Things have not gone as expected for East Union.
This was supposed to be a rebuilding season.
With four games left, the Lancers are in position to grab at least a piece of the Valley Oak League title after fending off defending champion Patterson 2-1 Thursday at Dino Cunial Stadium.
East Union (7-1 VOL, 18-3-1 overall) not only avenged its lone league loss; it notched a milestone 150th career victory for ninth-year coach Ronnie Green, who is now 150-49-33.
This 2025-26 squad is by far his most surprising. Green has coached Sac-Joaquin Section and NorCal championship teams, but none of them had as high of a winning percentage as the current group’s
“At the beginning of the season when talking with my coaching staff, we knew it was a rebuilding year,” Green said. “We knew it would be in the middle of the pack somewhere, but to be at the top of the board right now is outstanding.”
Yandel Gutierrez, one of seven sophomore starters on Thursday, is at the forefront. He tallied his section-leading 35th goal in the fifth minute and played a part in the necessary insurance goal late in the half.
Luis Cortes scored for Patterson (6-1, 7-5-3) on a penalty kick, which was awarded on a handball in the penalty box four minutes into added time.
It was a foul-filled match that included nine bookings, including a red-card ejection of a Patterson player in the middle of the second half.
East Union looked to test Patterson’s back line and goalkeeper at the outset with long balls and counterattacks. Right winger Damian Valencia had two great looks before Gutierrez converted on his open-net opportunity.
Gutierrez bolted behind a defender to chase after a long ball that was mishandled by the Tigers keeper. EU’s young striker poked it past the netminder before placing it into the net on the next touch.
“I just saw that he was hesitating coming out, and the defender wasn’t going for it,” Gutierrez said. “So, I just ran as fast as I could and the goalkeeper didn’t get on it in time.”
He described the next scoring sequence as “a good team goal.”
Gutierrez spearheaded a breakaway down the left flank and centered it to Ben Diaz, who then laid it off to Manny Curiel for the put-away.
The second goal came moments after East Union goalie Nickolas Zavala came up with two big saves. He finished with three saves and kept the sheet clean through the 80th minute, but Green said Zavala cutting off Patterson crosses were just as important.
“They (Patterson) work for the second ball,” Green said. “They send the ball across and head it purposely back to the backside, but every time, (Zavala) kept reading it and getting to the ball. He had a great game tonight.”
East Union continues its stretch of six straight home games next Tuesday against Mountain House.
