Matanzas soccer player Diego Bernardi feeling comfortable in new role

Matanzas boys soccer player Diego Bernardi said his first of two goals on Friday, Dec. 9, was a great moment. His coach hopes it's the start of a trend for the junior forward.

Luis Barreto also scored two goals for the Pirates in their 5-2 home victory against Jacksonville Bishop Snyder. The five goals matched the Pirates' total through their first six games of the season. They exploded one night later in a 6-0 victory at Atlantic to even their record at 3-3-2. They hosted Beachside on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

"We've been competitive in most of our games, but we told our boys, 'we've got to start scoring some goals,'" Matanzas coach Beto Aguilar said. "We did a lineup change. We put some players where we thought they would be a little more dangerous going forward."

Bernardi is playing his third different position in three seasons. He was the center back as a freshman and was moved to midfield last year as a sophomore. This season, he is playing left forward. His first goal against Bishop Snyder gave Matanzas a 3-1 lead early in the second half.

"As soon as I saw (Diego Bernardi) take the turn, I said, 'this is going in.'"

— BETO AGUILAR

"That was just a great moment," he said. "I got the ball from Seb DeLeon. I had a great turn. I had the defender on my weak side, so I just tried to take the touch with my other foot and then turn in the same move."

He ripped the ball past the keeper. And less than four minutes later, he scored again.

"As soon as I saw him take the turn, I said, 'this is going in,'" Aguilar said of Bernardi's first goal. "And it's good for him, because we've asked him to kind of step up and take a role that he's not that familiar with. I'm glad he got those goals. He needs that to get more comfortable and become more of a threat for us."

Barreto scored both of his goals in the first half. He gave Matanzas a 1-0 led on a penalty kick 10 minutes in. Giancarlo Gonzalez scored the Pirates' final goal.