Premier Development League soccer: West Texas United falls to RGV

MIDLAND West Texas United is running out of chances to get back in the race for a playoff spot.

And the Sockers let their best opportunity in weeks slip away on Friday night at Grande Communications Stadium.

Set up by goalkeeper Leif Craddock’s second-half red card, Juan Nava punched a penalty kick past backup goalie Jaime Ibarra-Perez to give Rio Grande Valley a 1-0 win and send the Sockers tumbling into a tie for last place in the Premier Development League’s Mid South Division.

“They put the ones they had away,” Sockers forward Mariano Sapien said. “We really can’t blame anyone but ourselves.”

Despite unleashing 22 shots to just eight for Rio Grande Valley (3-7-0, 9 points), the Sockers came undone by a mistake in the 68th minute.

Coming out to challenge a pass to Marco Ruiz way out in front of the goal, Craddock dove, trying to snatch the ball before Ruiz could get his foot on it.

Craddock slid into Ruiz’s legs a moment after the Grandes forward got his second touch on the ball. Moments after the collision, the referee held up a red card to send Craddock off and force the Sockers to play with 10 the rest of the night.

Nava punched his penalty kick into the left corner of the net to give Rio Grande Valley the only goal the Grandes needed.

“It was a battle,” Nava said. “They had their chances, a chance to score a penalty. When we finally got our chance, we scored. It was a tough fight for both teams.”

Even after the red card forced the Sockers to play a man down, West Texas United found a way to keep getting shots at the goal.

None found the back of the net.

“Down one player, I still think we had our chances,” Sockers coach Warren Cottle said. “That stuff happens. You have to be able to overcome it.”

Up until Craddock’s mistake, West Texas United (3-7-0, 9 points) had dominated most of the action, especially in a first half that yielded a club-record 11 shots without the Sockers finding the back of the net.

In the 17th minute, Sockers midfielder Dominic Furness headed a free kick off of the crossbar, only to have it bounce around and wind up on the head of teammate Michael Stewart, whose attempt sailed just wide of the goal.

Constantly threatening, the Sockers broke leading scorer Wally Valdivia free down the right side of the field in the 33th minute, and Valdivia let loose a cannon shot from close range trapped the hand of Grandes goalkeeper Juan Gamboa between the post and the ball on a violent shot and left Gamboa shaking his left hand in pain.

Gamboa came up big for Rio Grande Valley time and time again. Facing 22 shots, Gamboa made eight saves against a withering Sockers attack that relentlessly kept pushing in the first half.

But he came up with his best save right before halftime. Forced to face a penalty kick by Valdivia after a Rio Grande Valley handball in the box, Gamboa stopped Valdivia’s straight shot to escape the first half with a scoreless tie.

“We were just very unlucky,” Sapien said. “We dominated, we outperformed them by far, and we just hit the bar, the post, the keeper.”