By Gary Tim
Reading, PA (July 25, 2008) -- In 2007, they were combatants in the same grouping for the regular season, and eventually contested the Eastern Conference finals.
This year, they were separated for the preliminary matches, but on July 25th, they met again. Once more, the Brooklyn Knights used rivals Cape Cod Crusaders as stepping stones to higher accolades in the PDL championships, as they lanced their rivals for a penalty-kick triumph in what was termed a “battle of the medieval militiamen”.
After regulation, as well as extra time went deadlocked on a cipher apiece, Brooklyn closed the deal on their ‘home team’ label to snatch a 5-3 win in a pleasant and pristine enclave nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania, called Reading.
Playing at the town’s Exeter High School stadium, head coach Joe Balsamo took a page out of his Brooklyn’s 2007 ‘strategy manual’ and coupled that with his team’s recent experiences to present the lesson of his battle plans. “I wasn’t looking for challenges. I am looking to have my team winning,” he said when also responding to a question about a bold late game move that turned out to be Brooklyn’s trump card. “That was the move to win the game”.
Just before the kicks were taken, the astute second-year head coach sowed his tactic by switching goalies, and reaped fruit to underscore the vast talent in his team. “From the first to the last guys on this team, they show they have character and they belong on this team. That’s what makes us better and that’s the reason why we are winning. We have great players, great personalities and everybody supports one another and I am very happy with that.”
Since no goals were scored in the regular period, this writer is not going get you bored stiff with a report of a zero-zero outcome. But, that does not say the quality of play wasn’t exciting, since it is a known fact in soccer circles that nil-all results are often times a product of outstanding saves and defense work, as well as near misses that regularly elicits ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’.
So, so much so for the first 90 minutes of the first of the two conference semis.
But, these are the playoffs, and definitive results are requisites. The four teams have to play three games to get the two finalists to contest for the one crown. If that reads like a sequential play on the numbers, then that is exactly what is. Referee Tim Snyder knew that. So, he first put the young ballweavers through the required 30-minute extra time, then he puffed an uneasy ‘tweet’ for the ‘first to five goals’ penalty test.
Balsamo had already read the signs from his crystal ball. “Cape Cod is a very good team; strong in the field, physical, and this year I see them more organized and play more soccer. They impressed me today. We played a very good team,” Balsamo conceded. “Again we also played wonderful. We control the game, we controlled the ball, we had a few mistakes, but I had a plan.”
Balsamo’s cryptogram was Alex Fatovic. In a move, General Douglas MacArthur would have envied, he took out regular goalie Chris Antonino, who had again kept his slate clean, and sent Fatovic towards the end of the extras.
Fatovic had only two minutes before the whistle to read what is printed on the ball. And he almost did, as a Cape Cod corner-kick quickly greeted him on his arrival between the uprights. The set-piece brought the ball within yards of his eyes (and hands); enough for him to analyze that he needed to have a little closer read.
That materialized five minutes later when he pulled off a superb save by extending himself to the left to thwart Cape Cod’s Liam Maloney’s attempt to draw even with Brooklyn’s skipper Jeff Matteo and Matia Damiani earlier strikes. “I didn’t play a lot of games, so I guess this was my one chance and I didn’t want to disappoint. I had to make at least one save.”
The new hero Knight said he stayed focused on what was required and never looked at anyone or the teams. “Just the kicker at the time, and the one that I saved I knew where he was going before he took the shot, so I took the jump and went for it. I knew I had it”. Simple as it was to Fatovic, it was the play of the game that sent he and his club to the conference finals set for the same pitch on Sunday“.
Strikers Juan Guerra Francisco and Julio Cesar Dos Santos, along with defender Arthur Kulkov also scorched the net for Brooklyn, making Balsamo even prouder of his selections. “The guys kicked great. When I played I took penalties too, so from my experience I like to look the guys in the eyes because when I ask players to take the shots and they look straight in my eyes it means they are ready to go”.
That interpretation went to Fatovic too. “Coach told me before the end of regulation, ‘If we go to penalties you gonna go in’. So I knew right away I needed to start focus and prepare myself getting ready to make sure that if I go this is my chance to shine.”
Brooklyn will look for Fatovic’s gleam to rub onto its entire team as they will now face true homesters, Reading Rage for the right to wear the prized crown. Reading, seeded #4, defeated #12 seed Newark IronBound Express in the night cap.
The 10-year old Brooklyn club which has been steadily improving since Balsamo took the coaching reins in 2007, boasts back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances. Additionally, they missed the national finals last year when they went under by penalty kicks (3-4) in the semis to eventual champions Michigan Bucks.
