Sporting JAX’s women’s team lost 1-0 to Lexington SC on Sunday evening, Sept. 20, at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Gainbridge Super League match remained scoreless through halftime before McKenzie Weinert scored Lexington’s winning goal in the 59th minute. Sporting JAX searched for an equalizer until the final whistle but could not level the match.
Lexington Scores After Halftime
Sporting JAX applied pressure during a tightly contested first half, but neither team found the net. The match entered halftime tied 0-0, leaving both sides scoreless after the opening 45 minutes. Lexington SC then found the breakthrough after the interval.
Weinert scored in the 59th minute to put Lexington SC ahead 1-0. Sporting JAX continued to pursue an equalizer, but Lexington held on for the victory. Sporting JAX head coach Stacey Balaam said her team controlled much of the match but paid for one lapse.
“[We] controlled the game for most of it; it just took one lapse and gave them one opportunity that they took and executed,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam said. “We know that they’re a quality team, so the moment that they go up in a game, it’s really hard to try and rescue that game back when they have so much quality and all they’re going to do is stay resilient defensively.”
Sporting JAX forward Baylee DeSmit said the team kept fighting for a goal despite not finding the equalizer. “We just had to keep fighting until something happened,” DeSmit said. “But that’s a game of soccer; it doesn’t always fall.”
Sporting JAX midfielder Ashlyn Puerta said the team showed more offensive presence than it had the previous week. “I think we improved a lot since last week,” Puerta said. “I think we had a lot more offensive presence and honestly, I think we dominated throughout the game. They just capitalized on their chance and we didn’t, and at the end of the day, that was the difference in the game.”
Sporting JAX Prepares for Carolina Ascent FC
Sporting JAX is scheduled to visit first-place Carolina Ascent FC the following weekend. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. and will stream on Peacock. Balaam said the team will focus on regaining momentum during the week.
“Momentum switches really often in seasons, and so it’s just trying to get that momentum back,” Balaam said. “It’s not easy, but once you do, you can then start to understand why you got it back again and how you stay there.”
DeSmit said the team would quickly turn its attention to preparation for Carolina Ascent FC. “We can take tonight to reflect on this, but every day this week in training, we’re focusing on the next round [against] Carolina and building each day,” DeSmit said.
Sporting JAX is scheduled to return to Hodges Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. to face DC Power FC in the Gainbridge Super League Match of the Month. The match will be Sporting JAX’s next home contest after the loss to Lexington SC.
FSB Take
Sporting JAX controlled much of the match and created pressure, but Lexington SC converted the decisive opportunity. The next challenge comes on the road against first-place Carolina Ascent FC, with the match scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. and available on Peacock. Sporting JAX will then have its next scheduled home match against DC Power FC on Oct. 9.
Source: Original report