COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Women’s Soccer continued their start to SEC play with a road trip down to Fayetteville, but any excitement towards the matchup with the No. 3 ranked team in the nation quickly turned sour, as Arkansas would rout the Tigers 8-2.

Coming into the matchup, concern for this team was warranted. Out-of-conference play would prove to be difficult for the Tigers, losing in spirited efforts against ranked teams like Memphis, Saint Louis and Duke. With their only wins being against in-state rivals Southeast Missouri State and Missouri State, it was up to the Tigers to right the ship as SEC play began. That wouldn’t happen, and instead the Tigers would lose their first conference game to Texas A&M at home last Thursday. 

The chance to change their fortunes would come Sunday, and an opportunity to score an upset win against the undefeated Razorbacks would present itself. Once again though, the Tigers would find hardly anything in the matchup.

The first half would prove to be a nightmare, as Arkansas would get off to a quick start, scoring within the first 5 minutes of the game. That trend would continue, as multiple players would find the back of the Missouri goal, ultimately putting the Tigers in a 6-0 deficit by the half. In comparison, Missouri had zero shots on goal, a dismal statistic that was yet another example of the team’s inefficiency thus far this season.

In the second half, Missouri would finally show some life, scoring in the 65^th minute off of a right footer by midfielder Leah Selm. However, if the Tigers thought that they would mount a late game comeback, that belief would be quickly snuffed out, as the explosive Arkansas offense would rattle off two more goals in the 78^th and 80^th minutes.

The final box score would be all the more condemnatory, as Missouri would have four shots on goal to Arkansas’ 16. What is even more evident is the lack of offense coming from the Tigers, with the bulk of offensive firepower coming from 2023 First Team All-Sec player Kylee Simmons, who scored the other goal for Missouri. If the Tigers hope to be more successful in the games to come, it will be predicated on players like Selm, Keegan Good, Emily Derucki, and others taking that next step.

Missouri continues their road trip Thursday in Tuscaloosa, as they take on Alabama.