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Three years in a row, the Washington (Fremont) boys’ soccer team has come to Berkeley with a perfect record. Three years in a row, they have gone home losers. 

“Every year they come in here and we break their hearts,” said Berkeley midfielder Tiago Venturi following the Yellowjackets’ 1-0 victory over the visiting Huskies on Thursday. “I can see why they would be upset.” 

That frustration was apparent for much of the second half of the game, as Washington’s player started going into tackles harder and harder whether or not they had a chance for the ball. It wasn’t a big surprise when Husky defender Kyle Emmitt was given a yellow card for a foul; but when Emmitt ripped off his jersey on the way off the field, he earned a red card and an ejection with 15 minutes left to play. Mysteriously, Washington put in a substitute and continued to play with a full squad. 

The extra man didn’t matter a minute later, however, when Kamani Hill, Berkeley’s freshman forward, scored the goal of the young season. Hill took a feed from fellow freshman Jose Cipres at the top of the goal box, flicked the ball up and connected on a bicycle kick that slipped just inside the left post for the game’s lone goal. 

“I just flicked it up and went for it,” said Hill, who also celebrated his 15th birthday on Thursday. “It’s pretty good for my first goal as a 15-year-old.” 

The ’Jacket victory ruined Washington’s perfect 9-0 record, and put Berkeley at 7-4 on the year. 

“We knew going into the game that they would be big and fast and strong,” said Berkeley head coach Eugenio Juarez. “They definitely weren’t afraid to go in hard on our players.” 

One egregious example of that willingness came early in the second half. Berkeley goalkeeper Todd Wagner had collected a long ball into his box and rolled the ball to one of his players. Despite the absence of the ball, a Washington player ran by and clipped Wagner, sending him sprawling to the ground and the Berkeley players and fans into a rage. Despite the empassioned pleas of ’Jacket captain Cameron Parkinson, the referee swallowed his whistle and allowed play to continue. 

“It’s part of the referee’s job to protect the ‘keepers,” Juarez said. “I don’t know what they were looking at.” 

That episode was just one of many in the second half, as players from both sides began flying around the field with abandon. 

“They got frustrated as the game went on, and they got more physical,” Venturi said. “When that happens, we have to control ourselves and not get caught up in it.” 

The first half of the game was largely uneventful, with each team getting just one shot on goal. But Berkeley came out on the offensive to start the second half, as Washington goalkeeper Luke Albertelli fumbled a shot from Hill. Ilann Messeri beat the stumbling Albertelli to the ball, but the ‘keeper got a hand on Messeri’s first attempt, and the second was cleared off of the line by Washington sweeper Kyle Frazier. 

Less than a minute later, Albertelli came off his line to punch away a Venturi cross over Berkeley’s Liam Reilly. Soon after that, Hill split two defenders and chipped the ball just over the crossbar, to the relief of an out-of-position Albertelli. Later, Hill headed a cross off of the left post of the Washington goal, but midfielder William Vega couldn’t put away the rebound and the game remained scoreless. 

The Yellowjackets next face St. Ignatius (San Francisco) in a scrimmage on Jan. 2. 

Correction: a story in the December 26 issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet said Berkeley High’s Amadeo Alvarez scored three goals against Encinal. Alvarez did not play in the game. Tiago Venturi was the player in question.