Galileo Varsity Boys Soccer 2004
Soccer ends season with kick in right direction
By Michelle Chang

Galileo Academy’s Boys Varsity Soccer Team wrapped up its first season November 2, 2004 in a match against Lowell High School. The game, held at Polo Field, was undeniably close, with the Cardinals defeating the Lions 2-0.

In the first half of the game, both teams made a strong statement in terms of their defense; neither team scored a goal. Sophomore Rico Jones, goalie for the Mighty Lions, definitely played a vital role in defending the net.

“Lowell kicked the ball towards the goal,” Jones began when describing one of his saves. “I put my hand up and saved it.”

The second half of the game was a different story. Initially, Galileo was on top of its game. However, after 15 minutes into the second half, Lowell managed to kick the ball into the net, putting the first point on the board for the Cardinals. Lowell later scored another goal in the middle of the half, shutting out G-House 2-0.

“Our defense was very tight in the first half, but everybody got tired in the second half,” Jones explained.

Although Galileo lost its final game of the season, the team has come a long way as a newly formed unit. The Mighty Lions ended the season with a winning record, 8-3-2 and three forfeits. In their first match against Lowell, the Lions were shut out 5-0. As the season proceeded the team improved, learning to work together and succeeded in closing the gap by three points in their second match against the Cardinals.

When asked how she would sum up the entire season, sophomore Sandra Zambrano, the team manager, said, “We did pretty well. Last year there wasn’t a team, so this was a new team. They didn’t know each other and played well. If there were no forfeits, we could have made it to [the] playoffs for sure.”

Jones agreed saying, “[We are] tough. We have the ability to come back and don’t get down on ourselves. We’re all like a family and get along well.”

The team definitely respects and acknowledges the efforts of their coach, Mr. O’Connor, who stepped in to coach the unit after a complication with the first coach.

“Mr. O’ Connor is a pretty good coach,” Zambrano said. “He is a nice guy and is responsible. He does what he is supposed to do.”

Next year, the team hopes to qualify for playoffs and advance to the championship, but not without a few improvements.

What does Jones think the squad needs to do in preparation for the next season?
“We need to improve on getting set for free kicks, keep possession of the ball, move into open space and help defense by having everybody come back when they have to,” Jones said.
With an impressive season and a renewed drive to improve, there is no doubt Galileo’s Boys Varsity Soccer Team is kicking in the right direction.