NYPost.com’s CHSAA boys soccer beat writer Marc Raimondi takes a look at Friday’s Class AA semifinals at St. John’s University’s Belson Stadium. Click here for the live blog, beginning at 3:45 p.m.
SCHEDULE
4 p.m. – St. Francis Prep vs. Christ the King
6 p.m. – Archbishop Molloy vs. Fordham Prep
St. Francis Prep Terriers
Head coach: Franco Purificato
Record: 15-0-1
Player to watch: Christian Molano
Christ the King Royals
Head coach: Ovid Cusu
Record: 9-5-3
Player to watch: Cesar Oviedo
Outlook: One team was supposed to be here way back in August. The other was an underdog as of Tuesday. St. Francis Prep remains the CHSAA Class AA intersectional title favorite. The Terriers didn’t do anything Saturday in the snow against Xavier – a 3-0 win – to minimize that. This team is very good – nationally ranked good, with a dominant midfield, a slew of tall forwards who can find the net and a backline anchored by perhaps the best pure sweeper in all of New York City, Christian Molano.
How does Christ the King contend with all that? Good question. The Royals are much smaller. But what they lack in size, they make up for in speed, athleticism and technical ability. CK plays a pleasing-to-the-eye possession game and really dominated Iona Prep the entire game, not letting the Gaels breathe for a second with a constant attack. Cesar Oviedo is incredibly fast, Federico Curbelo is very skillful and the return of Andres Brock (broken toes) gives the team an added dimension of strength and physical play up top.
Christ the King will probably have to keep up a similar pace against St. Francis, perhaps catching the Terriers off guard. If not and it becomes a physical, midfield-driven game, it’ll be the Terriers’ to win. SFP has very few weaknesses and just a single tie all season, to Archbishop Molloy in both teams’ season opener. This group doesn’t expect to get overconfident like last year, either. If that mindset doesn’t creep in, St. Francis should have this one. But CK will give the Terriers all they want.
Fordham Prep Rams
Head coach: Pete McNamara
Record: 11-2-5
Player to watch: Dylan Cope
Archbishop Molloy Stanners
Head coach: Andy Kostel
Record: 8-3-5
Player to watch: Jack Moravek
Outlook: Kudos to the CHSAA for making this the late game, because this is a matchup befitting of a main event. There are oodles of storylines in this one, dating back to last year when Fordham Prep beat Molloy to move on to the final. The Stanners got revenge in the regular season when a last-second goal by Denes Kostel from Angelo Luongo absolutely stunned the Rams in The Bronx.
This isn’t one of Molloy’s best teams, but the Stanners are arguably the most dangerous team in the draw, because they are playing with added motivation. Two weeks ago, junior defender Justin Thompson was shot in the back leaving a party and he has yet to regain movement in his legs. His teammates have been wearing arm bands with the colors of the Jamaican flag in support of him. The Stanners have vowed to win the title for him and will surely have a typically huge crowd at Belson rooting them on.
Fordham Prep will have to put aside the off-the-field distractions and just play its game. The Rams are very, very talented in the midfield, led by Greg McNamara and defensive mid Mark Higgins. Mark Kramarchuk is extremely adept at sweeper and Dylan Cope, a midfielder by trade, has become something of a go-to finisher for this squad. Fordham will surely be bent on revenge from losing in the closing seconds to Molloy last time. But an emotional game won’t favor Pete McNamara’s team here. A smart, tactical contest will.