Ridgefield Boys Soccer Rallies For 2-1 Win Over Greenwich

Junior French exchange student Simon Brossier scored two goals in the second half, including the winner with just two minutes remaining, as the Ridgefield boys' soccer team rallied for a 2-1 victory over Greenwich on Monday.

The two goals were the first of the season for Brossier, who helped the Tigers remain unbeaten at 2-0-1.

"I feel proud of this team," Ridgefield coach Phil Bergen said. "We did not play well in the first half and gave them way too much space, but the guys hung in there and kept working and played better as the game went on." 

Soon after the start of the game, the Cardinals (1-1-1) began beating the Tigers to most of the balls while aggressively attacking the fifty-fifty chances.

The result was a 5-2 edge in shots for the Cardinals  in the first half, but the game remained scoreless at the intermission.

Greenwich's English coach Kurt Putnam could be heard exhorting his side at halftime and expressing his frustrations to the referees about a lack of calls. 

One of the referees, a Brazilian, was having none of the coach's complaints, coming over to the sideline after one particular non-call to ask if Putnam wanted a handball called on one of his  own players.

Despite being unable to score,  Greenwich continued its quick transition offense in the second half. 

After Ridgefield opened the second half with a thrust into Greenwich's zone with a shot on goal,  the Cardinals  immediately countered.

Greenwich forward Phil Collins, who drove Ridgefield defenders to distraction all game, tracked down a through ball while outrunning two Tigers' defenders. 

Collins' efforts finally paid off five minutes into the half,  as his run deep into Ridgefield's defensive box allowed him to make a touch pass to a streaking midfielder Frankie Gurst. 

Gurst then deftly finished the effort by tapping the ball into a wide open corner of the net for the first goal of the game.

Ridgefield began its comeback with 20 minutes left in the game innocently enough out on the wing in the Cardinals' half of midfield.

Tigers midfielder'  Michael Peckham's long range direct kick curled near the net and was kicked in by Brossier.

And then in stunning fashion with two minutes left in the game, the Frenchman broke in on goal after the ball had been cleared up the left wing by co-captain Daniel Hager.

Brossier  took a shot that ricocheted off the cross bar out to the other side of the field right to Ridgefield co-captain Daniel Carlson, who sent it back to the right center of the net.

Brossier then headed the ball across the goal line, giving the Tigers a dramatic victory.

"Our first goal gave us a lot of confidence that we could play with them and that turned the game around,"  Bergen added.  "We still played a lot of panic ball, but I put Hager in center midfield in the second half and liked the way played. He holds on to the ball and makes good passes including the pass starting Brossier's run that ended in the winning goal."

An angry Putnam offered no comment after the game.

Unfortunately for Ridgefield, Hager hurt his ankle in the final minute of the game when Greenwich pressed to tie the score.

Hager adds to the list of Ridgefield's walking wounded, as Beckman is playing hurt, and Timothy Mines and captain Matthew Shannon are out. 

The win marks the second straight game in which Ridgefield rallied from a goal down for a 2-1 victory. The Tigers defeated Westhill in their previous outing.

Ridgefield earned its first win over Greenwich sinjce defeating the Cardinals, 3-0, in the second round of the 2007 state tournament a week after losing to Greenwich, 5-1, in the FCAC final.

In honor of Brossier, who was born in California, the Ridgefield fans chanted: "Viva La France."