkeeper, David Peregrina, made two last-second saves to prevent two potential game-winning goals for the Gators. Seconds later, the referee blew the whistle and the game concluded in a 2-2 tie.

Although the program is ending, Sevillano found solace in the team’s final moments together.

“I think we have a very good team, and it makes it a little more sad to see that we can still get these results,” Sevillano said. “We’re sad in that aspect, but at the same time, we’re happy we’re able to play good soccer.” 

Sevillano has plans to play elsewhere next season, but this week was filled with uncertainty for his teammates. 

“We had a lot of emotions in the year,” Sevillano said. “A lot of my teammates don’t have a team, so we’re just trying to help them out, trying to figure out what’s gonna happen with all of us.”

Flamenco spent one year with the team and now has to look elsewhere to play. Although his stay was shorter than he would have liked, he realized that everything happens for a reason.

“I feel like sometimes when things don’t go your way, there’s something greater for you,” Flamenco said. “We need to remember that we were playing for more than ourselves. We were playing for a whole school, so that’s why it’s sad.”

Before the Fall 2024 season started, Carrasco received a contract extension to become the program’s head coach. 

Fernandez was pleased to have Carrasco as head coach after he spent three years on the team. Carrasco was an assistant for Fernandez’s first two years on the team. When the chance arrived, Fernadez was stoked to see Carrasco finally get an opportunity to move up.  

“It was a pleasure to have him as a coach,” Fernandez said. ”You have no idea how much he’s worked behind the scenes to keep the team going.”

Carrasco will continue to assist the women’s soccer team on the field and in the weight room until his contract expires.

Carrasco said he was grateful for the opportunity to be the head coach of the men’s soccer team. 

“San Francisco State, for me, is very important,” Carrasco said. “It was the college that gave me a dream, to put it in a way. Live a dream, become a head coach in the United States.”