The Mustangs’ varsity soccer team played Waubonsie for their 2nd conference game, winning 2-1 against the Warriors in a challenging but exciting game this past Tuesday.
Considering the rivalry between the two teams, the referees were very active with the whistle. Although the playing time was delayed many times, the decisions kept the game fair.
In the 6th minute of the first half, the Mustangs had a throw-in on the right side near the halfline. Senior Tony Cuautle threw the ball into junior Cole Hatfield, who received the ball, made a quality turn, and took on five Waubonsie defenders, subsequently delivering a shot from the top of the box. Unfortunately, Waubonsie’s goalkeeper got a hand on it, sending the shot off to the side of the goal.
In the 10th minute, Cuautle again passed the ball along the sideline to Hatfield, who dribbled towards the center, laying it off to junior Sahil Khare for a one-touch through ball to senior Michael Senese, but was swiftly intercepted by the Waubonsie center-back, who cleared the ball back into the Mustangs’ half.
While both plays prior were identical, they were proved effective in the next play, which led to a great through-ball by senior Graham Leman to M. Senese, who, at the last moment, passed the ball back post to find sophomore Nico Villalobos, who powered a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and into the goal, giving the Mustangs the 1-0 lead.
Despite that, the Waubonsie Warriors continued to press, sending deep and dangerous passes into the Mustangs’ half. And with only a minute remaining of the first half, a breakthrough and shot from the Warriors slipped by Metea’s defense, ending the half in a 1-1 tie. Costly mistakes happen, but that is part of the game. The Mustangs kept their head up and came into the second half with ferocity and resilience.
With some high-pressing from Metea, they managed to get shots in from the top of the box. In the 47th minute, junior Abel Lopez passed it to fellow junior Anthony Hildreth, who unleashed a shot that floated over the Warriors’ defense but was saved by the Waubonsie goalkeeper.
While there were many effective plays from the Mustangs that ended with a shot, none could seem to get past the keeper. But nearing the 65th minute, Cuautle managed to find Senese on the left side of the box, who controlled the ball and made a body feint to the left, went right, and delivered a ground shot, passing between the Warriors’ goalkeeper and the near post. The Mustangs took a 2-1 lead.
With a lot of effort and some great defending by the backline, the game ended in a 2-1 victory in favor of the Mustangs. While a tough game physically, they managed to score 2 goals against the Waubonsie Warriors. And while the Warriors dropped down to a 0-2 conference record, the Metea Mustangs added another win to their record, concluding in a 2-0 record in the Dupage Valley Conference. The Mustangs are now preparing for their next conference game at home as they take on the Neuqua Wildcats on Tuesday.
