Tracy High’s boys soccer team suffered a tough 2-0 loss to the St. Mary’s Rams on Tuesday afternoon at Wayne Schneider Stadium.
While the team was disappointed with the result, they maintained a persevering attitude toward the rest of the season. Senior captain Ismael Sagrero said, “I think the team played decently. In future games, we need better communication and to put more pressure on the opposition.”
St. Mary’s started strong, controlling possession for much of the first half. The opening 10 minutes passed quickly, with both teams battling hard for scoring opportunities.
After a series of solid defensive plays, the Bulldogs committed a foul in the box with three minutes left in the half. St. Mary’s capitalized with a powerful shot to the right corner, making it 1-0 with two minutes remaining.
Goalkeeper Carlos Zarate kept his head held high after the goal, attempting to motivate his teammates in the final
moments of the half.
“As a goalie, I feel like I take a lot of responsibility. I don’t want to bring the team down when I’m upset,” Zarate said.
With just seconds left, junior Victor Alcocer nearly scored with a shot from the left side, but it went wide. The half ended soon after with the Bulldogs trailing 1-0.
The Bulldogs came out hungry for a goal in the second half. Alcocer had a couple of close chances early on but was frustrated with the missed opportunities.
“I tried my best, but I just couldn’t score. We weren’t playing together,” Alcocer said.
Eight minutes into the second half, St. Mary’s broke through the defense and scored again, making it 2-0.
As the game continued, tempers flared, and multiple fouls and yellow cards were issued. Despite the increasing aggression, the Bulldogs could not rally and fell short.
Junior Ezequiel Zapien believed the team underestimated the Rams going into the match.
“I think we came out too soft. We didn’t anticipate that they would play that well,” Zapien said. “We thought we’d take the win easily, but that mindset didn’t work.”
The Bulldogs will look to bounce back in their next game, a home matchup against Lincoln on Jan. 16.
