​Mistakes cost Grain Valley soccer in 2-0 loss to Falcons

by Michael Smith
 

All it took was one mistake.

The Grain Valley boys’ soccer team was in a non-conference game with Van Horn Monday at home and it played even with its opponent for the first 20 minutes of the contest.

However, Van Horn junior Miabo Asukulu lobbed a pass from about 45 yards out toward the Eagles’ goal. Goalkeeper Alex Tuttle settled under the ball and tried to make the stop. The ball slipped through his hands and went into the net, which resulted in the Falcons first goal and the road team went on to defeat Grain Valley 2-0.

“The margin of error is so small when you are playing one of the top teams in Class 3 like Van Horn,” Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said. “We can’t give away silly mistakes to teams like Van Horn. We must put shots on target, too.”

“The first goal was deflating because we were playing with them.”

The Falcons (3-1) controlled a physical game that got chippy at times. They double teamed Grain Valley’s midfielders and forced turnovers which led to chances at scoring in the attacking third of the field. That led to Askukulu’s score in the 20th minute of the game.

Tuttle did get a bit of redemption in the 38th minute though. He made a diving stop on a penalty kick from Falcons senior Diego Escutia after Grain Valley committed a foul in the penalty box.

Van Horn put the game away in the 72nds minute, however. Sophomore Andrew Barron drilled a direct free kick from about 30 yards away over the reach of Tuttle and into the upper 90 of the goal to give his Falcons a two-goal cushion.

“I felt like our center backs got out of place and the shot went between them,” Lewis said. “I felt like we gave them another opportunity by committing a foul that was unnecessary.”

Meanwhile, Grain Valley (1-3) had a handful of opportunities it was unable to convert on. Junior Lukas Gutauskas had an open shot in the Falcons 18-yard box bounce off the left post, sophomore Cooper Bousselot ripped a 25-yarder that was headed inside the far post, but was caught by Van Horn keeper Kester Phillips and senior Alex Luna just missed a goal after pushing a shot just high and over the net.

​“I think we had two of the better opportunities in the game,” Lewis said. “Making those opportunities means so much when you’re playing a good team.”

The Grain Valley boys soccer team gets ready to have a team meeting following a 2-0 loss to Van Horn Monday at Moody Murray Memorial Field. Photo credit: Michael Smith