McKinney Chupacabras 1-1 Mississippi Brilla FC

McKinney Chupacabras 1-1 Mississippi Brilla FC

Chupacabras earn first point in gritty, card-filled draw

The McKinney Chupacabras earned their first point of the season on Wednesday night, holding off Mississippi Brilla FC in a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Ron Poe Stadium.

The Chupacabras took the lead early with a well-worked goal in the first half, as Brayden Beason found the back of the net in the 11th minute, assisted by Jakob Fiol. McKinney carried that 1-0 lead into halftime, showing strong organization and attacking intent.

The second half brought adversity. In the 64th minute, defender Ty Reynolds was shown a red card after a heated exchange with Mississippi’s Denis O. John, who received a yellow for his role in the altercation. Reduced to 10 men, the Chupacabras battled to hold the lead, but Brilla equalized in the 81st minute from the penalty spot.

In total, seven cards were handed out during the tense match - four to McKinney, including the red card to Reynolds and a yellow to Head Coach Jose Burciaga Jr.

Despite the chaos, the Chupacabras showed resilience, earning their first draw of the campaign and proving their grit in front of a record-breaking home crowd of 4,192 fans who packed “The Poe” for a midweek matchup.

Words by Emma Woods.