Caption: Senior Varsity player, Benjamin Hatcher, runs back on defense while playing at Graded. [by Samuel Di Lopes]
by Bernardo Regis
The PACA Varsity Soccer Teams went to Graded to play their first soccer game of the season on Friday, August 21, which did not bring home any victories but did provide ample opportunity to strategize and study their own offensive and defensive plays for future competition against other schools in the São Paulo league.
For the month of August, the varsity boys and girls soccer teams were getting ready for the 26/27 soccer season. They prepared hard for this season and they had high expectations for the first game and for the upcoming season.
According to the PACA Warriors coaches, the players knew they would have a tough battle against the Graded Eagles this year, because their team won both the Varsity SPHSL competition, and the AASB national competition.
PACA’s captain, Benjamin Hatcher, has been ready for his last soccer season at PACA. Hatcher showed his skills on the soccer field as a talented right-footed, center midfielder with great passing and defending skills and became a key player for the Warriors.
Hatcher, a senior athlete this year, has seen his role as influential in this season for the PACA Warriors. Recently, he made a transition in ball handling from the defense to the midfield.
“I’m playing as a defensive midfielder with the key role of transitioning the ball from our defence to our midfield,” said Hatcher.
Hatcher’s expectations for the first game were high, but also realistic. This positive perspective helped him in preparing for a great season during his senior year.
“I believe we will have a very successful first game,”said Hatcher. “I do think it will be difficult to win against Graded, but our team is more than capable.”
While the boys conceded no goals during the first half of the game, their defense began to unravel at the beginning of the second half. Graded’s offense found its opportunity and the Warriors conceded a goal from a corner. The game ended 1×0 for the Eagles.
Although the boys were unable to make any goals during their game, the girls did manage to score one goal during their game.
The girls’ team was guided well through the leadership of team captain, Valentina Dallalana. Dallalana’s position as a midfielder has been credited to her great passing and shooting skills.
Under her leadership, Valentina said she planned to help her team in the best way possible.
“I am trying to make myself available for the girls, always putting their needs first and I’m trying to connect with them so that we can have a unified team,” said Dallalana. “My main focus is that we play as a team to glorify the Lord.”
As a senior student at PACA, Dallalana has also started her last soccer season for the PACA Warriors, meaning that she had a goal to do her best during the entire season.
“Since it is my last soccer season, I have set a goal to always strive to do my very best in every game even if I’m tired,” said Dallalana.
The girls planned to defeat the stronger Graded team through gaining the ball possession. This was part of the strategy that gave them the opportunity to score a goal during the game against Graded.
“Our plan was to work the ball and try to change sides as much as possible so that we can get possession of the ball most of the time and therefore dominate the game,” said Dallalana.
This first game at Graded did not meet all of Dallalana’s expectations, but hopes have been high for the rest of the season.
“My expectations,” said Dallalana, “are that we could win and that we could play the best that we can.”
The girls played hard, but had a 3-1 defeat. Although the loss was a disappointment, it provided a great learning experience for the girls team and they are looking to make improvements for their next game.
