New York Post PSAL boys soccer beat writer Zach Braziller looks at the teams in Francis Lewis’ way of returning to the PSAL Class A semifinals.
Teams (in seed order): Francis Lewis, John Adams, Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Julia Richman, Cardozo, Boys & Girls
Primetime potential match-up: No. 7 John Adams @ No. 2 Francis Lewis
Best first-round match-up: No. 18 Julia Richman @ No. 15 Bronx Science
Dark horse: No. 18 Julia Richman
Best scorer: Sebastian Guenzatti, Francis Lewis
Best goalkeeper: Alex Sandler, Stuyvesant
Player to watch: Rodolfo Paguada, John Adams
Outlook: This is a loaded bracket armed with an explosive title contender (No. 2 Francis Lewis), a burgeoning power (No. 7 John Adams), one of the best keepers in the city (No. 10 Stuyvesant’s Sandler) and two teams – No. 15 Bronx Science and No. 18 Julia Richman – that played their borough’s best extremely close.
Let’s start with the Patriots, who have owned Queens A East the last several seasons, reeling off a remarkable 37-0-6 mark since a loss to Cardozo Sept. 20, 2006. Guenzatti is one of the five borough’s premier playmakers, but he isn’t alone, with help from strikers Ricky Rada, Frank Lopez and Sam Mignon, and midfielders Daniel Bedoya and Fadil Paljevic. The emergence of sophomore keeper Chris Herrera, which allowed Mignon to move to the field, has solidified Lewis’ championship aspirations.
Adams, two years removed from a ‘B’ crown, receives much of its offense from the dynamic duo of Paguada and senior striker Morisanda Dioubate. The two combined to score 20 goals and add 16 assists for the Queens A West champs. For the Spartans to get to the quarterfinals, they will likely have to knock off Stuyvesant, a well-school club led by Sandler.
The senior had six shutouts this year, including one of No. 6 Beacon. He was also solid in defeat, making 13 saves in a 2-0 loss to top-seeded Martin Luther King Jr. Oct. 7. Stuy isn’t one-dimensional, either, aided by a stout midfield led by Arik Raviv, Andres Fernandez and Cody Levine.
It’s a shame Bronx Science and Julia Richman have to face one another to open the playoffs. Then again, it makes sense since both clubs play in difficult divisions, so why not start the postseason against a formidable foe. If either side wasn’t in the Bronx or Manhattan, it could’ve gained a top 10 seed. That experience will help one of them on Saturday.
Prediction: No. 2 Francis Lewis over No. 7 John Adams
These two are mirror images of themselves, relying on skill, ball possession and solid keepers. Lewis is just better and deeper. Guenzatti is more advanced than Paguada and Herrera lacks the experience of Adams keeper Willian Benitez, but at 6-foot-3 can reach shots Benitez cannot.
The Patriots, more to the point, have several skilled attackers. The Spartans tend to rely heavily on a select few. Adams got to this juncture last year, losing to Beacon, 4-0. The Ozone Park school won’t be just happy to get here, but Lewis is used to this stage and is hungry for more. Adams is still getting accustomed to it.