By the YISS Journalism Class
At a friendly home game on Saturday morning of February 28, the YISS boys soccer team defeated KIS thanks to their teamwork and endurance. Though it was not an official match, this game was the first of the season for KIS, while YISS had more games prior to this one.
As the girls were still playing their game, the boys soccer teams warmed up on opposite sides of the field. The KIS members spread out and helped each other stretch before the game, while the YISS boys formed a circle on the ground and did the same. At 10:33 am, the game began.
Only three minutes into the match, KIS took their first shot at scoring a point. However, the KIS player missed marginally as the ball shot over the goal post. As the game continued, #22 Seungbin on the KIS team began to stand out as he played exceptionally well. He first caught the attention of Mr. Resende, the YISS coach, when he tried to score a goal from just past the middle of the field, but missed as the ball rushed closely by the bottom left corner of the goal. From then on, Mr. Resende called out multiple times to encourage #13 Doyoung Choi (senior), the YISS midfield defender, to “stick to #22.”
“As a defensive midfielder it was hard to mark on player #22…” Doyoung explained after the game.
With teamwork, the YISS soccer team was able to push the ball out of the defense zone and into the offense, where the boys then struggled to find a clear shot for a goal. After about eleven minutes, #9 Terry Lee (sophomore) on the YISS team took a shot, but missed as the ball barely passed the top of the goal post. From then on, the ball continued to go back and forth between the two teams as each school tried multiple times to score a goal. Finally, almost 30 minutes into the game, YISS made a point. The play was very smooth and efficient. First Doyoung Choi passed the ball from the midfield far out towards the goal, where members of the offense team, #7 Junior Oh (senior) and #9 Terry Lee, took it from there. Junior Oh first received the pass and skillfully dribbled the ball closer towards the goal as members of the KIS team began to form a defensive stance. Standing around the right corner of the field, Junior then swiftly kicked the ball towards the area in front of the goal where Terry Lee ran and slid onto the ground, pushing the ball into the goal with his foot. The crowd in the stands, including High School Chaplain Mr. Horne, and the Student Council Senior Representative, Elenna Na, cheered for their team.
“…The boys showed good team chemistry, and we played aggressively in the second half. I’m so proud of our team,” continued Doyoung as he thought back about the game.
“I feel good that I won,” Jordan, the YISS goalie, expressed happily when everything had ended.
The game came to a close at 12:04 p.m. with a score of 3 – 2 in favor to YISS. Being in different divisions, KIS had fought very hard and appeared very content with the results for their first game.
“It was a pretty good game it was friendly. We learned a lot even though were not in the same division I hope both teams take a lot from the game,” shared Steve Si Youn Kim, #7 on the KIS team.
“I think for our first game off the season we played really really well we did a lot of things that we’ve been practicing we played some good passes and I think its a good part of the season. Come out and support!” – Jeff Jacobsen, the Assistant KIS Coach, shared as he recapped on the game and the benefits learned from the day.
The game ended with the friendly exchange of handshakes between each member of both teams.