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LAREDO, Texas – Cloudy skies and rainy conditions did little to douse flaring tempers and physical play at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon. The non-conference match between the Dustdevils and Midwestern State’s Mustangs ended at 1-0 in favor of the visitors, but the on-the-pitch excitement exceeded the expectation of that score line.
Four names on five cards were penciled into center official Chris Mercado’s book in the match, with all of them coming in the first 35 minutes – including an eventually crippling red card to TAMIU’s Jonathan Saldana.
Saldana was ejected after receiving a caution in the 6th minute when an altercation arose between the Dustdevils and Midwestern State’s Len Smith. Physical play was a precursor to a skirmish about 30-yards away from TAMIU’s goal; Smith went down on a hard tackle and escalated the event with a shoving match of sorts and screaming match between the teams.
Mercado booked both aggravated parties, Saldana and Smith.
Saldana was again booked in the 33rd minute for impeding a Mustangs’ scoring chance from just beyond the 18-yard box. TAMIU’s junior backliner from Torreon, Mexico, slid in from behind with a tackle aimed at the ball. He misfired and brought down the threatening striker to earn his second caution of the game, an ejection and a suspension in the Dustdevils next match.
TAMIU (2-5-1, 1-0-0 Heartland Conference) played the next 57 minutes with a 10-man team against a still physical and full-strength Midwestern State (3-3-0), but the teams even on level pegging until the match’s twilight.
It was a familiar opponent that finished the only successful strike of the game. Smith lassoed a loose ball off a defensive breakdown and volleyed it into TAMIU’s net from 6-yards out in the 80th minute. Dustdevils goalkeeper Jesus Cisneros had little chance for a save.
The eventual game-winner created a crazed final 10 minutes as TAMIU pressed for an equalizer. Starting centerback Walter Anoruo was replaced by an addition striker, and the Dustdevils launched 11 shots – but only four on frame.
Both Cisneros and MSU’s Nick Petolick managed a quartet of saves in their respective goals.
The Dustdevils will return to the TAMIU Soccer Complex on Saturday for a match against conference-newcomer Rogers State at 5 p.m. The women’s sides will play immediately following the men’s match, at 7:30 p.m.
