Junior midfielder Paul Byage sent a looping cross from the right that found Maxi Jimenez-Calderon’s forehead to complete a hat trick. The goal sealed a win against Alvirne. It also saved Concord from a scary second half.
The Crimson Tide boys soccer team took a comfortable — almost too comfortable — lead of 2-0 on the Broncos into the halftime break of Friday’s Division I season-opener. They lost the style of play that got them there in moments of the second half and were lucky to come away unscathed with a 3-2 win.
Jimenez-Calderon, a junior, was happy to start off strong. He also knows Concord can do better.
“Individual performances don’t matter if we can’t put it together as a team,” he said.
A victory against Alvirne at Memorial Field was a must for a Concord team that only won four games last year.
Throughout the first half, Concord outclassed its opponent easily. Attacking runs came easy from all sides: Jimenez-Lopez on the left, Byage on the right, Ethan Belanger up the middle, Ami Gadi and Sumaili Ramadhani through the gaps. The Tide was organized in and out of possession and clearly stuck to its tactical setup.
In the second half, however, it all changed.
“We have a two-nothing lead, which can be one of the most dangerous leads to have in a game, and we just got complacent,” said Concord coach Scott Dunlop.
The match could have gone much smoother if Concord had buried earlier chances and managed to stay onside. Concord’s runs were poorly timed against the Alvirne defense and gave away possession over and over again. The offside issues were a look into how this group will have to work on its mental sharpness throughout the game to maximize its talent across the squad.
The first goal for Alvirne was a simple error in clearing a set piece in the box. Concord responded quickly after a good effort by Byage to get into a dangerous position. But again, the team’s defense lost some shape, legs got tired tracking back and another shot went in.
“We started getting lazy in the back and started getting in our own heads,” Ramadhani said.
As for the Concord defense, the back line kept Alvirne’s chances low despite the rough result.
Sophomores Asher Hertier and Brennan Schmidt anchored the middle, accompanied by rotating backs out wide. The two will be key as they gain experience and are responsible for playing out from the back to set up the attack.
Despite the feeling from multiple players being that they could have done more, a win is a win. This Concord team has plenty of talent and a mix of experience that should translate into improved results if consistency can be resolved.
“I think the first game of the season with a win is going to progress us to work harder, want to go win more games and beat bigger teams,” Hertier said.
Concord’s next match is at Manchester Memorial on Tuesday at 6 p.m. That will be a bigger test away from home against a middle-of-the-pack playoff team from 2025.
Every result will count at the end for a Tide team looking to get into the playoffs.
