BY JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
Call them the long-range Lobos.
The Lopez Lobos scored two goals from 25 yards or longer in their 4-1 win over the La Joya High Coyotes in a Class 6A area-round playoff match Friday at Brownsville Sports Park.
Lopez took advantage of a strong wind at its back in the second half, scoring three goals in the half, and freshman goalkeeper Andrew Flores kept La Joya High’s four-pronged attack at bay as well, making difficult stops in his second playoff start.
The lopsided scoreline isn’t a good indication of how close the match was for the Lobos.
“The score doesn’t reflect the tough game that it was,” Lopez coach Amadeo Escandon said. “My hat’s off to La Joya (High). They have a really good team. We just scored when we had the opportunities. (La Joya High) is a very good team. They’re very well coach. All my respect’s to them.”
Allan Ramos scored from 25 yards out, German Vera netted a free kick from 50 yards away to and Ruben Sauceda made one from 30 yards to give Lopez three long-distance strikes. Ernesto Pulido scored the Lopez’s first goal in the 22nd minute.
Striker Edson Solis played a cross from the right flank and beat two defenders to get off a shot at La Joya High goalkeeper Cesar Frausto, who deflected Solis’ attempt but had the ball roll behind him. Pulido pounced on the ball, slotting it in the open net for the goal.
Both teams’ play was more wide open in the second half of the match.
The Coyotes started the second half with a furious attack despite dealing with the strong gusts in their faces, getting multiple shots on goal within the half’s opening minutes.
“That’s when we created the most chances versus going with the wind,” La Joya High coach Alejandro Davila said. “We wouldn’t get ourselves going. We were trying to force the issue with wind at our backs. They think it’s easy to throw it out and let stuff happen where as we were able to control it more and put it on the ground and built more (attacks). It was better for us going against the win.”
Flores made sure La Joya’s attack didn’t convert too many of its chances on goal, stopping four shots in the second half.
“He got pressed but he’s coming along,” Escandon said. “He’s a freshman, so he’s learning a lot of good things and it’s been a tough season for him but he stepped up tonight. He had a good game.”
Ramos scored Lopez’s second goal during the 45th minute. Ramos’ strike came from 25 yards out and was well out of Frausto’s reach.
Lopez scored again in the 63rd minute on Vera’s free kick from around the edge of the midfield circle.
Sauceda added the Lobos’ final score with two minutes to go. Sauceda picked up the ball on a counter attack and shot the ball into the left corner of the goal for Lopez’s fourth tally of the night.
La Joya High scored its only goal of the night during the 50th minute of the match. Left winger Jordan Montes made a move down the left and cut on his inside foot, opening a passing channel and finding Elbin Caro in space. Caro shot the ball past Flores and into the right side of the net.
Joshua McKinney covers high school sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @joshuabvherald.