EYS Turbos - Ironbound Spring Warm Up 2018 Tournament Recap

Post date: Mar 20, 2018 1:41:36 AM

The EYS Turbos got back to outdoor game action this past weekend in the Ironbound Spring Warm Up Tournament. It's been a few months since the Turbos have played an outdoor game, but you wouldn't be able to tell it by the form they took to the fields on a frigid weekend. The temperature might have been close to freezing...but the Turbos...were ON FIRE!!!

DAY 1

Game 1: EYS Turbos vs. Clifton Stallions Spartans

The EYS Turbos opening game of the Ironbound Spring Warm Up Tournament was against the Clifton Stallions Spartans. It would take place on a frigid Saturday morning at Independence Park in Newark. The opening kick took place at 9am...and by 9:04am..the Turbos got a quick wake up call. Just 4 minutes in, they found themselves down 1-0. Not the start the Turbos were looking for...but they settled down quickly and shook the opening goal off.

Turbos down 1-0.

The score would remain 1-0 for most of the 1st half, but the Turbos would find a way to pull one back just minutes before the halftime whistle as C. Henao would find the back of the net in the 22nd minute. 3 minutes later, the halftime whistle..and the game would go into halftime tied.

Turbos tied 1-1!!!

Having gotten on the board late in the first half, the Turbos wasted no time in taking the lead in the second half. Just 1 minute into the half, in the 26th minute, the defensive pairing of N. Henriques and D. Lyons would force a turnover and send the ball up the left side to M. Shamy. He would get by one defender and send the ball to the middle to C. Henao, who with a quick look up would send a through ball up the right side to I. Nieves. I. Nieves would take a shot from the right wing side that was blocked and deflected to C. Henao. He would take a shot, and that too would be blocked, but the rebound would bounce to the feet of I. Contreras would would bury it in the back of the net!!

Turbos lead 2-1!!!

The lead would be short lived however, as the opponents would pull one back in the 32nd minute to tie the game.

Turbos tied 2-2.

The Turbos would keep pressing hard the rest of the way to take the lead..but it seemed like luck just wasn't on their side. D. Zokner would navigate through the midfield minutes later and send a perfect through ball up to a charging L. Henriques. It was a foot race to the goal as the speedy forward pushed the ball ahead to himself. Feeling pressure from the charging defender, he ripped a shot on net that rang off the post. The rebound bounced out to I. Nieves who quickly put a rebound back on goal, but the Clifton goalie dove to his left to keep the ball out. A few minutes later, the Turbos would again break down the defense and I. Nieves sent a ball from the right side all the way across the field to a wide open N. Osorto. He teed up his shot, but it flew just wide of the goal as he put his hands to his head in frustration.

The hard work would pay off though with just 4 minutes left to play in the game. In the 46th minute, the Turbos worked the ball around the offensive zone with ease. Passing from side to side at will. After running out of room on the left side, N.Osorto passed the ball back to D. Lyons on defense. He quickly sent the ball up field to I. Contreras. The defense closed in on him. He picked his head up and laid the ball off to C. Henao charging from the right who blasted the ball high into the back of the net!!

Turbos lead 3-2!!!

The game wasn't over yet though. The Clifton team wasn't going out without a fight. They pushed everyone up and went hard for the tie. The last 4 minutes of game play felt like an eternity as the earned corner after corner and pelted goalie G. Falcon with shots. He pushed them all aside as he sprawled from side to side to make the saves, while his defense cleared out the rebounds. After one final corner kick, the fall was firmly in G. Falcons hands..as he played the ball out to N. Henriques on defense..the final whistle would blow!

TURBOS WIN 3-2!!!

Game 2: EYS Turbos vs. Americas United Barcelona

The second game of the day would take place on the Belleville High School soccer fields. The temperature at game time was a bit warmer than the first game of the day, but not much. The Turbos would be matched up against a team they had faced once before during the Center Circle Indoor season 1 year ago. When they faced them the first time, the Americas United team was a mix of U8 & U9 players. The Turbos were a u* team at the time. This time they were on the same level with all players at the same age group. The Turbos would win the first meeting by the score of 2-0...they were hoping for a similar result today.

