A cold opening eventually came back to haunt the Odessa High boys soccer team against Midland High.
The Bronchos couldn’t create clear scoring opportunities until the final minutes and suffered a 2-1 loss in District 2-6A play Friday at Ratliff Stadium.
Odessa High boys soccer coach Eliseo Ortiz said his team’s slow start combined with allowing two first-half goals were the ultimate deciding factors.
Midland High wasted no time making an impact on the attacking end, as Daniel Nunez pushed a shot past the Odessa High goalkeeper to put his team up three minutes into the match.
The action slowed down for a majority of the first half when both teams began fighting for possession at midfield.
Attacking was scarce as both back lines stood firm and cut off any long passes from finding anticipating forwards.
Mark Diaz had the clearest opportunity for the Bronchos with 22 minutes left until the break with a high shot that went over the Bulldogs’ crossbar.
The Bulldogs extended their advantage about 10 minutes later when Freddy Lopez switched over from the left wing to striker and made the most of his first attempt on goal, placing his shot in the top right corner of the Broncho goal.
Shots were scarce for much of the second half until the match’s final 10 minutes when Odessa High started showing signs of life.
Ethan Wagner went up to attack from his usual defending spot and found himself gaining possession just past midfield.
He dribbled forward and powered a strong shot into the back of the Midland High goal to cut the deficit down to one with eight minutes left.
“The kids knew that we had to do better and they just found a way,” Ortiz said. “At the end of the day, it’s in their hands what they want to happen.”
The late push wasn’t enough, as the Bulldogs fended off any other late shots on goal.
It was Odessa High’s second straight loss and its third in its last four district matches.
Midland High boys soccer coach Jason Bush said his team was aided by its depth at the forward position, with multiple players providing instant impacts.
“We’ve got quality forwards coming off the bench that contribute a lot,” Bush said. “Whenever they come in, we can move [Lopez] or different people around to where it changes up the whole game.”
The Bronchos (7-6-2 overall, 4-3 district) look to get back in the win column against San Angelo Central at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in San Angelo.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
