The Odessa High boys soccer team closed out nondistrict play with a 2-1 victory over Del Rio Tuesday at Ratliff Stadium.
Odessa High head coach Eliseo Ortiz said Del Rio always gives the Bronchos a good challenge before heading into the district portion of their schedule.
“They’re the last game that we play before district and it always gives us a good benchmark of where we’re at,” Ortiz said. “It was a good game for us, Del Rio is good and they play good soccer.”
The Bronchos and Rams tried to find ways to push through each other’s back lines for the majority of the first half.
Del Rio got the first shot on goal when Cesar Pina cut in from the left wing to unleash a strike that was cleared off the line with a last-ditch effort from Odessa High’s Ethan Wagner.
The Bronchos relied heavily on counterattacking with quick through passes to give their strikers a chance to use their speed.
That method worked as the clock wound down in the first period, when a lobbed pass found the chest of JJ Muela with a little over eight minutes left until the break.
Muela brought the ball down and pushed it past the Del Rio goalkeeper to give the Bronchos a 1-0 lead.
Del Rio started the second half employing similar tactics to those of the Bronchos, with quick counterattacks creating opportunities to tie the match up.
The Bronchos scored their second goal with seven minutes left in regulation when Muela converted a penalty kick after Camilo Nicolas was brought down in the box after using a burst of speed to break through the Del Rio backline.
With a minute left in the match, Demian Fernandez took advantage of a deflection in front of the Odessa High goal to give Del Rio its only goal of the contest.
Muela said he got nervous toward the end of the match when he took the penalty kick to increase his team’s lead.
“I did second guess a little bit and the keeper did put his hand on it, but it went in,” Muela said. “I got lucky.”
Odessa High begins District 2-6A play against Midland High at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.
Muela, a team captain, said the Bronchos know what is coming up in some of the season’s most important contests.
“I think we’re ready,” Muela said. “We all realize what needs to be done.”
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
