For about 64 minutes, Thursday's game at Chris Hotop Field seemed to be up for grabs.
The Mexico boys then allowed two goals to lose 6-4 at home to Christian Fellowship (8-4). Mexico (3-6) …
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For about 64 minutes, Thursday's game at Chris Hotop Field seemed to be up for grabs.
The Mexico boys then allowed two goals to lose 6-4 at home to Christian Fellowship (8-4). Mexico (3-6) allowed four goals in the second half after encountering four ties in the game.
Christian Fellowship outshot Mexico 24-11 but didn't take its first lead until the 65th minute. The Knights knocked in two goals when they grouped around the net, and Jake Davis had four goals. Mexico head coach Bill Gleeson said the Bulldogs weren't as aggressive as their opponent and as they have been in the past.
"We seemed to not push the ball as much as we have been," Gleeson said. "They were really aggressive and came after it, and we were playing really tentative. We weren't playing how we usually play."
Gleeson said Mexico wasn't connecting on passes as well in the second half and didn't go after the ball after losing it in the midfield. The "slump" Mexico encountered near the end of the game was enough to decide the team's most competitive game of the season.
At halftime, Gleeson encourged his players to be quicker with passes to respond to Christian Fellowship's aggressiveness on defense.
"If you can get those quicker passes going, you can go around them," Gleeson said. "They would overplay you, and you can get around them pretty easily."
Alex Matuz, Oscar Alvarez, Jesus Garcia and Brixton Goerne each scored goals for Mexico. The Bulldogs typically supplied them with a good pass but couldn't do that as well in the second half, Gleeson said. Garcia used his speed for several scoring opportunities in the second half, but Gleeson said Mexico couldn't crash the goal as well as Christian Fellowship did on its final two goals.
Grant Walker didn't lack any aggressiveness for Mexico despite being the goalkeeper. Walker made seven saves and ventured far away from the net at various moments of the game. Oftentimes, Christian Fellowship couldn't even take a shot before the former defender Walker smothered the ball.
"He does a good job of trying to amp up the team and try to get them going," Gleeson said. "He likes to be very aggressive, which is what you need in a goalie and what makes him such a good goalie. Before he was a goalie, he played defense so he knows how to do that stuff and he was a good defender."
Mexico had allowed 16 goals in its three previous losses, which were all against North Central Missouri Conference schools. The Bulldogs' 3.4 goals allowed per game going into Thursday is a five-year low, but Gleeson said Mexico is still in the process of figuring things out. Mexico plays at Fatima (2-4) at 5 p.m. Monday.
"We're working with some new guys in the defensive line," Gleeson said. "We're waiting for a breakthrough for us. We've had some setbacks, but I feel once we get clicked in, it will be full steam ahead. We're so close."
