Rattlers fall to Cardinals in second half onslaught, 5-0
San Marcos has had its fair share of learning curves throughout Conrado Reyes’ first year as head coach.
Tuesday night’s match against Del Valle was another one of those experiences. After playing stingy defense throughout the first half to keep the score tied at 0-0, the Rattlers could not survive the Cardinals’ offensive pressure for the rest of the match, falling 5-0 in regulation inside San Marcos Toyota Rattler Stadium.
“(In the second half) we kind of got out of shape a little bit and it kind of pulled us apart and stretched us apart and we kind of just forgot what (we were) doing back there,” Reyes said. “You know, we've been working on our defense. (It) has been something that we've been trying to figure out right now. It just kind of got stretched out a little bit and they took advantage of it. (They’re a) pretty good team.”
In a continuous game like soccer, letting one play or goal affect you mentally can turn a competitive game into an avalanche. Reyes believes the Rattlers let that happen on Tuesday and Del Valle (9-3-1, 2-3 District 26-6A) took advantage.
“One goal (can) sometimes break teams, you know, tonight it kind of felt like it broke us and we kind of gave up two more goals in succession right there within (a) four-minute time period,” Reyes said. “So, you know, if you don't stay focused and you don't stay at it, it's really easy to lose momentum and lose that grit and it kind of drops you off, (and) you end up giving up two goals.”
While the purple and white are focused on winning as many games as possible, Reyes’ squad understands they’re in the process of building a program and culture. They’ve learned that comes with growing pains but stayed vigilant in constructing the program’s foundational blocks for years to come day in and day out.
On the field, the Rattlers are still looking to improve on finishing in the final third. Reps, drills and continuing the grind is what Reyes believes is going to make the difference for his squad to get over the hump in that timeframe.
“We struggle a lot (in the final third). So that's the piece we're trying to, you know, iron out right now,” Reyes said. “It's just finishing, it's really hard (to instill year one). I think they really relied on (former San Marcos forward Melvin Molina) last year, (and we) lost Melvin, (so they’re still adjusting to that). But, these guys have been pushing and we've been working every day at it, but, that's where we struggle. That's where we've really got to get better to be successful in the district.”
San Marcos (2-9-1, 1-4) will shift its focus to going on the road to face Austin Bowie Friday, where the purple and white will kick off at 7:45 p.m. and look for their second district win of the season.
“They're a really good team. I think they beat Del Valle 4-0. So, you know, everybody's beat everybody in the district right now, so it's kind of crazy,” Reyes said. “But when we're doing things correctly, we play great. So I think we've got a good chance of winning the game. We just got to play the way we know how to play.”
