STRONG START 2/26/2025

Our two teams started the league season with a strong pace and convincing victories at home against HSS Whittle School. Despite the high difference on both scoreboards at the end of the games, the satisfaction achieved by our teams was quite different: while the girls dominated from the beginning and showed a choral and collective game, the boys struggle until the very end, arriving to the last seven minutes of the match with a single goal advantage.

It was the boys who opened the competition at 3:50PM. Coach Roma started the game with those players that didn't miss Monday's training, and soon Rex scored the first goal of the match. Kevin scored the second right before half time and gave the Eagles a comfortable advantage despite their non-most brilliant performance.

But second half started with a goal for HSS, and our boys got knocked out for a few minutes. HSS even had the chance to level the scoreboard, but the left post saved Paul and the Eagles. Tony Li changed the game when he jumped onto the field within seven minutes left, giving an assist and forcing a penalty both scored by Kevin.  Then Christiano, Kevin again, and Tony, opened the gap to the final 7-1 that definitely doesn't show the reality of the match.

Our girls' performance was very different. Since the warm-up Coach Blanco insisted on the importance of being focus and get the job done as early as possible to avoid complications like the one suffered by the boys. Alex opened the count after an amazing team play in which Joyce, Zoe, Tisa, Teodora and finally Alex moved the ball from the right corner to the left one, playing one-two touches and showing a great ability to give speed to our ball circulation despite having only one training prior the match.

Alex was the star of the game with three goals and several assists, followed by Rue's hat-trick (achieved despite playing only the final ten minutes of the match). Joyce, Helen, Teodora and Larissa also contributed with a goal, and Zoe, Tisa, Baiansy, Kelley and Sophie did great in defense and midfield, allowing Ann to end with a clean sheet in her first match as a goalie.

FIRST FRIENDLY

1/15/2025

Our HS Boys Soccer Team played the first friendly game of the year yesterday against Sendelta. With the season starting at the end of February, and with the following three weeks break awaiting, this match was important for Coach Roma to see his players in action and for our students to experience situations and scenarios in a real match.

Against a more experienced and trained team, our players adopted a more reactive attitude, giving the initiative with the ball to the visitors and trying to take advantage of fast breaks to create chances to score. With Paul giving the best performance at the goal, denying Sendelta's goal several times, Cristiano's and Kevin's work in midfield made the difference in the first half with two almost consecutive counterattacks that Kevin transformed in a 2-0 advantage.

Sendelta didn't change his approach to the game and, with our players more tired due the defensive effort and the lack of preparation, leveled the game in the second half despite Paul's outstanding saves. Kevin, Jason and Rex had opportunities to give us the win in the last few minutes of the game, but then it was their goalkeeper who kept the 2-2.

The game was decided by a penalty shootout, in which Ethan, Jason, Rex and Shunyu scored their shots to give us the first win of the year.