Sure, it’s fun to watch the McAllen High School girls soccer team at their best. The poetry-in-motion movement, the sharpshooter accurate passes and the made-for-ESPN highlight film with breakaway goals and other excitement en route to a 21-0 record.
Fans talk about how impressive their teamwork is, players watching from opposing benches have been caught mesmerized as they move the ball in complete rhythm.
But the Bulldogs’ defense is as critical a part to the team’s season-long success leading to today’s 6:30 p.m. matchup against Cedar Park at Corpus Christi Calallen High School in the Class 5A Region IV semifinals.
Charlotte Beck, Cassidy Leftwich and Mia Reyna provide McHi with a three-player defensive wall, with help from holding midfielder Melanie Saldana that has limited opponents to few attempts at an easy shot, or a shot at all in most cases on goalkeeper Grace Kelly.
While they have all shown their ball skills and their ability to kickstart an offense — and in some case go all the way downfield and find the back of the opposing net — they also don’t mind gritting, grinding and gnashing their teeth to protect their side of the field. It’s like watching a graceful ballerina successfully playing smash-mouth rugby.
The possession style team has scored 120 goals in 21 games, allowing just 10 in those same 21 games with 14 shutouts. One defender, Mia Reyna, is a ball magician who will move up the field and score when she sees the right opportunity.
“Cedar Park has a lot of speed so that definitely will be a good challenge and I think we have as much,” said Reyna, who took a ball from her defensive position, dribble it upfield, beat a defender and (again, Reyna is a defender) got into the box and tapped in a goal in the 7-1 win against Victoria West. “We are looking for space and love to find those gaps. We are very possessive, we start from the back and build up and send through balls to our forwards.”
Another defender, Charlotte Beck, will blaze to the ball, take it and is lightning-quick transitioning with a pass to ignite a counterattack. The cross-country standout is fast and seemingly never tires.
“As a defensive unit our job isn’t to get all the credit,” Beck said. “Our job is to take care of not getting any goals scored on us and I think we’ve done that this season. This year, as a defensive unit, I think we’ve done a good job and it has been fun.”
“She’s a star back there,” McAllen High head coach Pat Arney said. “They are all wicked fast; there are no really no weaknesses with them. They’ve passed the test of being physical, of being fast, they are smart and have a good soccer IQ and can move up the field.”
Then Leftwich, the Bulldogs’ version of a sweeper, will not stand down for any oncoming forward, sacrificing life and limb to protect Kelly and the goal. Her teammates are quick to say how glad they are she’s on their team and not the opposition.
“We’re all pretty physical, but Cassidy is a beast,” Reyna said. “I’d be scare if she came at me. We’re on the same team right now so that’s good.”
“She’s left a lot of people on the floor,” Beck said. “She’s a great defender and it’s nice knowing she’s part of our team.”
Arney said the defense is what starts their offensive attack.
“They are patient. If something doesn’t work they stop and they know they can go back to Grace,” Arney said. “They continue to move around and they can get the others girl tired. The more the others are chasing, the better that is for us.
“Now the goal is to just keep doing what we’ve been doing and just be prepared and aware and play our game.”