On Friday, May 2, McLean’s varsity soccer team took on the Yorktown High School Patriots in a big district game. The Patriots have traditionally been strong competitors, and personal tensions between the two teams have escalated that rivalry.
Just minutes into the game, senior midfielder Rafa Cabral scored a header off of a throw-in, and the Highlanders were up 1-0. They dominated possession in the beginning of the first half, keeping the ball on the offensive side. However, a mistake in the box by senior goalkeeper Sebastian Carmenates led to a Yorktown goal, and the momentum shifted.
“This was a game where their team was definitely focused on our two forwards, and we just needed to utilize the midfield space and give it to [Cabral] and [Hamel],” senior forward Joe Margita said. “We struggled with that early on, but we know the changes we have to make going forward.”
McLean’s defense fought hard, and the game went back and forth for a while. However, Yorktown’s speed and determination allowed them another goal, the Patriots now up 1-2. Late in the first half, the Highlanders switched up their formation to a counter-attack with a 3-1 formation in an attempt to combat Yorktown’s strong driving force.
The crowd stirred as one of Yorktown’s defenders kicked a long ball right into the side of the school building, breaking a window. McLean’s administrators handled the disturbance, but unease built on the field.
With just eight minutes left in the first half, junior midfielder Charlie Lannin scored a goal to put the Highlanders down by just one. The half ended 2-3, and both teams had intense determination going into the second half.
Going into the second half, the Highlanders were determined to catch up, and hostility between them and the Patriots was high. Early in the second half, junior midfielder Luke Hamel put the ball right above the head of the goalie, tying the game up 3-3.
After the goal, tensions started to run high, culminating in a fight on the sideline during a throw-in and a red card for the Yorktown player involved.
“We were all proud of our guys for not getting involved and keeping level heads,” Caramentes said. “As we go along in the season, the games are just going to get more high-strung, and we’re going to need to maintain that calm.”
Throughout the rest of the second half, both teams were strong on attack, but struggled to finish and produce offset pieces, which are free kicks and corner kicks. Lannin and senior forward Ada Karatepe had multiple shots at a goal. However, both were unable to score, and the game went into overtime at 3-3.
In overtime, both teams brought their very best on both offense and defense. Shot after shot from Hamel failed to go in, and the defense successfully prevented the Patriots from scoring. The game ended 3-3.
Next, McLean will face Marshall High School at home on May 8th. The Highlanders are excited for another district matchup.
“In terms of technical ability, we don’t have much to change,” assistant coach Alex Macnabb said. “All of our guys have the skill to play at the level we need to, and in the future, we just hope for a better result. We had good chances, all game, and we will make them matter next time.”
