McALLEN — First-half goals from Mia Mata and Camila Gil fired McAllen Rowe to a 2-1 victory over McAllen High on Friday night in the opening match of District 31-5A girls soccer.
The Warriors held off second-half attacks by the Bulldogs to pick up the win at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It is a great win,” Warriors head coach John Martinez said. “Anytime you can beat your sister school, who has a lot of history of winning, it is special. We got some great girls here at Rowe … I could not have been more proud of the performance our ladies put on tonight.”
The Bulldogs gave themselves a shot to grab points during the opening minutes of second half. McHi striker Juliana Millin found herself on the end of a cross on a corner kick. Millin easily finished to give the Bulldogs life.
Despite copious amounts of possession, the Bulldogs did not find the equalizer.
“We dominated most of the game,” McHi head coach Patrick Arney said. “In soccer, the team that possesses the ball does not always win it. So, we have to make that possession count and put the ball in the back of the net.”
Gil put the Warriors up 2-0 only two minutes after Mata’s header found the back of the net. Gil’s cross on a set piece had plenty of air, putting the McHi keeper in a tough position as the ball nestled just inside the crossbar.
The Bulldogs’ keeper needed to touch it over, but the height proved to be too much of a challenge and Rowe went up 2-0.
Mata opened the scoring when she ditched her marker in the box on a set piece. Mata found space at the back post and easily guided her header into an empty net.
“We knew that is Rowe’s forte,” Arney said. “We knew we had to stop it, but we did not. Now, we have to go back to the drawing board, work harder and hopefully get it next time. Kudos to Rowe, they did a great job and have a great team.”
Both set piece opportunities for Rowe came following fouls in dangerous positions. Warriors forward Ayloni Garcia twisted and turned defenders, winning free kicks high up the pitch.
Despite being one of — if not the smallest — players on the pitch, Garcia held off defenders to allow teammates to move up the pitch. Doing so kept pressure off of a Warriors back line that seemed content with allowing the Bulldogs time on the ball.
“McHi is going to outpossess you,” Martinez said. “We have to get what they give us. Fortunately for us, we got two and they got one.”