The Mineola soccer side came up short against a visiting Lindale squad last Friday, falling 3-0. The Eagles, now tied atop the district with Chapel Hill Tyler, used incessant pressure throughout the match to take the win. 

The first five minutes of play, which featured alternating attacks by both sides, was not indicative of the balance of the action in the opening half. Each side generated two attacks in the first three minutes of play. The ball did not stay long in the midfield after the opening whistle. 

Lindale opened the scoring in the 7th minute. After two strong saves, Yellowjacket goalkeeper John Underwood got his body on a strong shot from 20 meters out. Taken from a difficult angle, the challenging shot skirted through Underwood’s body into the net. Lindale led 1-0.  

The ensuing 15 minutes of play was all Lindale. Not only did the Eagles dominate possession and force the play through the first half, it seemed as those every free ball had a Lindale stamp on it. 

Underwood stepped up strong against a variety of Lindale shot attempts. In the first half he recorded 10 saves – he added four more in the second half. 

The Eagles made full use of the width of the pitch, generating most of their attacks from a wide position. 

The Yellowjackets had their first shot on goal in the 23rd minute.  Following a long kick ahead, a Lindale attacker was whistled for a foul and Mineola earned a free kick from 25 meters. The Nathan Rojas kick was perfectly placed; only a great save tipped it just over the crossbar. 

The attempt energized the Jackets. A minute later, a Mineola centering kick just missed Antonio Ventura who was closing the far post. Further Mineola attacks in the 28th and 29th minutes also came to naught. 

Possibly the best coordinated attack by the home side came in the 35th minute, when Mineola was able to string together a dozen passes and work the ball into the top of the penalty area before it was nicked away. 

Between each attack, however, the Jackets were obligated to defend shots on goal by a very aggressive and fast Lindale squad.  

A final frenzied opportunity from a free kick and ensuing corner in the final minute of the first half gave Mineola a chance to even the score.     

The second half brought renewed energy to the Mineola midfield. The ball no longer seemed magnetically-drawn to the Lindale players. Mineola won their share of free balls and midfield play in the second half. 

It paid off in a couple of great opportunities. In the 48th minute, Yimi Nunez put his shot just over the bar. In the 53rd minute, Nunez led another attack up the left side, but no shot was forthcoming.  

Meanwhile the pressure of Lindale was having a telling effect. In some desperate defending in the 52nd minute, Mineola defended three shots in one sequence from the Eagles. Royer Marquez saved the last attempt with a diving deflection at the back post.

The Lindale pressure eventually created a score. It came on a penalty kick in the 60th minute, after Mineola was called on a trip just inside the area. The score made it 2-0, Lindale, and energized the visitors.

The final twenty minutes was relentless attacking from Lindale and earned them a 3-0 result with a hard-fought goal in the 74th minute.  

Mineola wrapped up their 2020-21 soccer campaign with a rescheduled match-up Monday against the Gladewater Bears.