As the boys soccer team heads into the first round of the regional tournament, it is important that the team is prepared to play hard.
This opens up the first round of regionals on Wednesday against Robinson.
This game will be a tough test for the Atoms. Robinson is 8-4-4 in the season, and they are coming off of a close 1-0 loss to Fairfax in the district final.
Despite the challenge facing the Atoms in the first round of regionals, the team is preparing to make a run for the regional championship.
The Atoms have had a solid season so far this year.
The team is 6-6-1 and is coming off an unfortunate 3-5 loss to Falls Church in the first round of the district tournament.
“To try and prepare for regionals we are trying to fix the errors that we made in the district game,” junior Muhajer Adem said.
Learning from mistakes made in previous games is a crucial way for the Atoms to get ready for the regional tournament.
If the team minimizes their mistakes in the regional tournament, then they have a strong chance to make the regional championship game.
“We are preparing for the regional tournament by working hard in practice and staying focused,” junior Andrew Lizarazu Vasquez said.
It’s important for the team to work hard at practice, as practice is where most of the preparation before a game takes place.
The Atoms last game was the first round of the district tournament, where they lost to Falls Church.
The Atoms were already faced with a challenge before the start of the game, as the team was missing many players due to injury.
There was back and forth in the first half, as both teams scored a goal, making the score 1-1 at halftime.
The second half was rough for the Atoms, as they conceded a penalty and a red card, making the team go down 2-1 early in the second half.
It was hard for the Atoms to come back from the unfortunate red card, as Falls Church ended up scoring four goals in the second half, making the Atoms lose by a score of 3-5.
“I think that when our defender got a red card it made it so difficult for our team to score because we had one less player than the other team,” Adem said.
Playing one man down made it very difficult for the Atoms to develop any second half momentum.
“It’s hard to win the district tournament with the team not fully healthy. I think that if we were fully healthy then we could have definitely won this game,” Lizarazu Vasquez said.
As the soccer season is coming to an end, the team has made many memories throughout the season.
“My favorite moment was when we won 7-1 on our senior night,” Adem said.
The Atoms dominated throughout the entire game on senior night.
The Atoms faced off against Edison for senior night on 5/16.
The Atoms dominated possession the entire game and outplayed Edison from the start.
The team came out hot to start the game, going up 5-1 at halftime.
The Atoms maintained dominance through the second half as well, as they finished the game winning 7-1.
“Senior night was great because we got to celebrate the seniors in a great way. It was a great win for the team and for the seniors,” Lizarazu Vasquez said.
With the first round of regionals right around the corner, the Atoms are prepared and look to make a run for the title.
“I’m excited for regionals, I think we have what it takes to make a run for the championship and win the tournament,” Lizarazu Vasquez said.