The Richmond Senior High School Raiders opened the first week of play by splitting games against Piedmont and Independence respectively.
Opening the season with a 3-2 victory over Piedmont on the road Monday, the Raiders could not overcome an early 2-0 deficit thanks to a few second half adjustments by Independence coach Dino Silva in a 4-0 loss Wednesday.
“There were a couple of changes we made in our formation tactic-wise and the guys executed it flawlessly. We were able to build up in the middle, and it also gave us options out wide to open up space. The wings were staying wide and high,” Silva said.
Similar to a prize fighter, the Raiders responded after giving up two quick scores by charging down the sideline, but could not find the net. Independence cut off any opportunities in the middle of the field, forcing the Raiders’ offense outside and limiting the scope of their shots.
“It’s just communication, and a lot of composure from my back line. I like it,” Independence senior goal keeper Lyric Kopera said.
Richmond coach Chris Larsen attributed Wednesday’s loss to a demonstration of experience over athleticism. The match seemed more of a game of chess than soccer. The Raiders simply made the wrong moves at the wrong times.
“It’s the first time in a long time where the first 15 minutes were enjoyable to watch. It’s something you watch on the weekends, at higher levels. It’s not just get the ball, kick it and chase it down the field,” Larsen said. “There was a little bit of possession, strategic passing … We were working on trapping them in the corner, and not getting strung out 70 yards. That was positive to see, but what got us out of that was those mistakes. Once you get behind the eight-ball, you have to start taking some risks, and when you start taking those risks, things open up for the other team.”
While Independence remains undefeated with Wednesday serving as its season opener, Richmond Senior High School’s record evened to 1-1 with 1-1 Sun Valley waiting in the wings for a road game Monday.
Raiders open season with 3-2 victory over Piedmont
Although losing Wednesday, the week was far from a wash for the Raiders after opening the season with a 3-2 victory over the currently winless Piedmont Panthers.
The Raiders jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but after a Piedmont second half-rally a penalty kick by senior Gonzalo Gonzalez sealed the victory.
“They settled in, it was back-and-forth and both teams had some chances … Gonzalo, who I think was perfect last year on PKs, I let him step up and he struck it on his first one. He put us up 3-1,” Larsen said.
Richmond jumped out to an early lead thanks to a pair of turnovers deep in Piedmont territory. The first came 30 seconds into regulation, when senior Noah Gill intercepted a pass as the Panthers attempted to clear the ball. He then sent a left-footed kick past the keeper to put the Raiders up 1-0. Less than 3 minutes later, senior Landon Summerlin performed the same maneuver to put the Raiders up 2-0.
“We started really strong (against Piedmont). In practice, we learned to trap and once we trip we press. we put them in the corner, try to steal the ball and get a quick counter-attack. [Wednesday] we started too fast and lost our composure in the midfield,” Summerlin said.
What’s next
The Raiders look to put themselves back in the win column Monday on the road against Sun Valley, then return to Rockingham for a 7 p.m. tilt against Porter Ridge (1-1) Thursday. Next weekend, the Raiders head on the road for the North Carolina Coaches Assocaition Kickoff Classic, where they will face Rolesville (2-0) at a neutral site in Middle Creek
“It’s going to be a challenging week, but hopefully we can take tonight, and use it to help us get better and prepare for next week,” Larsen said.