‘19 years in the making’: Fresno City breaks through with state title

Heartbreak no more for Eric Solberg and his Fresno City College men’s soccer team.

Johnny Rodriguez scored in the 12th minute and Matheus Araujo added a goal in the 73rd as the Rams defeated Taft 2-0 in Sacramento on Sunday, securing the program’s first state championship.

In the 2016 final against Mt. San Antonio, Fresno City lost on penalty kicks. In 2002, the Rams had a 2-0 lead before Santa Rosa rallied for 3-2 state title win.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Solberg said. “This was 19 years in the making. So many alumni were there or watching. Our sophomores dug in and were simply not denied. I’m so happy for the boys and my coaching staff.”

Heading into Sunday’s game, Solberg said it wasn’t going to be easy against Central Valley Conference foe Taft. After all, the teams played twice in conference and both matches ended in a 0-0 tie.

Fresno City (18-1-6) reached the state title game with a 2-1 victory over defending state champ Mt. San Antonio.

Rams goalkeeper Andres Castrajon finished with two saves Sunday.

Rodriguez was named most valuable player after finishing the season with a state-leading 25 goals. It was his 25th that meant the most to him.

“Last year coming up short really hit me,” Rodriguez said. “I saw the look on the coaches and realized I had to work hard during the offseason, and this is all for Coach Solberg and the entire Fresno community.”

This story was originally published December 3, 2017 at 1:59 PM with the headline "‘19 years in the making’: Fresno City breaks through with state title."