VICTORIA 4 PUGET SOUND 1

All that time in front of the TV viewing the action from Brazil must be rubbing off. A crowd of 1,378 turned out Saturday night for live soccer at Royal Athletic Park.

article continues below

The Victoria Highlanders fielded a starting lineup that included four former professionals — Manny Gomez, Blair Sturrock, Riley O’Neill and Tyler Hughes — in defeating the Puget Sound Gunners 4-1. It was a bad night for the Everett-based Gunners to be missing four of their players from the Pac 12-champion University of Washington because of the Huskies tour of Europe.

The Highlanders moved to 4-2-2 in the USL Premier Development League, while the Gunners drew four yellow cards on the night in dropping to 1-4-2.

Gomez, a former Canada U-17 and U-20 player, made his Highlanders debut after rehabbing an injury through the earlier part of the season. He made his presence felt early. Gomez — who has played for pro teams in Argentina, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras and Hungary — directed a shot on net at 16 minutes. Cam Hundal, flashing his CIS finishing skills from the UVic Vikes, put home the rebound to give Victoria the lead.

“I still need some more minutes . . . my timing is off a little bit, but it will get there,” said Gomez.

Jeffrey Rose equalized at 31 minutes for Puget Sound with a half-volley that seemed to shock the Highlanders as the first half ended 1-1.

“It starts playing on your mind a little bit. We knew we had to up the tempo,” said Sturrock, who scored one of the three unanswered Victoria goals in the second half.

“They got me angry.”

The former Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town pro Sturrock chested home a laser cross from the deep corner by Andrew Ravenhill for his team-leading fourth goal of the season to make it 3-1 at 74 minutes.

“That [chest goals] was my trademark [in his pro days]. It even got me on TV a few times,” said Sturrock, whose father Paul Sturrock played for Scotland in the World Cup.

Earlier in the second half, midfielder O’Neill assisted on a goal that was headed home by defender Ryan Ashlee at 52 minutes to restore the Victoria lead at 2-1. It was actually an accidental assist, admitted the former NCAA University of Kentucky Wildcats star O’Neill.

“I’ve got bad ankles at the moment, both are taped, and I was going for the full volley but side-hit it instead,” said the talented Campbell River product, who represented Canada in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup before playing pro in the Finnish Premier and German Second Division.

It was all working on this night for the Highlanders.

Ian Greedy’s goal at 90 minutes finished it off.

The Highlanders, defending PDL Northwest Division and Western Conference champions, hit the Oregon trail for games next Saturday against Portland Timbers U-23 and next Sunday against Lane United in Eugene.

The Highlanders’ next home date is June 28 against Seattle Sounders U-23.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com

Twitter.com/tc_vicsports