‘Jackets suffer 3-2 defeat on late goal

Posted 3/11/21

Some soccer matches feature graceful movement with one-touch passing and exquisite passages of play. Others, like last Monday’s Mineola vs. Grand Saline match, are more pinball-like in nature, as teams fight hard to put two passes together. 

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‘Jackets suffer 3-2 defeat on late goal

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Some soccer matches feature graceful movement with one-touch passing and exquisite passages of play. Others, like last Monday’s Mineola vs. Grand Saline match, are more pinball-like in nature, as teams fight hard to put two passes together. 

Mineola’s 2-3 loss to the visiting Grand Saline Indians was one of those herky-jerky affairs.

There were of course a handful of beautiful moments. Both of Mineola’s goals, which came in the 2nd and 5th minutes of play, were touches of the beautiful game.  

On the first goal, Omar Galaz took a nice pass through the middle of the pitch and beat the goalkeeper from 20 meters. It was a clinical finish. 

Galaz struck again moments later. A high ball was played through to the offensive zone. Two Jackets and two Indians competed to ground and control the ball. Galaz came away with it, turned on the ball, and struck a quality shot into the bottom left corner of the net from 25 meters.

Grand Saline answered within the next minute. A long centering pass found an attacker in front of the goal, and the visitors were on the board.

The balance of the first half was a lot of back and forth, chaotic play. The Jackets did have chances in the 9th, 18th and 21st minutes, but each time the finish went lacking.  

A collision in the Jacket’s defensive zone in the 22nd minute led to a Grand Saline free kick from about 30 meters. The hard-hit kick arched over the three-man Mineola wall and was saved just under the crossbar by Mineola keeper John Underwood.  The shot had some pace and the rebound popped out at the feet of a Grand Saline player. He slapped it home and tied the score at 2-2. 

The next 10 minutes of play were all Grand Saline. They rode the momentum of the game-tying goal. 

The Jackets turned the play, however, before the half and mounted three excellent attacks. In the course of four minutes just before half, Alexis Villeda put a strong left-footed shot just wide of goal, Rojas fed Christian Martinez with a nice assist up the middle to threaten goal, and following a deep throw-in, Mineola had no less than four chances to score in a crowded box right in front of goal. The ball seemed to stay just in front for an eternity. But no goal came.  

The second half saw the Jackets begin to shape some combination play and fill some passing lanes. It was yet a struggle, but they were rewarded with a series of excellent scoring opportunities. Galaz struck the crossbar with a shot to start the second half. He also put a shot just over the bar in the 64th minute. 

Additional attacks were generated through the work of Rojas and Villeda and Ramiro Mata. Yimi Nunez made two breaks which were thwarted by Grand Saline. 

The second half resembled a higher level of soccer, but it remained a fractured game with many individual challenges.

Just when it looked like Mineola was building to push through that winning goal, Grand Saline had a run down the left side.  A long, low shot was played. Underwood had a clear view of the shot and positioned himself to make a solid save. The ball took a slight deflection just in front of the box and it had just enough pace on it to skirt past Underwood for the goal.

The score came in the 73rd minute.

The closing minutes were packed with desperate play by Mineola to put the ball on goal.  Much pressure was generated, but the best chance was negated by an inadvertent hand ball.

The Jackets conceded the district rematch to Grand Saline, 2-3. 

Noteworthy performances by the home side included midfield work by Gustavo Sanchez and defensive play by Royer Marquez and Antonio Ventura.