The first half was grueling. Both teams went at each other hard and often. G. Falcon made save after save early on as the Americas United team pushed hard up the field and took plenty of shots from distance. The Turbos weren't giving up anything close to goal as the N. Henriques, L. Henriques and D. Lyons did an excellent job of stepping up to attackers and forcing early shots. In the midfield, M. Shamy and N. Osorto had their work cut out for them on the left side as the opponents pushed midfielder and defenders at them, but they stalled them every time. In the middle, C. Henao and D. Zokner not only pinched back to help on defense, but distributed the play to both sides of the field and up to forwards to create chances. On the right, I. Nieves was running solo for most of the game with little breathers, and making excellent runs up the side to open up the defense. At forward, I. Contreras and L. Henriques did their part in giving the opposing defenders and goalie fits the entire game with quick moves around defenders and plenty of shots on target.

With as much action as there was in the first half, the halftime whistle would blow with both teams tied at 0.

Turbos tied 0-0 at halftime.

The second half would kick of with the Turbos feeling confident. They hadn't broken through on the scoreboard yet, but they felt like they were close..and it would only be a matter of time. In the 29th minute, that time came. M. Shamy would stop a break up his side and create a turnover. He forced the player to make a bad pass across the middle with D. Zokner was waiting to pounce on the loose ball. He would turn up field and find C. Henao making a run towards goal. C. Henao would play the ball past a sliding defender to the right side and tee off with his next step sending a shot speeding past the goalie who never had time to react!!

Turbos lead 1-0!!!

4 minutes later, the Turbos would strike again. D. Lyons pushed up from his left back position and intercepted a pass going up the middle. He sent the ball up the left sideline to N. Osorto who turned on the jets to run the ball down to prevent it from crossing the end line. He would turn the ball back into play on his right foot and send a cross into C. Henao standing at the left goal post...and with one quick motion, would turn into position and slide a ball into the right side of the goal!!!

Turbos lead 2-0!!!

The Americas United team wasn't ready to lie down yet, however, and would pull one back in the 37th minute after breaking past the defense. G. Falcon would make the initial save, but the rebound was just out of reach and the opponents would push it into the back of the net.

Turbos lead 2-1.

If the Americas United team wasn't ready to lie down yet...neither were the Turbos. Determined to increase the lead, they would do so in the 42nd minute of play. After a goal kick, the Americas United defender, one the Turbos knew well, pushed the ball from his backline and tried to carry into the offensive zone. N. Henriques would meet him at midfield and put an end to his rush as he stood him up as the two went shoulder to shoulder. N. Henriques willed his way into position and came away with the ball. He looked up and passed to a wide open I. Nieves on the right. With L. Henriques at forward, I. Nieves sent a through ball between two defenders for L. Henriques. The speedy forward rushed up, got onto to the ball and sent a shot from outside the penalty box onto goal. The goalie had no chance as he was playing the ball to the right, and L. Henriques put the ball far to his left and into the left side of the net!

Turbos lead 3-1!!!

With 1 minute left to play, the Turbos put the icing on the cake. D. Zokner would take possession of the ball in the midfield and finesse a pass up to I. Conteras at forward. He looked up to take the shot, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, saw N. Osorto darting in on his left. He saw the better chance and sent the ball to his left side...N. Osorto buried it. This time his hands went to his head in celebration instead of frustration.

Turbos lead 4-1!!!

The final whistle would blow seconds later and the Turbos would pick up their second victory of the tournament!

Turbos win 4-1!!!

DAY 2

Game 3: EYS Turbos vs. Ironbound SC Knights

Going into the final day of the tournament, the EYS Turbos were sitting in 1st place in their bracket. A win in their final game would ensure a perfect 3-0 record and keep them in the top spot. The Turbos would face the tournament host Ironbound SC Knights.

The game had a 5pm kickoff time, and the weather was a little warmer than the previous day...much to everyone's liking. The Turbos must have really liked the warmer weather, because it didn't take long to get on the scoreboard in this one. To give the overworked defensive backline of N. Henriques and D. Lyons a breather to start the game, D. Zokner and L. Henriques patrolled the backline to start. After forcing a quick turnover, the pair quickly turned play around and sent the midfield of N. Osorto, C. Henao and I. Nieves flying toward the opposing goal. At forward, I. Contreras joined the midfield and the 4 Turbos moved upfield together. Having broken through the defense with some quick passing, C. Henao found himself with the ball on his feet as they entered the penalty box and he sent a pass to his left to a wide open I. Contreras who slammed home the first goal of the game just 7 minutes into the game!!

