City High Defeats Liberty High 3-0 to Give Fajardo Career Win Number 400
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – City High got a much needed-win on Friday and in the process helped its long-time coach hit a historic milestone.
Seniors Emmit Hansen and Alima Mmunga each scored goals as City High snapped a two-match losing skid with a 3-0 win over Liberty High (1-3) on a wind-swept afternoon at City High.
The win was the 400th career victory for head coach Jose Fajardo who is in his 25th season coaching at City High.
“He is one of the best coaches in Iowa so I am really happy for him,” Hansen said. “I’m really proud that we could be part of this history and I hope we keep on adding to the total and he can get to 500 soon.”
Hansen snapped a scoreless tie with a goal in the 23rd minute and Mmunga scored the final two Little Hawk goals as City High improved to 2-3 on the season.
City High had dropped consecutive one-goal matches to West High last Friday and at Dubuque Senior on Tuesday.
“Scoring, not allowing goals and putting some chances away against a team that was playing defensive all game we needed that,” Fajardo said. “We have a little stretch of some really good teams so we needed that.”
Hansen got City High rolling early when he slipped a shot into the lower right hand corner of the goal with 17:33 remaining in the opening half.
The goal was a welcome sight for City High which matched its season-high with three goals on Friday.
“I’ve had a ton of shots this season and the biggest thing we’ve been working on is just tucking those away,” Hansen said. “It’s just picking the right corner and slotting it in.”
Mmunga gave City High a 2-0 lead with the first of his two goals with 7:39 remaining in the first half.
He beat two defenders into the box before putting away a shot.
“I gave the ball up and I figured I might as well just keep going forward with it,” Mmunga said. “I got it back and from there it was just taking on two guys and putting it in the back of the net.”
Emmit Hansen goal at 17:33 in 1st half 1-0
Mmunga capped the scoring with his second goal of the game with 14:25 remaining.
While Mmunga and Hansen took care of the scoring this game was about Fajardo.
“It’s amazing to be a part of something like this, we were expecting we were going to get it this season we just didn’t know when it was coming,” Mmunga said. “This game was really big because we were coming off of a loss on Tuesday so it was a really big win for us today.”
Fajardo has coached various levels and areas since starting at City High in 1998 but hasn’t left the Little Hawks.
His loyalty to the program has paid off in the win column.
“From the beginning I’ve always had some special feeling for coaching high school and it’s because it reminded me more of soccer in Europe,” Fajardo said. “It’s more organized, it’s more serious, it’s different than club but I always like the environment here. I didn’t think I’d stay that long but I stayed with it and I am proud of what we are building here.”
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