As the postseason approaches, Coach Joe Bush and the boy’s varsity soccer team are looking to improve almost every aspect of their game to come out as a strong contender during their playoff run.
“We need to technically play the ball faster, communicate and defend very well,” Bush said.
With a 4-6-5 record, the team finished with a third place standing in the Mid Suburban League East (MSL).
“Finishing third was a positive and we’ve also come back in a lot of games, we defensively have also been executing a lot better,” Bush said.
For instance, during their Sept. 20 game against Prospect the boys were down 2-0 with 18 minutes left in the game and came back to win 3-2 with goals made by senior Conor Murphy, Josh Arzeta and Guillermo Anaya.
Murphy also attributes the team’s recent successes during the second half of the season to a change in their offensive strategy.
“We switched up our formation so we have more attacking power and that has made us successful in scoring more goals,” Murphy said.
While junior defender Manny Pillado cites that one of the biggest influence on their performance in this second half has been the team’s bond with one another.
“We’re doing way better now due to the fact that we have practiced more and we have really gotten closer to each other,” Pillado said. “And that reflects on how we play ‘cause we trust each other now and trust is a big part of soccer.”
In the meanwhile, hoping that their trust will go a long way, the boys are preparing to face fourth-seed Libertyville during their first round of playoffs on Oct. 16
“They’re a good team, and we’ve competed with a lot of good teams, and have played close games to good teams like Libertyville,” Bush said. “We have just got to execute a little bit more.”
To compare, Pillado says that anything is possible with this match-up.
“Well honestly, I think anything can happen in soccer,” Pillado said. “And I think we’re evenly compared and I think that it’ll be a good match because both teams will be giving it their all.”
By: Julianne Micoleta
