Malden Rockers Boys Under-12 Soccer Team Has Great Season, Wins Cup

The Malden Rockers (officially known as Malden Youth Soccer Boys U12-2) had an absolutely fantastic Spring season. The roster changed a bit between Fall and Spring as the number of Malden boys U12 teams shrank from four to three. Despite losing a few players, and welcoming four more and an additional coach (Esad), the Rockers gelled as a team very early in the Spring. 

The first two games, and the defense
The first game was in Melrose against a young but energetic team. Although the offense was not yet passing much, Malden made many shots on goal. Unfortunately, no one could hit the side of a barn door; at least 12 shots went wide or well above the net, or straight into the goalie's hands. One Malden shot did go in. Melrose threatened to score late, but the Rockers held on for a 1-0 win.

The next week, home at Devir Park, the Rockers faced Chelmsford, another young team that was relatively small in size but with good ball skills. Chelmsford fell 3-0.

The Rockers one sweeper/two back-defense had begun its season-long domination, which began by keeping the ball out of the last quarter and ended by disrupting and pushing back offenses into their own halves. 

• Sweeper and Captain Demetri Christodoulides was solid during virtually every game, covering the left and right backs, and directing the defense. He used his trademark right-footed sweep to clear balls and make well-planned passes forward. Demetri was in charge of making a wall against close free kicks. He would grab a couple of teammates and charge up to the ball, only moving back, a few feet at a time, when the referee insisted.
• Right Back Josue Argueta had a soft few games early on. As he gained confidence in his position, he chased attackers with surprising speed, given his size, occasionally leaving a trail of fallen opponents behind, but rarely incurring a penalty. Few balls escaped his body trap, which he followed with tactical passes to Rocker midfielders. 
• Lacking speed, Left Back Gus Brookes instead predicted the movement of play, kept the ball to the outside, and made sure-footed tackles that stopped attackers in their tracks. Near the end of the season he developed a strong clearing kick that delivered the ball deep to the offense, and discovered that his head not only contained a brain but also provided a solid platform for headers. 
• First-year U12 player Omar Alani played both right and left back as well as goalie. With a natural understanding of the game, he adapted immediately to the offsides trap. If an opponent managed to get by his first tackle, Omar never conceded, chasing down even the quickest players. 

These four defensive players worked together brilliantly, implementing textbook first- (on the ball), second- (backing up the first, staying between the ball and the net) and third- (providing balance on the non-ball side of the field) defender coverage. They worked as a well-oiled machine.

The cornerstone of the defense, a reluctant Josh Andrews was the Rockers' primary goalie. With raw talent and little coaching, he made both straight-forward and amazing saves, often sacrificing himself in the dirt. Josh displayed no fear in rushing attackers who had penetrated the defense. His powerful leg often gave Malden long goal kicks and painfully hard and usually accurate free kicks. Josh longed to be a field player and, until the Commissioner's Cup when he proudly took on full responsibility for goal, usually played the second half as a left or right back. 

Adding to the defense's toughness was Mario Riquelme. Known for his physical play that intimidates the competition, Mario served as stopper, blocking up the middle. This Spring, he was more careful in going for the ball, which resulted in fewer penalties. However, he also "made the play" when necessary, whether or not it resulted in a penalty. As center mid-fielder, Mario also contributed to the offense, passing the ball upfield and occasionally moving the ball himself, right up the middle including to the goal.

Game three, and the offense
Given Malden's dearth of soccer fields, avoiding make-up games is critical. In game 3, in the pouring rain at Devir Park, the Rockers tore through Lowell 7-2. One of Lowell's goals was made on a penalty kick that shouldn't have been: the referee initially placed the ball outside the box and moved it to a penalty shot just before the Lowell player teed off. Joining the defense, Malden's offense had found its stride. 

• Alex Carmago had moments of brilliance as a center midfielder who distributed the ball strategically and got open for the pass back. His ball handling skills in close quarters stymied defenders. His sweet kicks delivered several well-placed corner-kicks and goals that swished into the corner of the net.
• Chief contortionist and acrobat, tall and lanky Kyle Kelley had some difficulty getting the ball into the net this year, but made several goals as well as assists on crosses. At least twice a game, you could hear the crowd gasp as he turned on a blazing burst of speed, outrunning everyone on the field. If he caught a defender's leg on the way by, he'd roll onto the ground and pop back up. Kyle provided important coverage on both halves of the field, and whether he scored or not he provided yet another threat that opposing teams had to worry about.
• Always cheerful, Matt McCarthy kept up the team's spirit on and off the field. On the sidelines, his wry wit amused while on the field his tenacity on the ball inspired. As left, center and right midfielder, Matt kept the ball moving among Rockers players. As a forward, he showed a strong taste for the goal and bursts of speed if an opponent stole the ball. A good communicator, Matt scored from a better look on goal by calling for the pass from Gus at the perfect moment. 

Games 4,7, and 8, and Sportsmanship
In games 4, 7 and 8, the Rockers' offense continued its rampage as they beat Westford 4-0, Waltham 8-0, and Melrose 6-0. Especially at the end of the games with the most lop-sided scores, the refs and opposing coaches thanked and praised Malden for good sportsmanship. The Rockers expressed joy in their goals, but never taunted their opponents. When a player went down, after the whistle had blown, the Malden player involved would check in to make sure the boy was okay. When a player had to be taken off the field, a Malden player was there to help escort him. Malden's coaches tried to avoid running up the score and left the opposing players' pride intact. These shows of compassion in the midst of fierce competition and their ability to leave the game on the field made coaches and parents as proud as they were of the teams' wins.

