Sweetwater second half goal salvages Spring Break draw

As the final minutes of the second half approached, Sweetwater found the goal the last 40 minutes of soccer was pushing for.

Abram Torres slotted home his effort, pulling the Wildcats to a 1-1 draw with Maryville Christian Thursday after trailing for nearly 40 minutes of play.

“We played very sloppily. We did not connect very well with our passes and had bad touches,” Sweetwater coach Ricardo Torres said. “The effort is still there. I don’t know if this is because of spring break.”

Sweetwater (3-1-1) was more consolidated in the second half, finding better looks through its desired channels and connecting more in performance.

“Overall, I think we are becoming more solid. We are expecting more from them and the entire group, I think that is what frustrates me more,” Torres said. “But I think, in general, the group is more solid. I think they will help each other more and we can see what happens in games.”

Sweetwater worked quickly up the field midway through the second half for Torres’ strike. Connecting the middle channel from the back line to striker Jesus Guzman, the senior connected with fellow senior Torres in less than four minutes.

Torres finished the chance coolly, netting for the fifth time this season.

“That was the way I wanted to play the full game. The last 15 minutes of the game, we started playing more soccer,” Ricardo Torres said.

Sweetwater started the game well, controlling tempo, but the pace slowed after 15 minutes. The Wildcats were not able to rediscover the rhythm until after the first 40 minutes.

“What I like from the game is all the team changed the way they played. Every single player tried to slow the ball and tried to calm the game down,” Torres added. “All the players did good. Especially in the middle channel.

“The midfielders did a better job of distributing the game and passing. We were trying to possess the ball and that really changed the turn of the game.”

Sweetwater found success with the ball from Gabby Bedolla and his relationship with Will Bowman and Bryce Teutimez.

Wingers Xander Lacey, Josiah Harding and Noah Harding factored in as well.

“That is the good thing about this group. I have players who can play in different positions. Almost every single player can play in those positions,” Torres said.

Maryville Christian’s strike came around the 21st-minute mark.

“They are good athletes and it was hard for us to penetrate, especially in the attacking third,” Torres added. “From the second half, we improved the passing and the triangulations. We did better in the second half.”

Aiden McKenzie has taken over in the net after an injury to Aaron Torres. McKenzie came out to meet the ball in Maryville Christian’s attacks and is settling into communicating with the back line.

“He is becoming more secure. He is learning a lot of the skill and his confidence is getting better,” Torres said.