Soccer Game Preview: Ysleta vs. Riverside

For the first time this season, Ysleta will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will square off against the Riverside Rangers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Neither team made it on the board the last time they hit the pitch, so they've probably got a bit of extra motivation.

Ysleta is likely headed into the matchup with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Coronado on Tuesday. The Indians fell just short of the Thunderbirds by a score of 2-1. One reason for the loss might be Ysleta's aggressive play style: Adrian Escalante and Diego Suarez were both handed yellow cards.

Ysleta's goal came courtesy of Kevin Portillo, who's now up to three this season.

Meanwhile, Riverside managed to keep up with Socorro until halftime on Tuesday, but things quickly went downhill from there. The Rangers came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 3-0. Riverside have struggled against Socorro recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Ysleta's loss dropped their record down to 1-3. As for Riverside, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.

Ysleta skirted past Riverside 1-0 in their previous matchup back in February of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.