Members of the Allentown High School boys soccer team go through agility drills during a practice at the high school on Aug. 16. Fall sports are up and running with tryouts, practices and scrimmages as they get ready for the 2013 campaign. FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI Three Allentown High School players bring a great summer of international experience to the high school’s boys soccer practices as they prepare for another solid season.
Goalkeeper Josh Samuels, defender William Sjaastad and midfielder Kevin Primich — all juniors for the Redbirds — played prominent roles for the USA New Jersey Strikers, an under-16 team based out of Allentown and Upper Freehold, as they trained and played in a tournament in Spain early last month.
“In six games we gave up five goals, and I thought we could’ve won all of our games, but we didn’t get the breaks,” coach Amaro Pereira said.
The Strikers advanced out of roundrobin play in their bracket with a 2-0-1 record, beating teams from Spain, 6-1, and France, 1-0, and tying a team from Mexico, 2-2.
In the round of 16, they beat a team from France, 1-0, lost to a team from Madrid, Spain, 2-1, and then beat a team from northern Spain, 2-0.
Samuels shared time in goal with Jean Miguez, a familiar role for him after sharing time in goal with an Allentown High School teammate last fall.
Robert Ellerson and Randy Gonzalez supplied solid support on defense, as the Strikers allowed three of their oppositions’ five goals on penalty kicks and the other two on free kicks. Kevin Pereira logged a number of goals and assists in the midfield playing alongside Primich. Peter Hall, a junior from Trenton Catholic Academy who has received NCAA Division I scholarship offers, also earned praise from Pereira.
Pereira said the dedication of his players prompted him to set up the trip.
“The kids have been working hard, and this team is so competitive and enjoys playing soccer,” Pereira said. He planned the trip through UK Elite, which gives teams the opportunity to play overseas. “I told them that one day I’d take them for international competition.”
The team first arrived in Portugal, Pereira’s homeland, where it trained with internationally acclaimed team Benfica. From there they flew to Madrid and then took a five-hour bus trip to San Sebastian to play in the Donati Cup, an international showcase of more than 400 teams from 32 countries. Pereira said more than 15,000 avid soccer fans packed the stadium for the opening ceremonies.
Pereira said the Strikers’ solid training convinced him they would be ready for the tournament, and they did not disappoint.
Now the Strikers’ players are preparing for their high school seasons that start in September.
Allentown comes off its best season last fall at 18-2, going unbeaten in the Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division and losing only in tournament games to the Pennington School, 1-0, in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals and 4-3 to nemesis Princeton High School in the state tournament for the second year in a row in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III finals.