Box Score LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock soccer team (5-7-6, 2-3-4 Sun Belt) was unable to stop South Alabama (12-3-2, 7-1-1 Sun Belt) this afternoon, the team that sits at the top of the conference standings. The game was a battle between the Trojans, with arguably one of the best defenses in the league, versus the Jaguars, perhaps the best offensive team in the Sun Belt, but the clock worked against Little Rock and the multiple attacks by the opponent eventually paid off.
South Alabama seemed frustrated for most of the first half as they struggled to get around the Trojan defense, getting called for offsides four times and being unable to place a shot on goal. "We looked a bit nervous at first but as we got into the game we started to compete better and it looked quite even at that point," said head coach
Mark Foster.
It wasn't until the last few minutes of play that their pressure finally gave way to opportunity, earning the Jaguars two goals going into the second half. The first goal came at the 42nd minute after a multi-shot scramble in front of the net and eventually an out-of-reach header went into the net as a rebound off the top post. The second, three minutes later, came from a shot inside the box after a drive up the field.
"Credit to South Alabama," added Foster. "They're a great team and they punished us when we gave up a couple sloppy pieces of possession near the end. With the two goals happening so close to halftime, it was a huge psychological blow to us, but we regrouped well and still fought hard in the second half."
While the Trojans held off most of their opponent's attacks in the second, Little Rock changed formation and put three in the back to force more movement upfield in the remaining ten minutes, but it left space for the Jaguars to catch them on the break. South Alabama's leading scorer shot a quick lob into the corner of the goal in the 84th minute after her first attempt was blocked by goalkeeper
Julia Curatolo, who collected seven saves throughout the afternoon.
"We're still learning every step of the way," Foster summarized, "And despite the loss the team is looking forward to our last game, which is a positive response that we love to see."
Little Rock has one final match left on the slate, an in-state matchup at Arkansas State next Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The game will determine whether the Trojans advance to the Sun Belt Tournament.
For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on
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