The Team Off the Field: Coaches, Managers, and Parents
The Malden Rockers head coach was tactician and inspirational leader Mario Antonio Riquelme Iturriaga. Coach Mario is a master at teaching skills by breaking them down into mechanical pieces, for example teaching step-by-step how to make a penalty shot from body and foot positioning to eye movement and psyching out the goalie. Coach Mario was the team's inspirational leader. Kim Brookes provided able coaching assistance by creating drills and running many of the practices. She worked individually with players, analyzing their technique and helping them focus, and identified areas of needed improvement in specific players and for the team as a whole. Assistant Coach Esad Sinanovic brought a quiet manner and deft analytical skills to the team. He demonstrated skills, ran drills, and spotted specific problems to solve. Coach Esad provided a third way of teaching strategies and technique, which meant that the coaching staff was able to reach the kids in a number of ways, thus dramatically improving player development.

Team managers Marilyn and Ed Andrews kept the trains running on time by communicating with parents, and organizing get-togethers. Particularly at the end of the season, the Andrews's help was invaluable in bringing together players and parents.

All of the parents were critical members of the Malden Rockers this year. Player attendance at practices and games was impressive. By the end of the season, the parents had become a cohesive group of polite but loud, bell-ringing fans. Their openness with one another, across boundaries of culture and language, made the team more of a family, which was an important factor in the Rockers' success.

Wilmington, Somerville, and Tenacity
When the Rockers played them, Wilmington was second in the division, where they fought to stay through the end of the season. Malden had to work hard to score, winning 3-1, and even harder against a very strong Somerville team that vied for second place until the Rockers beat them, again 3-1.

• Jason Montezuma was last Fall's most-improved player and usually a work horse. When playing with confidence, Jason could block up the center of the field, move the ball to the side of the field and make a well-placed cross, and support the man with the ball by being in open space, including directly in front of the goal, which resulted in two goals on headers. In a key game during the Commissioner's Cup, he played until he almost dropped, having disrupted both the opponent's offense and their defenses.
• Harun Sinanovic was a "coach's player." When sent in, he followed the coach's instructions to a T, passing generously and getting open in front of the net. Not fast, Harun played well by positioning himself strategically. He scored twice, once on a lovely, well-placed shot the goalie couldn't reach, and made a couple of assists with picture-perfect passes across the middle. 
• With their small wiry frames, the two "Young Turks," Cihan Ozseferoglu and Akif Yagicioglu brought fiery fleet feet and astounding dribbling skills, often working side-by-side within 5-10' feet of one another. Cihan's "move" was to speed down the left side of the field, stop the ball on a dime, watching the defenders rush by him, then flip the ball in another direction to continue his weave toward the goal. Sometimes he waited until a defender passed and turned back, taunting him to take the ball. Cihan made a number of clever goals from near the net. Through the season, he developed into more of a team player.
• The Rockers' top goal-scorer, Akif threaded his body with the ball through tight spaces with no regard for his body. Large defenders often pancaked him to the ground as he turned and twisted, but no one could keep him down. He was tenacious, following the ball from the offensive to defensive halves of the field. In some cases he scored through patience, waiting for the goalie to commit and then delicately placing it to the other side. In others, he shot hard and long. In later games, Akif began to heed the coaches pleas that he pass, creating options for his teammates in the open field.

Last (and Least) Two Games
The last two games of the season, the Rockers played terribly. All of the players seemed to lose focus after they clinched the Division 4A Championship in Game 8. They couldn't connect on passes. Balls got by on defense and sailed by the net on offense. The team was trying to make it through the season undefeated, but looked like the team they'd been during Game 1, playing at the opponent's level rather than at their own. Malden barely took a 2-1 win over middling Chelmsford, and finished the season by losing to Lowell 1-3 in the rain, the team they'd beaten in the rain earlier in the season by 5 goals. 

Division Champions
Despite the Rockers' rocky last couple of games, they finished a very impressive season with a 9-1 record and 27 points, 4 points ahead of second-place Wilmington. (3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss.)  The Rockers went to the Middlesex Youth Soccer League's Commissioner's Cup as the top seed in Division 4, knowing they would win the Cup by playing as they knew they could. 

Commissioner's Cup Champions
 The Malden Rockers trip to the Commissioner's Cup and their return to Malden as Cup Champions is a story for another day. Here's a short summary.

The first game at the Cup was against the Wilmington team they had beaten earlier in the season, 3-1. Despite his morning-bleary eyes, Midfielder Mario Riquelme was Malden's backbone during the match against an inspired Wilmington team. Mario played incredibly hard, chasing down attackers, grabbing the ball from midfielders, backing up the Rockers' defense, and taking the ball upfield. He played until he was ready to drop, rested a bit, and went in for more. Malden won 1-0.

Gus Brookes was the key player in the second game, which was against a Wakefield team the Rockers hadn't played before. Gus attacked the ball on the ground and in the air, through almost any means necessary. His strikes made the opposition wince. Players who tried to dribble by him were left without the ball and sometimes often off their feet. The team finished off Wakefield 3-0.

Simultaneously, Wilmington pulled off a tie against Malden's biggest worry: a Somerville team the Rockers' hadn't played during the season. That meant Malden only needed a tie against Somerville. Though the Malden attack approached the goal frequently, it was Cihan Ozseferoglu who managed to get it by the Somerville goalie. The Rockers fed Cihan the ball, and he bobbed and wove his way to the net. One of his two goals was a brilliant chip over the goalie's head into the corner. Malden took the tie, 2-2, and became Middlesex Youth Soccer League Commissioner's Cup Champions.

Now that's a good way to end a season.