The boys’ soccer varsity team traveled to Camp Walker for a rematch against the Daegu Middle and High School (DMHS) on April 14. They secured a 2:1 victory again, by improving their defense and teamwork. 

With a 4-4-1-1 formation, the starting lineup featured goalkeeper Brian Hyun (1), left-back Maddox Jolly (3) and Jason McAteer (22), center-backs William Seo (16) and Lian Seok (14), left midfielder Alex Seo (12), center midfielders Charlie Park (10) and William Seok (8), right midfielder Robert Cho (18), attacking midfielder Jayden Lee (77) and striker James Kim (20). 

“Playing in a much smaller field than camp walker, we used the 4-4-1-1 formation instead of 4-4-2 in the second match. We looked for ways we can compete mid-field, and this formation was the perfect fit,” Coach Purdy said.

The change in formation proved to show impact immediately at the beginning of the game. Around the one minute mark, Jayden Lee (77) received a quick pass from Alex Seo (12) in the penalty box and finished it with a goal right towards the corner of the post. 

Despite the absence of Jacob McAteer, (17) a key player of the team, due to a leg injury from the first friendly match against DMHS, DIS continued to push through. “I wasn’t able to participate in team practice for three weeks due to injury, so Mr. Purdy decided to put me in the game after the first half. It took a few minutes for me to get back into it, but the injury didn’t impact my playing a lot,” McAteer (17) said. 

Around the nine-minute mark, Lee scored again through high-press. After intercepting the opponent’s pass, he calmly tapped the ball into the center of the goal. “I pressed on the other team like the coach told us, and was able to steal the ball from the defender. I just shot the ball right away and it went in,” Lee (77) said.

After a ten-minute recovery at half time, players flared back onto the field. Unfortunately, several minutes after the game resumed, center back Seo (16) had to leave the game due to a calf cramp. As a result, DIS conceded a header on the very next play. Later on, Lee (77) and Park (10) also had to leave the game due to leg cramps. 

However, DIS did not fall behind easily. After allowing a goal and losing key players, the team’s focus sharpened. “The first half started really well because we were able to move the ball around well, but in the second half, I think we just got really tired with a few players leaving due to injury. After DMHS’s goal, we had to get back into the game and concentrate,” McAteer (17) said. 

With heightened focus and resilience, the Jets secured the win. Players from the Warriors also acknowledged the boys’ outstanding performance. “The DIS team played really well. A lot of good ball movement was shown. The way they switched the ball was definitely high level quality,” DMHS left back Daemyn Taylor said. 

After winning two games in a row, players now prepare for the upcoming Korean International Schools Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament, set to take place in Jeju from April 23 to 25. “We had a lot of training sessions involving skills, team chemistry, health sprints, and tactics. The friendly matches we had definitely helped us prepare for KISAC a lot, and we are expecting success in the tournament,” said Coach Purdy.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Chloe Cho

Left back Jason McAteer (22) locks into a physical duel with a DMHS player, using his body to fend off the attacker and handle the ball. Strong defensive instincts and controlled skill allow him to break out of pressure and carry the play upfield.