Bregado Flax Educational Center's Akeem Creque, left, battles Charlotte Amalie High School's Herminus Reid during Sunday's game at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds

BVI U-17s split weekend Soccer match with USVI

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

A combined BVI High School and Bregado Flax Educational Center Under 17 squad, avenged an opening 2-1 loss, with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Charlotte Amalie High School Chicken Hawks Soccer team Sunday, at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.

Following the morning loss, the BVI squad returned later in the afternoon to take a 3-0 victory from the Chicken Hawks. Lee Evans Jacobs opened the BVI’s scoring 15 minutes into the contest. David O’Connor, the only player to score in both games, made it 2-0 in the 21st minute from a penalty. Akeel Burrows rounded out the BVI’s scoring in the 26th minute for a 3-0 halftime edge, which they held on to for the victory. Just before halftime, a Chicken Hawks’ goal was disallowed as a player was offside.

In the opener, mid fielder Alphonse Waddle scored 10 minutes into the game for the Chicken Hawks’ early lead. Center forward O’Connor brought the BVI side even in the 20th minute, as they settled for a 1-1 halftime draw. Both teams played a defensive second half, before forward Herminus Reid scored in the 55th minute from an assist by Chris Barber.

Coach Petersen Azile said his game objective wasn’t about winning or losing, but seeing how far the team has progressed since playing in Antigua in August. “My players have a sense of understanding passing the ball and making through passes,” Azile said. “My biggest problem is the way we pass the ball and the way we move, we move in small areas because that is the way we have been practicing. I haven’t had the numbers to use the whole field at time, because some of my players live on Virgin Gorda. We practice in 10 x10 or 10 x 20 areas and they have gotten used to passing the ball in small areas and staying. But, when I get the numbers, I can use the whole field”.

Chicken Hawks’ coach Clifton Williams said he was looking for several things from his team including; better technical execution; showing some knowledge of the game; good tactical play; knocking the ball around trying to keep possession; trying to penetrate and getting quality shots on goal.

“I also wanted to see how well they defend, which is a phase we just started, as our league in St. Thomas is getting ready to commence,” Williams explained. I wanted to see how well they did things like pressuring, covering, balancing, playing individual and team defense, so I can know where to go from here with further preparation.”

Williams said he wasn’t’ happy with the quality of play from his team. “Some of the players it seemed stayed out late last night and they are tired, so, I’m not getting enough energy. Many times when they should jockey and follow their man, they give up by just sticking their foot out,” he observed. “Sometimes, they don’t run enough. There’s not enough running off the ball so that limits them on the passing they can do. We were not opening the field well enough. They lacked energy because they of the tiredness.”

Azile said what he wanted to work on against the Chicken Hawks, was making his team better. “It isn’t about winning or losing, but finding out what their strengths are as a team and as individuals,” he pointed out, noting that their fitness level is poor right now. “We still have a lot of work to do on the technical areas of the game—controlling, passing and dribbling—we have one or two players that are playing very well, but others that still have problems doing it as a team, defending together and attacking together.”

Besides getting match practice, Williams said the objective of the trip was to let his players have some fun and try to play in a manner he has been trying to get them to do. The match was also an opportunity for evaluation. “We tried to record the games so I can show it to them afterwards and they can critique their own performances, which will be more convincing to them,” Williams said. “It will allow me to get more of them to take personal responsibility for their further preparation, because telling them about it is one thing, letting them see it for themselves, is something else.”

Azile echoed similar sentiments. “Some of my guys don’t know when to move into space, when to make the run, hold the ball or put themselves into position to receive a pass,” he stated. “Those are things I looked for over the two games that I can work on to make these guys better.”