SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Sophomore Alejandro Gallardo delivered when it mattered most, powering home a 70th-minute header that lifted the John Brown University men's soccer team to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Friends (Kan.) on Saturday morning (Sept. 6) at Alumni Field.
JBU improved to 4-1-1 with the win while Friends (0-3-0) remained winless in 2025. The shutout was John Brown's second consecutive of the year as the Golden Eagles improved to 3-4-0 at home all-time against Friends.
The breakthrough goal was vintage Gallardo – his fourth of the young season – as the striker rose perfectly to meet a dangerous cross and bury his chance past Falcons' goalkeeper Juan Jose Echeverry.
The numbers tell the story of a tilted pitch, in favor of the Golden Eagles. The Blue and Gold peppered the visiting goal with 20 shots compared to just four for the visitors, including a commanding 10-2 edge in shots on target. Only the heroics of Echeverry – who made nine saves – kept the morning clash from becoming lopsided.
The home side controlled possession from the opening whistle but couldn't find that elusive breakthrough in a frustrating first half. John Brown outshot Friends 8-1 before the break, yet went into the intermission empty-handed despite wave after wave of proper questioning.
The second half brought more of the same pressure, and finally, the breakthrough. Sophomore Marcos Miranda and freshman Ransford Okyere combined beautifully to set up Gallardo's winner, with the helpers coming at the perfect moment when the visitors appeared poised to steal an unlikely point. Sophomore Andres Pereira, making his debut in the Blue and Gold, regained possession of a failed Falcon clearing attempt and played the ball to Okyere before the freshman pushed possession out wide to Miranda on the right flank. Miranda's swinging cross landed perfectly in front of goal for Gallardo's first game-winner of the season.
Between the posts, Adam Tebbs had a relatively quiet evening but made the saves when called upon. Two stops were all he needed to preserve another clean sheet and improve to 2-1-1 on the year.
The Golden Eagles outshot the visitors 12-3 in the final 45 minutes, controlling the game's tempo and rhythm until the final whistle.
John Brown will take on in-state foe Williams Baptist (Ark.) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Walnut Ridge next. The Eagles escaped Alumni Field last season with a scoreless draw despite playing a man down for the final 15 minutes of the match. Live coverage will be announced later at JBUathletics.com.
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