McALLEN — Two goals from precision passes and a pinpoint accuracy direct kick from 20 yards were enough for McAllen High to claim a 3-1 win over a pesky and surprisingly physical Harlingen South squad Thursday in the opening match of the McAllen ISD Girls Soccer Showcase at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Juliana Millin scored off a breakaway, catching in stride a pass from senior Milan Diaz that split two defenders less than three minutes into the first half for a 1-0 lead. Milan scored seven minutes later inside the box on a beautiful piece of footwork and cross from Savanna Ruiz for a quick 2-0 lead.
While many teams may have folded against a power like McHi, Harlingen South did nothing of the sort. In fact, it pressed defensively even more aggressively, giving the Bulldogs little to no room to set up their ball-control game. The Hawks were more physical,kept the ball on their side of the field for a majority of the first half and won more than their share of 50-50 balls.
Then with less than 20 minutes remaining, South’s Carla Echeverria scored during a scrum in front of the goal off a corner kick to make it 2-1.
“Harlingen South was a little tougher than we thought they would be, but I’m glad we stuck it out and made some adjustments at halftime,” Millin said. “It was a matter of calming down.”
Harlingen South head coach Debra Galvan said the plan was to try to keep McHi from settling into its tough ball-control offense.
“I’m really proud of the girls. They stepped up today against a team that’s been blowing opponents away,” Galvan said. “I’m real happy we were able to get the goal on them and keep pressuring them.
“We knew they had a lot of skill and our goal was to try not to let them play their game, be first to every ball and keep pressuring them. The fewer possessions they had the better.”
Senior Haley Nixon made the score 3-1 after Millin was fouled crossing the field. Last year’s District 31-5A player of the year lined up her shot and stuck it perfectly in the top right corner for the 3-1 advantage.
“I just saw that top corner and said, ‘OK, let’s see if I can hit it there. I was sure I could get it high enough,” Nixon said. “(South was) coming in hard today and we hadn’t played a team like that this year, so we weren’t really used to that and needed to get more physical. They were pressing us fast so we needed to play quicker, and as the game went on we started to get it.”
McHi was a different team in the second half and had several opportunities for more quick-strike scores come up just short.South, meanwhile, was less of a factor in the second half but still came up throughout the game with several shots on goal.
“We watched (South) before and they looked like a totally different team today,” McHi head coach Pat Arney said. “They were confidentand aggressive and well-balanced. They did a great job against us.
“We moved some girls around and played some positions a little different and got after it. They were bullying us, and we didn’t see it coming.”
McHi returns to action in the showcase with an 11 a.m. game today against Flour Bluff.
In the second game at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, San Antonio Warren defeated Edinburg North 6-1.
At McAllen Memorial, Ella Salazar scored for the Mustangs and Memorial tied Corpus Christi Calallen 1-1.
At McAllen Rowe, San Antonio O’Connor claimed a 6-1 win over the host Warriors. Ayloni Garcia scored Rowe’s lone goals. Also, Flour Bluff defeated Donna North, 3-1, San Antonio Taft defeated Harlingen High 1-0 and Los Fresnos captured a 1-0 win over Edinburg Economedes
2023 McAllen ISD
Girls Soccer Showcase
Thursday, Jan. 5
At McAllen High Stadium
McAllen High 3. Harlingen South 1
San Antonino Warren 6, Edinburg North 1
San Antonio Taft 1, Harlingen High 0
At McAllen Memorial
McAllen Memorial 1, Calallen 1
Los Fresnos 1, Edinburg Economedes 0
At McAllen Rowe
Flour Bluff 3, Donna North 0
Sn Antonio O’Connor 6, McAllen Rowe 1
Friday, Jan. 6
At McAllen High Stadium
McAllen High vs. Flour Bluff, 11 a.m.
Harlingen South vs. Calallen, 1 p.m.
San Antonio O’Connor vs. Los Fresnos, 3 p.m.
At McAllen Memorial
McAllen Memorial vs. San Antonio Taft, 11 a.m.
Harlingen High vs. Edinburg North, 1 p.m.
At McAllen Rowe
McAllen Rowe vs. San Antonio Warren, 9:30 a.m.
Edinburg Economedes vs. Donna North, noon
Saturday, Jan. 7
At McAllen High Stadium
Edinburg Economedes vs. San Antonio Warren, 9 a.m.
McAllen High vs. Calallen, 11 a.m.
At McAllen Memorial
Harlingen High vs. San Antonio O’Connor, 9 a.m.
Flour Bluff vs. Harlingen South, 11 a.m.
McAllen Memorial vs. Donna Noeth, 1 p.m.
At McAllen Rowe
San Antonio Taft vs. Los Fresnos, 9 a.m.
McAllen Rowe vs. Edinburg North, 11 a.m.