WEST ORANGE, NJ – The West Orange United Soccer Club’s Cosmos and Gunners enjoyed impressive victories.
The Cosmos U8 boys had a another big win last weekend. Coach Saul Figueroa’s boys faced Verona SC boys in an anticipated showdown. However, the Cosmos were no match to the visiting team. The West Orange boys played possession soccer and kept control of the ball the entire first half. The team made great plays out of the backfield and shifted the play away from pressure. This resulted in a score of 5-1 at halftime.
Quickly after the break, the visiting team made changes and capitalized on a couple of defensive errors to score two goals, including a penalty kick. However, just when Verona was getting reinvigorated, Coach Figueroa realigned the Cosmos to neutralize the visiting team’s attacks. The strategy enabled the Cosmos to regroup and score back-to-back goals in a short span and secure a 9-3 win over Verona.
Ilan Salama, Dominic Pulmano, and Justin Rodriguez scored multiple goals each. Tafsir Diop also scored a goal, but stood out for his decision-making and control of the midfield. Zachary McNeil delivered once again on defense. Other players contributed to the win, including Ryan Martini, John Rebaza, and Maddox Brufau, who worked tirelessly to win balls and assist goal-scorers.
The Gunners U9 girls continued to roll last week, playing against a fast Union City team. With great ball-handling and once again stellar defense and goaltending, the Gunners won, 7-0. This victory improved the Gunners’ record to 3-0 on the season. The girls scored seven goals from five different players through great ball movement and finding the open player which lead to the goals. The Gunners’ defense, which has only allowed one goal on the season, was once again a wall.
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