Four first half goals scored over an eight-minute span helped the Louisiana Krewe coast past the Central Texas Lobos in a 5-0 blowout Saturday at Shelton Stadium.
While their playoff chances are all but extinguished, Lobos owner and co-manager David Walding said the team aims for its highest finish in the Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) standings in next week’s season finale.
“Next week, we are going to come out full force and try to get those points,” Walding said. “We want to finish off the season with a win and on the right foot and finish with a positive heading into the offseason.”
Struggles began early for the Lobos as they were unable to contain an aggressive attack from the GCPL West-leading Krewe, who sought to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Lobos also battled lineup attrition heading into the contest. CenTex had two players out due to injury and two more who were suspended due to prior red cards.
Also not helping matters was a strategical miscue midway through the first half, which the Krewe exploited.
The Krewe opened its barrage with a goal in the 28th minute to take a 1-0 lead. They powered for three more goals between the 33rd and 36th minute that helped them build an insurmountable 4-0 advantage at intermission.
Walding said the problem occurred when the Lobos made a position switch on the field, but did so before making a needed substitution to accommodate the move. As a result, Walding said a handful of players were playing in positions they were not accustomed to.
“We kind of messed up the spacing and formation on the field,” Walding said. “We put players in positions they were not used to before we could get the substitution.”
However, Walding said the Lobos generated strong attacks and chances on goal for the majority of the first half. The Lobos attacked the Krewe from the outside into the middle of the field.
But the tactic was countered by the Krewe’s strategy of attacking from the air and crossing into the middle. Lobo struggles continued into the second half when the Krewe added a fifth goal and put the game away.
“We played well in the first half with the exception of the stretch where they got the goals,” Walding said.
Despite the defeat, Walding was optimistic the Lobos can turn it around when they host Shreveport United, a team they’ve beaten three times this season, in the final game of the year July 13.
Should they win, the Lobos could secure as high as fourth place in the GPCL West standings, the highest finish the program has had in its history.
“We’re going out with the mentality of putting on a show for fans and getting a win,” Walding said.
