Sachem Boys Soccer Drops Decision to Longwood

Sachem North’s Kyle Nasso tied the game at 1 early in the second half on a penalty kick to give his team momentum but a late goal by Longwood’s Aril Sire was the difference in Longwood’s 2-1 victory Friday afternoon.

It was the opening game for both teams in League I play and a chance for each team to come away with a much needed victory. Neither team had a strong showing in 2010 – North went 3-12-1 while Longwood managed only one win – and an early season victory would be big for either club.

Sachem came out pressuring in the first half and pulled even when Nasso converted his penalty kick with just under 38 minutes remaining in the game. For the next ten minutes North had multiple chances to pull in front and came away with two corner kicks.

Their failure to capitalize set Longwood up with a chance. Anil Sire had multiple high quality chances but the Lions couldn’t convert. Sire sent a cross right across the goal mouth that rolled through without being touched by a member of either team. Sire also launched a free kick from near midfield that went untouched through the six-yard box.

Finally, with just under eight minutes remaining in the game, Sire controlled a bouncing ball about 20-yards out, found the ball at his left foot and fired a low shot that eluded North goalkeeper Brian Armstrong.

“The kid can hit a ball,” Longwood head coach David Huey said. “He stepped up and won the ball and fired it with his left foot. It was a great shot and a good finish.”

Sachem, missing one of its key players in injured forward Marlon Peregrina, was unable to mount much of an offense in the first half. They stepped up the intensity in the second half but it just was not enough.

“We didn’t play well in the first half and you have to play the full 80 minutes to be successful,” Sachem head coach Chris Russo said. “We’re not good enough to play pieces of games; we have to play the whole game.”

When asked if Peregrina’s injury was part of his team’s lack of offense he conceded it was a “factor,” but that it was “history.”

Losing at home to Longwood was a tough thing for Russo to accept.

“We have to play our top game against every team we play against,” he said.