Turbos lead 1-0!!!

The Ironbound team would settle down after the initial breakdown and hold the Turbos off for most of the remainder of the 1st half. But the Turbos had plenty of chances throughout. D. Zokner and M. Shamy connected a several times in the first half on the left side of the field, with M. Shamy sending a few shots just wide of goal. On the opposite side, C. Henao and I. Nieves also connected several times with both players sending shots on goal, but the Ironbound goalie was up to the task just as often. On the other end of the field, N. Henriques and D. Lyons took up their normal residence on the defensive line and kept goalie G. Falcon, who was nursing an injury to his heal from the previous day, at ease for most of the half. The Ironbound squad was able to break through the backline twice in the first half, but the Turbos were up to the challenge. Once when the Ironbound squad got by a slipping N. Henriques on the right side and went in on goal 4 on 1. With D. Lyons taking away the passing lanes, N. Henriques was able to get back to his feet and come back in time to block a shot just as the Ironbound player sent it towards goal. Then again, in the 20th minute, the Ironbound team earned a Free Kick form just outside the penalty box. The shot was high and over the defensive wall, but G. Falcon was there and to knock down the shot and control the rebound.

As the half was coming to a close, the Turbos would get on the scoreboard again. After what seemed like countless shots on goal by N. Osorto, I. Contreras and C. Henao, were turned away by the Ironbound goalie, the rebound popped out to I. Nieves. He wouldn't be stopped again and buried the rebound into the bottom right of the net!!

Turbos lead 2-0!!!

The half would end with the Turbos comfortably leading by 2.

The second half would be all Turbos...from start to finish. Just 2 minutes into the half, D. Zokner would battle through 3 Ironbound players and come away with the ball. He would play the ball to the right to I. Nieves who was waiting alone with the all of the Ironbound players closed in on D. Zokner and M. Shamy on the left side. I. Nieves would sprint up the right sideline with the ball and find C. Henao running up the middle. With a perfectly placed and timed through ball, C. Henao would run onto it and guide the ball into the back of the net with ease!!

Turbos lead 3-0!!!

The Turbos would keep pressing. They would earn a series of corner kicks midway through the half. D. Lyons and H. Henriques would come up form their defensive positions to assist in the corners and send ball after ball into the penalty box. L. Henriques and M. Shamy would be on the receiving end of some of those shots and send shots on goal themselves. Luck just wasn't on their side today as both would miss the goal by inches on multiple occasions. Leading 3-0...it looked like the Turbos would get a fourth in the 40th minute as D. Lyons spring D. Zokner up the middle after stepping up to intercept a pass. D. Zokner was going in on goal 1v1 with the goalie, when out of nowhere a defender would catch up from behind and dive at his feet. He made contact with the Turbo player..and almost sent him down. The referee started to raise his whistle to his mouth for the PK call..but it never came.

Not to be discouraged...the Turbos wouldn't give up, and 10 minute later they would get their 4th goal just before the final whistle. L. Henriques would start play from the back and send N. Osorto up the left sideline. As he crossed midfield, he sent a ball diagonally up the middle to his right as C. Henao broke the defensive back line and stayed onside. With time running out, he cut inside a defender to his left and drilled a shot into the back of the net to the goalie's left.

Turbos lead 4-0!!!

...and that's how the game would end. As soon as the Ironbound team took the kickoff to restart, the ref would blow the final whistle to call an end to the game.

The Turbos would end the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record. They would compile an impressive 11 goals for, and only 3 against record, including a shutout in their final game!! They couldn't have asked for a better start to the outdoor season!! They Turbos continue to show...that through hard work, dedication and teamwork..they can accomplish anything!!!

HAVE FUN!

PLAY HARD!

SHOW RESPECT!

(DNP but with us in spirit: D. Quishpi & O. Rico)

CONGRATULATIONS EYS TURBOS!!!