Varsity Boys Soccer triumphed on Jan. 14 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Gunn High School. MVHS started out slow, not being able to break through Gunn’s defense for the first half of the match. However, junior Benjamin Zhang assisted senior Miller Gao in order to make a goal within the last minute and a half of the first quarter, changing the tides of the game entirely. During the second quarter of the game, Zhang again assisted Gao, who scored the second goal, and received an assist from junior Bhanu Raut to score the final goal. Head Coach Pancho Tzankov highlights the significance this game had for the whole team, as the team was able to come together and secure the win against a hard opponent after their loss against Saratoga last week.
“I felt incredibly proud of my players,” said Tzankov. “After last week’s unfortunate loss, this game was one we really needed to win. The players executed the strategy we had prepared for — everyone played better than ever this season. We focused on pressing as a team and maintaining control throughout the match, and it paid off.”
Tzankov specifically praised Zhang, who was able to step up in place of the team’s primary striker, Senior Royce Tse, who was sidelined due to injury. Tzankov was able to compensate for their primary striker, with the implementation of new strategies, such as the high press demonstrated throughout the course of the match. Tzankov was not only impressed with the tactical improvements his team displayed, but their ability to adapt independently to GHS’ strong defense.
“The high press was a new strategy we implemented and it worked excellently today,” Tzankov said. “A high press is performed when their defenders get the ball and our forwards and wingers press together against the opposing defense. Using this tactic really helped us control the game.”
Tzankov felt the coordination between the offense heavily contributed to MVHS’ dominant win. Goalkeeper and junior Kavya Kumar, was able to significantly aid the offense behind the scenes during the first quarter by preventing Gunn from gaining momentum early on. Kumar also played an essential role in keeping a strong defense to widen the gap in scores. The consistent defense created through Kumar’s skills resulted in the team being able to maximize their opportunities.
“Today was a really important win for us,” Kumar said. “Our defense was solid. There were a few moments when Gunn had shots on goal, but we were able to recover quickly and keep our focus. We definitely played better on defense compared to our last game. The first goal was huge for us and it really was able to set the tone for the rest of the game.”
After utilizing video footage of MVHS’ previous matches, MVHS was able to exceed Tzankov’s expectations with their coordination. During practices, he typically lets players talk amongst themselves while viewing footage to more independently identify their weaknesses. This all culminated in the team’s ability to work together effectively throughout the match.
“We trained hard this week, including a full-field scrimmage to simulate match conditions,” said Kumar. “We need to keep our heads up and continue practicing regularly. If we keep working together like we did today, I’m confident we can keep improving and take on future challenges.”