Oregon soccer has now started its season with consecutive losses after falling 4-0 to No. 10 Arkansas on the road.
The Ducks went into the matchup looking to bounce back from a disappointing home loss against Baylor. Unfortunately for Oregon, it faced an Arkansas team that has now played 24 games unbeaten at home following Thursday’s result.
The Ducks got off to a shaky start on Thursday. They conceded the Razorbacks’ first goal in the third minute off a shot by forward Morgan White to the bottom center of the goal. Minutes later, Oregon got its first, and only, shot on goal in the half but it was easily handled by the Arkansas goalkeeper.
The Ducks did a good job of preventing the Razorbacks from scoring for the next 15 minutes. Then, Arkansas came at Oregon with a barrage of shots on goal.
A chance created by Arkansas forward Kennedy Ball led to the second goal in the 18th minute. Two minutes later, White headed the ball toward Oregon goalkeeper Maddy Goldberg. Following an unlucky bounce off the post, Goldberg couldn’t secure the ball and it found the back of the net.
Oregon showed some signs of life late in the first half. Over the next 14 minutes, the Ducks had several shot attempts, however, all were off target, and they were able to keep the ball out of their own net.
However, they still couldn’t escape the half without conceding a fourth goal. Arkansas snuffed out any remaining hope Oregon may have had with a goal in the final minute of the first half.
The second half was much cleaner for the Ducks. The Razorbacks’ momentum seemed to carry through from the end of the first half. A combination of difficult saves by Goldberg and unlucky bounces kept them from adding to their lead.
Oregon had its best opportunity of the game in the 61st minute. A foul on the edge of the penalty area gave the Ducks a free kick. Myra Schneider took the attempt, but Arkansas’ goalkeeper punched it away.
Both teams had limited opportunities the rest of the way. Each team scored a goal, but both were ruled offside.
The Ducks will look to get in the win column in their next game after a disappointing start to their non-conference schedule. Their four-game road trip continues on Sunday with a matchup against Missouri State at 11 a.m. PST on ESPN+.
