Two defensive mistakes cost the Republic soccer team two goals Tuesday night, and it ended up being the difference in the game. Nixa beat Republic 5-3 in a Central Ozark Conference matchup.
Coach David Ashby says the inexperience in the backfield contributed to two of the Eagles’ goals.
“We over-committed to some balls when we shouldn’t have, and that’s just an athlete play and not a soccer player,” Ashby says. “If we don’t make those mistakes, we’re tied 3-3.”
The Eagles broke on top 2-0 before Julio Quezada got the Tigers on the scoreboard to draw within one goal in the first half. But just before the teams went to the halftime locker room, Nixa struck again with a few seconds left on the clock.
“It was really kind of demoralizing a little bit,” says Ashby. “But they started believing that they could fight back.”
The Tigers did fight back in the second half, even after falling behind 4-1. Mitchell Heinzler booted one in from more than 30 yards out, hooking it under the crossbar to make it 4-2. A few minutes later, Quezada got his second goal of the night to pull the Tigers within one with about 12 minutes left.
But Nixa wouldn’t let the Tigers get any closer. They scored another goal to make the score 5-3, and that’s where it ended.
Republic falls to 1-2; they’re 0-1 in the COC.