Texas HS Girls – Bellaire vs. Lamar
The high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and thousands of teams are getting on the field each week to compete for the much-coveted spots in the playoffs. Prep Soccer will be following the…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and thousands of teams are getting on the field each week to compete for the much-coveted spots in the playoffs.
Prep Soccer will be following the action closely, covering as many matches as possible every week and providing reports featuring the players that had remarkable performances in those encounters. On Friday, we made the trip to the Butler Stadium, just southwest of downtown Houston, to follow the match between the Bellaire Cardinals and the Lamar Texans.
Bellaire 0 – 1 Lamar
The match served as a district final as the teams entered the field ranked first (Lamar) and second (Bellaire) in the district and as the only undefeated teams in the group.
There was a tense atmosphere in the air since the starting whistle with a lot of noise coming from the stands and a great sense of urgency and hard plays on the field, with a handful of yellow cards being shown to both sides.
Needing the victory to secure their eighth-straight district title, the Cardinals were on the front foot in the first half. Forward Brenda Castro was on the ball a lot and had some tough battles with Lamar’s right-back Charlotte Llorca. Bellaire had the main chance of the first half with forward Anneliese Swizer, who came off the bench and made a big impact off the bench, but Lamar’s goalkeeper Abbi Agosta made the save.
In the second half, Lamar’s midfield trio of Kitzya Galaz Morfin, Jojo Pastore and Nahomy Portillo settled in and started taking more control of the game for the Texans. At the 26th-minute mark, Portillo sent a free kick over Bellaire’s goalkeeper Lela Izadoost and broke the deadlock.
Needing two goals to topple their opponents, Bellaire pushed forward in the final minutes, but Lamar were able to retain their lead and secure their first district title since 2013 and their fifth overall, improving their district campaign to 11-0-1. The Cardinals are second with 9-1-2.
Players of the Match
Nahomy Portillo
Nahomy Portillo
Portillo was one of Lamar’s three key pieces in midfield and also, of course, scored the game-winning goal from a difficult free kick on the right side of the penalty box. She was very dynamic in the middle, distributing the ball well to her teammates and also creating space with her dribbling ability. Portillo played with great intensity and was also very active on the defensive side of the game, clogging the center of the field and recovering possession several times.
Charlotte Llorca
Charlotte Llorca
Llorca was rock-solid on the right side of Lamar’s backline. She was tasked with defending Bellaire’s dangerous forward Brenda Castro in the first half and won most of the duels they were involved with. She displayed great positioning on defense and was also fast enough to recover when she was beaten off the dribble. Llorca was also very good at identifying opportunities to make forward runs down the right flank and got into the attacking third very quickly, offering a good alternative to her teammates. She also displayed impressive endurance, running up and down the field during the entire match.
Jojo Pastore
Jojo Pastore
One of key players in Lamar’s campaign, Pastore was very well-marked by Bellaire but still found ways to create chances and impact the game offensively. A very complete player, she used both feet well and found good passes from her midfield position. Pastore’s size was also important in some of the most physical battles in the middle as she was able to shield the ball well and maintain control of it. She also played an important defensive role, dropping back to help defense when the team was under pressure, and was dangerous in some free kick attempts.
Hadley Wormser
Hadley Wormser
Despite the loss, Bellaire’s defense did a very good for most of the time and Wormser was the rock that anchored her team’s backline. Her center-back duo with Grace Ritchie was one of the highlights of the team as they complemented each other really well. Wormser was very solid all match, winning balls in the air, using her physical strength to make tackles and her pace to anticipate plays and cover her teammates. She also made some good plays in possession, connecting good passes from the back and making a couple of good runs upfield and was also very precise when sending long free kicks into the penalty box.
Peyton Tan
Peyton Tan
Tan has probably the most touches in her team from her midfield position. She was heavily involved with everything the Cardinals did on the field, from winning the ball in the middle to helping the team create. The midfielder was very intelligent on the ball, always finding good solutions and looking for teammates in the least crowded areas of the field. Tan covered a lot of ground in the middle too and tried to help push the team forward in the end, also trying to finish from long distance. She displayed excellent consistent too, keeping her level of play steady from start to finish.