In over two decades coaching boys soccer at Curtis, two losses stand out to Joyce Simonson: The 1989 city championship game, in which the Warriors dropped a double overtime heartbreaker, and Monday’s 2-1, PSAL Class A quarterfinal setback to top-seeded Martin Luther King Jr.
“This is a very hard loss,” she said. “I think and I know we played even with them. They didn’t roll over us. It’s very frustrating.”
No, unlike last year’s quarterfinal matchup, won by King, 6-0, MLK (15-0-1) couldn’t shake eighth-seeded Curtis. After a scoreless first half, the Warriors (14-3-0) took the lead in the 48th minute on Christian Aldaz’s tally. The edge only last seven minutes – freshman Jethro Dede equalized into the top right corner, sneaking the right-foot shot just past Warriors goalkeeper Daniel Rozsko – but Curtis felt it was robbed in the 68th minute.
Nermin Kurtesi made a run down the left sideline and sent a shot toward the far post. Keeper Moulaye Traore was unable to corral the shot, leaving an open net. Aldaz got to the carom with his head and the ball seemed headed for twice, until fullback Mbaye Fall came out of nowhere to send the parry away.
The Curtis bench erupted, expecting a handball. None was called. King coach Martin Jacobson said he saw Fall get a head on it, as did head official Joe Carone. Less than a minute later, MLK star striker Moriken (Chelsea) Sangary ripped home a left-footed shot past Rozsko and the Knights held on for a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
“It’s very hard to play against 11 players and the refs,” she said. “I feel like we should’ve had a fairer game. … I think we deserved better calls, we deserved at least a handball down there.”
Simonson was nevertheless proud of her players’ effort. She lauded the play of her back line, particularly the work done on Sangary by Dogo Cooper, Major Yancy and Edwin Zosayas. The city’s leading scorer expressed a similar sentiment, crediting the dogged Warriors.
“I thought we played an excellent game,” Simonson said. “Our defense was on target. Any time you keep a team [down] that’s been champions for 12 out of the last 14 years and keep them 0-0 at the half, you played good defense.”
The Warriors’ future remains bright, despite finishing second in Staten Island A, behind Tottenville, for the second straight. Though Aldaz, the Island’s leading scorer, graduates, Kurtesi, midfielders Eduardo Bravo, Joel Jackson and Edward Whitfield are all back.