Varsity Boys Soccer defeated Saratoga High School 3-0 on Friday, Feb. 2. MVHS was able to score early on in the game, ending the first half with a three-goal lead. Although SHS had some scoring opportunities in the second half, MVHS successfully defended these attacks and ended the half with neither team scoring a goal.
One notable aspect of the game was when it started to rain halfway through the game. Junior and striker Royce Tse says that the team changed the way they passed and communicated better to mitigate the skidding effect of the ball caused by a wet field.
“Our strategy kind of shifted to hitting it more in the air and receiving it, or to just keep it on the ground and simplify everything,” Tse said. “We made sure all our passes, all our movements and all the communications we got were really crisp and perfect.”
Head Coach Pancho Tzankov believes the team played well together and did a good job helping each other with different roles on the field. He especially notes the team’s defense, which he says reflected the team’s work ethic during its rigorous training.
“Our defense today was very strong,” Tzankov said. “These guys improved a lot. This was the best defense we’ve had for the whole season. I was training defense almost every practice, and I’m very proud that their defense this game was super stellar. ”
Sophomore and goalie Kavya Kumar agrees that not getting distracted by outside influences improved their defensive gameplay, which contributed to the win.
“Our defense was focused this game and we didn’t make any mistakes or let anything get into our heads,” Kumar said. “We just played our game and I feel like that’s what really made our defense really stable today.”
Tse believes that there was a psychological aspect to their victory, stating that the mentality of having almost all of their players back from injuries and other activities, along with the belief that their opponent’s defense was not invincible, helped MVHS gain the early lead.
“The more we kept fighting, the more we knew that their defenders couldn’t hold up the whole game,” Tse said. “Eventually, they’re going to give up some goals. Just being patient and being smart about the touches and passes we were making built up to the goal.”
While Tzankov believes this game went well, he mentions some aspects the team could improve for future games. He was pleased with the improvement on the defensive end, but he hopes the team improves their offensive ability.
“Our attacks were not very coordinated,” Tzankov said. “The first three goals were really beautiful, but after that, they started playing for themselves and we couldn’t score anymore.”
Kumar also feels that staying focused throughout the entire game is important and that the team should focus less on the score. He feels that being complacent due to an early lead can lead to mistakes throughout the game, and reduce the team’s efficiency.
“I feel like in the second half a few times we slacked off,” Kumar said. “We were up 3-0 so we didn’t give 100%. Next game, I think we should keep our full intensity all throughout the game no matter what happens.”
