On Sunday night, Bradley Soccer traveled to Missouri State to open Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play. The Braves battled hard, putting on an impressive defensive performance, but struggled to create opportunities to score and ultimately lost the match 1-0.
Handling the pressure
From the opening kick to the 90th minute, the Bears applied pressure on the Braves’ defense. Missouri State controlled the ball, passed with intent and outworked Bradley’s offense. The Bears outshot the Braves 6-2 in the first half, with five shots on goal.
Luckily for Bradley, Drew Berry and the defense came to play. Berry finished the half with five saves and made countless other plays that aren’t on the box score to stave off Missouri State’s offense and keep the game at 0-0.
Bears stay on the attack
The second half was more of the same for both teams. The Bears continued to stay aggressive and dominate the ball while the Braves struggled to generate offense. In the second half, Bradley generated zero shots.
In addition to the offensive struggles, the Braves made costly mistakes that ultimately led to a defeat. In the 55th minute, senior Joao Saraiva committed a foul that resulted in a yellow card. After the foul, Saraiva argued with the referee, who then gave him a warning. Saraiva continued to plead his case, and the referee eventually handed him a red card and ejected him from the match.
Because of Saraiva’s mistake, Bradley was forced to play with 10 players on the field against an offense that was already operating at a high level.
Despite being undermanned, the Braves persevered and held the Bears at bay, deflecting 11 of the 12 shots sent their way.
Bradley held on for as long as possible, but in the 79th minute, the deciding goal slipped through its defense and gave Missouri State the win.
The Braves will return home to Shea Stadium on Wednesday in hopes of adding marks to the win column.
