Lack of effort hurts Stallions in loss to Sanger
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Aliah Avala battles for possession during Tuesday’s match. Avila scored Madera South’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Sanger.
The Madera South Stallions girls soccer team took a one goal lead into the second half, but two goals within a minute of each other took away the lead and led to a 2-1 loss to the Sanger Apaches on Senior Night.
The Stallions scored a goal in the 28th minute of the first half before the Apaches scored goals in the 18th and 19th minute of the second half for the victory Tuesday.
“They played really well,” head coach Ramon Delgadillo. “They were covering and we were able to play well in the first half. In the second half, it didn’t matter what we told them. They left big gaps. There was no effort, especially defensively.”
With the season finale on Thursday, the Stallions need to regroup heading to the playoffs beginning Wednesday.
“Our performance was unacceptable,” Delgadillo said. “This is going to throw us completely off.”
Sanger had many opportunities to take the early lead, but point-blank shots went wide of goal.
Both teams didn’t get off any good chances on goal until midway through the first half when Sanger went down the left sideline and sent a shot in from the middle that went wide.
Sanger got a breakaway three minutes later on the left. The attacker beat a Madera South defender and the shot on goal was blocked out by Jatzelle Salazar. The ensuing corner kick was cleared out after a shot was blocked on goal.
The Stallions got a chance with a corner kick in the 28th minute. Aliah Avila’s kick to goal hit off the goalpost and the ball went right back to her. She settled the ball and sent a shot on goal to the far corner. The ball beat the diving keeper into the back of the net for the goal.
Sanger started to get chances on goal in the second half, but goalkeeper Melani Rinder kept the Apaches out of goal with a diving save in the eighth and 15th minute.
However, the Apaches got the ball on the left and went by a Madera South defender to get off a shot by Rinder into the back of the net.
On the ensuing kickoff, Sanger intercepted a pass, weaved through Madera South defenders right up the middle and shot on goal. Rinder made the initial block, but a Sanger attacker knocked the rebound into the open net for the 2-1 lead.
Madera South had a prime chance a minute later. The Sanger goalkeeper carried the ball out of the box, resulting in a free two-touch kick right outside the box. Kaila Gutierrez touched the ball to Avila, but her shot went into the Sanger wall and was cleared out.
In the 30th minute, Madera South got a free kick from about 40 yards out. The kick went on goal just over the head of Gutierrez and the ball went just wide of the goal.
Madera South’s final chance came in the 34th minute with a pass from Jameela Sanchez to Avila up front. Avila’s shot was blocked. On the rebound, Gutierrez passed it back for Avila, who shot wide. Unfortunately, the goal wouldn’t have counted because of an offsides call.
