Cardinals fall to Marshalltown in home soccer opener

All Zach Jensen and his coaching staff want to see from their inexperienced boys soccer team is improvement from match to match.

And while things still aren’t where they need to be for the Cardinals to be successful on the scoreboard, Newton showed improvement at both ends of the pitch on Thursday during a 4-0 non-conference loss against rival Marshalltown at H.A. Lynn Stadium.

The final margin also was not indicative of how the match really went.

“I don’t think the score line reflects how the game went,” Newton head boys soccer coach Zach Jensen said. “We changed our shape with about 12 minutes left to be more risky, and they scored two goals in about a minute and 40 seconds.

“I was happier with our defense today. It was more organized, and we looked like more of a unit. It was probably closer to a 1-0 loss than a 4-0 loss.”

The Cardinals (0-2) trailed 1-0 at halftime and it stayed a one-goal game until the 68th minute.

Joel Ortiz put the Bobcats (1-0) on the board in the 29th minute. It remained 1-0 until Aaron Ordaz Zambrano and Rafael Ortiz scored back-to-back goals in the 68th and 70th minute.

Rafael Ortiz scored his goal on an open net after Joey Ortiz centered a pass to the backside of the goal following a through ball.

Armando Estrada capped the Bobcats’ victory with a penalty kick goal against Newton’s backup goalie, Deighton Claybrook, in the 79th minute.

“We’re looking for improvement every game, and the guys have improved since the last game and since the game before that,” Jensen said. “It’s going to be baby steps with this group, and we just have to stay together and keep going at it.”

Claybrook entered the field in the final few minutes after Javin Doland picked up a yellow card following a contact play in the box.

It was one of six yellow cards handed out by the official in the contest.

Troy Ramsey, Doland and Jensen all were given yellows as well as Marshalltown’s Johan Gomez, Isac Chavarria and Ordaz Zambrano.

Jensen received his yellow card after a conversation with the official about Doland’s violation.

“It was just a poorly officiated game,” Jensen said. “They need to call more fouls early to get things under control. He let things go that needed to be called. He’s an inexperienced referee.”

Marshalltown out-shot the Cardinals 22-4 and had a 12-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-2 surplus in corner kicks.

“We need to focus more in the final third. We’re getting the ball in the areas we want it to be in,” Jensen said. “We need to put it on frame to give ourselves a chance. Maybe the ball goes off the keeper or off the post. But if you hit it wide or high, that’s not giving it a chance. We got the offense more opportunities than we had earlier, but we need to find a way to finish.”

Notes: The Bobcats snapped Newton’s two-game win streak in the series. Marshalltown is 10-4 against the Cardinals since 2011. … Ramsey, Kent Montgomery and Austin Kennedy all returned to the field after sustaining injuries in the first half. Ramsey was hit directly in the face with a ball early in the game and suffered a bloody nose. Kennedy left the pitch with 4:25 to play in the first half. … Jensen said some individual players are battling and applying the necessary physicality needed to be successful, but the team as a whole still needs to be more physical. “It’s improved, but it’s not where we want to be,” Jensen said. “It’s a contact sport, and the guys need to realize that. The high school game is even more physical than club and other sports they play.”