BROWNSVILLE — Relentless pressure by Edinburg Vela in the second half powered the SaberCats to a 3-1 victory over Brownsville Veterans Memorial Tuesday night in Brownsville.
Edinburg Vela’s Eva Monty’s penalty canceled out Brownsville Veterans’ Angela Garcia’s first-half goal off of a free-kick before SaberCats freshman Leandra Garza finished twice to send Vela to the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
“Our girls came out today touching the ball,” Vela head coach Americo Cortez said. “In the first half we had doubts here and there, but we had two weeks without playing, so that killed us a little bit – the rhythm of the game.”
Cortez said that once the game went on, his team’s confidence grew as they created plenty of chances through open play, leading up to Garza’s brace.
Garza said she did not know too much about her second goal. It happened quick.
The freshman pounced on a blocked clearance that fell kindly to her feet, setting up a right-footed shot to easily beat the keeper and seal the match for the SaberCats with only three minutes remaining.
Garza gave her team the 2-1 advantage with roughly 14 minutes left. Garza cleverly finished with her left on a cross to beat the keeper at the far post.
“For sure it was a team effort, but it felt good,” Garza said.
Edinburg Vela was awarded a penalty 11 minutes into the second half after a Chargers defender handled a cross. Monty always looked composed and easily picked her spot, tying the match.
Garcia, a four-year standout at Vets, gave her side the lead on the cusp of halftime from a free-kick. A strong wind and some english on the ball troubled the SaberCats keeper and the Chargers had a 1-0 lead against the run of play.
The SaberCats could have gone ahead in the first half when playmaker Alma Gutierrez saw a terrific shot saved by Chargers keeper Marian Garcia, who had an outstanding match between the posts.
Gutierrez followed it up with a left footed shot that struck the post and continued the attack with a header that went wide.
“We always confidence in our girls,” Cortez said. “There was never a doubt. We had to calm them down at half time because they were doubting themselves a little bit, but not to the point where it was going to be a losing game.”
The SaberCats face Gregory-Portland Thursday in Corpus Christi.
