The high school boys’ soccer team entered Camp Walker for the “Daegu Derby” against Daegu Middle High School (DMHS) on May 11. After defeat at the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament and a friendly win against Disciple International Christian School (DICS), the boys armed for a repeat victory — even with the roster hindered by injuries.

Unlike the squad’s inexperience on the 11-a-side field scenario last year, KISAC and the friendly match-up prepared the Jets to tactically square off on the larger pitch. “The boys are developing a lot. Lots of them are athletes that are strong and fast, and the recent games have taught them a lot. However, we still need a larger field for us to practice and be more successful,” said Coach Purdy. 

With 40-minute halves, the game kicked off with intensity. The DMHS Warriors pressed the Jets’ backline hard, but sophomores YiManuel Cortez (number 42) and Maddox Jolly (number 3) kept their composure as fullbacks. Centerbacks Jason (number 22) and Jacob McAteer (number 17) supported these two with stable passes as the “twin towers” in the back.

After breaking through the Warriors’ press, left wing Jayden Lee (number 77) and central defensive midfielder (CDM) Aaron Shin (number 10) dribbled through the center with skillful feet. Their creative precision created opportunities for striker Ethan Rossmeisl (number 5) and central attacking midfielder (CAM) Jayden Ahn (number 7), which led to simple tap-ins for them to score.

Even after a two-nil lead, the boys continued with an aggressive mindset. However, around the 20-minute mark, central midfielder Harrison Sung (number 26) suffered an ankle injury after a collision with a DMHS midfielder. “I really don’t remember what exactly happened. I knew a player from DMHS was running into me, and I was ready to land down as I was falling, but I mislanded my ankle on the field, and I got injured,” said Sung. 

While the injury tempoed down the Jets, they managed to push even stronger. After earning a corner kick, striker Colin Ji (number 11) flicked an acrobatic back-heel shot into the far right post of the net. In the final five minutes, Lee struck again with a powerful left-footed shot (4:0).

“Our team all played really well. We’re not that used to this big field, but we performed well, keeping our possession and playing aggressively. Especially since the Southern Korean Association of International Schools (SKAIS) is 7-a-side, we’ll be performing better,” said Lee.

After halftime, Coach Purdy substituted in a freshmen-only team, plus sophomore Maddox Jolly. Although the youngsters lack experience in high school soccer, their bond forged through middle school futsal seasons of the past helped them contend against the Warriors. While they made no additional points, they maintained the 4-0 lead.

 “All of the freshmen are doing very well, and they performed amazingly well in the DMHS game. Although they had no seniors, no juniors, only sophomore Maddox, who’s small like a freshman, we could see all of them create space and attack. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we have a very bright future ahead for our soccer team,” said Coach Purdy.

“The game was really intense. I think DIS is a really great team, and both teams showed great performance. It was a great opportunity for our team to practice our passing and execution for the upcoming games. We would love to compete against DIS again next year,” said junior Evan Son, captain of the DMHS Warriors soccer team. 

With the upcoming SKAIS championship on May 14, the friendly match provided a confidence booster for the boys. With one more practice left in the tank, they prepare both physically and mentally on chasing gold in the tourney this Saturday.