Defense leads Baldwin's playoff win

Posted

Lights out defensive play is a major reason why the No. 7 Baldwin boys’ soccer team reached the Nassau Class AA playoffs, and is one of the biggest reasons why it gets to move on after its first-round postseason matchup against No. 10 Farmingdale.

The Bruins’ back-end players kept the Dalers off the scoreboard last Saturday, helping the club earn a 2-0 victory. 

Baldwin was successful in limiting Farmingdale’s dangerous striker Jhonaton Valbuena in the game. Bruins’ coach Mike Palumbo said keeping Valbuena off the scoresheet was a team effort, with senior Jordy Pesantez being responsible for a large portion of his coverage. 

“We were worried about Jhonaton, because he very skilled and very fast,” Palumbo said. “In the first half, I put Jordy on him. He’s the smartest and most calm defender I have, and he did a really great job.”

In the second half, Baldwin broke through offensively, thanks to surging senior Chandley Elie. After being limited by injuries early in the season, Elie has picked up his play of late, and against the Dalers delivered a key goal.

“We put Chandley on the outside wings so he could create a little bit more,” Palumbo said. “He got a pass from our senior, Juan Fuentes. Juan gave a great cross, and it went right to Elie, who made a move to beat the defender and just tapped it in the goal. It was a nice play.”

Baldwin’s second goal of the contest came via penalty kick. This time it was the team’s leading scorer, Paul Guiracocha, who delivered after drawing a penalty kick with some slick ball movement. 

“He is so dangerous with his quick one-two step over move,” Palumbo said. “The defender almost every time goes for the swipe, and he just knows how to take it in the leg, and go down in the box. He was able to earn a penalty kick, and hit the PK to score our second goal.”

The Bruins defense stood tall the rest of the way, helping the club earn its sixth shutout of the fall. Those six shutouts have come despite several injuries among the team’s goalkeeping corps. Palumbo is quick to credit defenders like Pesantez, Futentes, John Gamble, Juan Gordillo and Jimmy Noel for much of the team’s defensive success this season.

“The guys that I put on the backline are the men of the team,” Palumbo said. “These guys are not scared to be physical, have a good soccer sense and usually play 80 minutes for us. All those shutouts, props go out to the defense.”

Baldwin advanced to play No. 2 Hicksville on Wednesday after press time, an opponent the Bruins are quite familiar with.  

“We’ve battled Hicksville the past four or five years, and every year when the playoffs come around we always end up seeing them,” Palumbo said. “They’ve had our number in the past, but we feel like we’re a very fast soccer team, and when put on turf we should be that much better. We’re looking forward to a little revenge.”