Anna Ensberg
MC’s varsity soccer team has won its first two games against Morse and Kearny. Senior Jacob Lofgren believes that soccer is not only a physical challenge, but also a mental one.
| Photo by Michelle Kutsanov
“Soccer is always a changing game. You go into the game thinking one thing and having certain strategies for your team, and then you see how the other team plays and you have to adjust,” Lofgren said. “You have to not only be physically ready for the game, you also have to be mentally ready. As the game wears on and you get more tired, it’s hard to stay mentally sharp. That’s when the stakes are highest.”
Lofgren is optimistic about the rest of the season. He feels that the team’s chemistry is one of their positive qualities.
“I think we’re coming together as a unit more as we go along. On the field, everybody has their position and they know what to do. They’re willing to put in a lot of effort. If someone misses a ball they’re willing to sprint back the entire way just to make a tap at the very end and stop a goal,” Lofgren said.
Junior Noah Hasan thinks that hard work is the deal maker – or breaker – in soccer.
“Hard work is always important. No matter how good you are or what position you play, you always have to work hard on the field,” Hasan said. “Hard work helps you do better and want to achieve more because of the time you’ve used. It helps the team in general, not just you, to work hard.”
Support for every member of the team is important to Hasan.
“When we work for each other, the game becomes easier. Having encouragement from each other on the field always helps us do better in the game,” Hasan said.
Lofgren agrees that communication is important, but in a different way.
“Communication is important. If you don’t communicate with your teammates, then everybody ends up going for the same ball and then you’re just getting in each other’s way all the time,” Lofgren said.
Examples of communication have been evident even in the few games that Lofgren has played so far this season.
“In the second game, a center mid passed a freshman [Joshan Darji] the ball, and he took on three guys and he got past them. Then he passed it perfectly to our teammate that was calling for the ball, which let him score a goal,” Lofgren said. “It was really great communication from everybody, and seeing Joshan tear through three players so easily, as a freshman, was really cool.”
Soccer season is looking optimistic for MC’s varsity soccer team as long as they sustain their positive team relationship. Their next game is against Serra on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at MC.
