Leadership takes many forms, and on the Wilson boys’ soccer team this season it’s taken the form of Carlos Mota. The tall, athletic senior for the Bruins has been their do-everything man, playing all over the field. In a frigid Friday road game at Long Beach Poly, Mota was called on to play center back, and he responded by helping his team to a shutout in a 1-0 victory that keeps Wilson in first place in the Moore League.
After the game, Mota called his teammates over and delivered a fiery speech about the need to play hard through the end of the game.
“He can say things that I can’t,” said Wilson coach CJ Brewer with a smile. “He brings real leadership for us. He’s the best player on the field, every time we’re on the field. Our biggest question is where do we put him?”
Mota played center mid against Millikan and was dominant there, and on Friday he turned away almost every serious threat that Poly posed, as goalie Norman Chang recorded another shutout.
Mota said he doesn’t mind moving around the field.
“I’m happy to play wherever I need to,” he said, and emphasized that his teammates and he never hesitate to make sure they always address any issues with their play after a game. “We were getting sloppy with our formation at the end. We’re friends, a lot of us have been playing together for a long time.”
Wilson took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a redirect by Jared Dissman, then controlled the game from there. Poly was able to break through in the final 20 minutes with two shots on goal, but couldn’t find the net.
“They didn’t give up, that’s a tough team,” said Brewer.
Wilson (9-6-3, 4-0-2) will host Compton on Monday while Poly will host Lakewood.
