Buy Jeremy Jacob, Sports Editor
Mexico couldn’t muster much offense against a crosstown rival on Thursday.
The Bulldogs lost 6-1 to Missouri Military Academy at Chris Hotop Field in Mexico after being outshot 33-4. The only Mexico goal happened in the 20th minute on a Marcos Matuz free kick assist from midfield to a diving Alex Rodriguez who knocked it in.
While Mexico (5-6) has alternated wins with MMA (8-2) over the previous seven meetings, head coach Bill Gleeson said the Class 1 No. 2 Colonels this year proved to be a tough matchup for the Bulldogs.
“Having the young players in the mix played a lot because they are a very physical team,” Gleeson said. “When we face physical teams, we always play just a little bit more timid, and we’re not as aggressive. When we don’t play aggressively, we don’t play well.”
Gleeson said Mexico didn’t play up to its normal standards after being thrown off by MMA’s tough defense. The Bulldogs did disrupt the Colonels a few times with offsides calls in the first half, but MMA matched its first-half total with three goals in the second half.
Mexico couldn’t send many shots toward goal in either half. Even when the Bulldogs tried to clear balls from their defensive half of the field, the ball found its way back seconds later.
“Their field IQ is pretty good,” Gleeson said. “They were able to track those balls down. We weren’t hustling after the ball either. Put on top of them hustling to the ball and us not doing that and them being in the right place, it just added up to it being lopsided.”
Gleeson was impressed by the scoring connection from Matuz to Rodriguez that cut Mexico’s deficit to 2-1 at the time. The MMA goalkeeper Gihana Favour Nziza, who plays center for the Colonels’ basketball team, couldn’t reach down in time to stop it.
“We work on making sure we crash the goal whenever shots go in,” Gleeson said. “Everything worked in our favor with that one. It helped that the goalie was tall so he had to reach down, and Alex was able to kick it in.”
Grant Walker was and has been a bright spot all season for Mexico in the net, Gleeson said. Going into the season, Gleeson said the talk might have been focused on losing accomplished goalkeeper and college signee Emille Scanavino but should be more focused on gaining Grant.
Walker stayed busy by making 16 saves. He had to dive to stop and bat away some of them, including one that was heading to the back of the net over his head in the second half only for it to meet his outstretched hand after going airborne. MMA was kept off the board in the second half until the 60th minute, maintaining the more manageable 3-1 deficit all that time.
“Grant this season has really kept us in games more often than not,” Gleeson said. “His goalkeeping is amazing. A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, you’re losing Emille,’ but honestly, Grant is just as good.”
Mexico (1-4 NCMC) goes for its second victory over North Central Missouri Conference and district foe Fulton (3-9, 0-5 NCMC) this season at 5 p.m. Monday in Fulton after defeating the Hornets 3-2 in overtime in early September.
