Glendale Falcons – 4
Nixa Eagles – 0
Tough game for the Eagle’s tonight as the Falcon’s had an answer for everything the visitor’s tried. Glendale senior Alec Martinez gave the Falcon’s the lead in the 21st when he won a 50/50 challenge with Nixa keeper Mason Young, running onto a ball sent in from Austin Hart and slipping the ball past the on-rushing keeper before slotting his shot into an empty net.

KOLR10 has the first Glendale goal, catch it on their 10 pm broadcast. I’ve got Photos

The game was entertaining, with both teams focused on displaying their skills, but it lacked intensity in the words of a long-time observer of the game. My response to that comment was that this was the intense version of both teams. That assessment probably speaks as much to the style of play both of these teams exhibit as it does to the relative youth represented on each team. With Districts less than two weeks away (voting happens Wednesday for District 11) the question is whether a team in the District will separate itself from the pack with the season on the line.

For Nixa, the critical element is the same issue it has faced all season. The Eagle’s are not going to win by scoring bunches of goals and more importantly, need to find a running partner for KhaiUyen Huynh, someone willing to shoot the ball. I nominate Robert Neathery. Nixa is 5-3 in games decided by one goal with losses to Kickapoo and Carthage (twice) while beating Kickapoo by the same score recently. However, when pressured tonight, the game ended up resembling a Brett Favre game with the Eagle’s trying to win the game with a single pass instead of making the simple pass.

Glendale feasted on that behavior in the second half with the second and third goal coming as a direct result of the counter-attack. The first came as a Nixa midfielder was unable to put enough on his pass to get it to his teammate 10 ft away. The Falcon defender stepped in front and sent a pass down the right side that Austin Hart took into the box where he was tripped as the Eagle’s defender attempted to react to the attack. The resultant PK gave Glendale a 2-0 lead. Soon afterwards, it was center midfielder Joe Aubuchon who stepped in front of a pass at midfield and send a beautiful thru ball into space that Hart ran onto, keeping his defender on his back, before slotting his shot to the far post as he entered the box. Much better than he showed against Rolla when he had three shots in the box blocked, and the type of result the rest of the District has to anticipate. The final goal came late in the game as Martinez, who covered the entire pitch tonight in leading the Falcons, buried a 25 yard shot into the upper 90 that drew gasps from the crowd.

Parkview Vikings -
Ozark Tigers –
at Parkview, a District 11 match up

Central Bulldogs – 3 (PK’s)
Marshfield Blue Jays – 2
at Cooper field 3, Central is now 15-3, with three games remaining before districts.

Willard Tigers – 5
Logan-Rogersville Wildcats – 0
at Willard

Monett Cubs – 0
Bolivar Liberators – 4
at Monett, a Class 2 District 9 clash and a chance for the Cubs to measure themselves against the top-ranked regional program

West Plains Zizzers – 1
Republic Tigers – 0
at West Plains, another Class 2 District 9 match. Goal in 58th minute on a direct free kick by Ethan Hunt from 20 yards out.

Waynesville Tigers – 2
Washington Blue Jays – 0
at Waynesville

Crocker Lions – 8
Stover – 0
at Crocker, goals by Teddy Zeigenbein(4), Jessie Tart, Aj Imilkowski, Cody Williams, and Cory Porter. The Lions are now 17-2.