Match Report: Staples vs. Fairfield Warde

There was plenty of preseason buzz about Fairfield Warde. The Mustangs have lived up to it, bringing a 3-0-1 record into tonight’s match, on their very fast turf.

The surface was slick after the rain that pushed the starting time back by an hour. Warde plays a very direct style — 2 passes, and they’re in the box — and they dictated much of the first half. The Wreckers did not string together their usual passes; uncharacteristically, they also lost a number of headers.

It looked the like first half would be scoreless. But in the 31st minute a foul in the box after a corner kick gave the hosts a penalty kick. Captain Danny Villalba slotted it home.

The blue-and-whites opened the second half hard. They played better soccer, but squandered a few good chances. Play was chippy on both sides.

Staples had a couple of opportunities — particularly on a shot by Murilo Moreno that led to a corner — but the Mustangs were up to the task. They held fast defensively, seizing enough chances to go forward to keep the Wreckers from getting their rhythm.

When the final horn blew, the Warde team celebrated wildly. They knew they’d had to fight hard. And they knew they were still undefeated. FINAL SCORE: Fairfield Warde 1, Staples 0. SEASON RECORD: 3-2-1.

QUICK KICKS: After a downpour, the freshmen adapted well to the Wakeman turf. They penned Fairfield Warde into their own end for long periods. The Wreckers led in shots 18-1, and had 8 corner kicks to the Mustangs’ 1. Matt Shackelford broke through to net the first goal. In the second half — for the second straight game — David Sedrak volleyed in a corner kick, icing the 2-0 win….

The Staples boys soccer car wash is this Saturday (September 28), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Christ & Holy Trinity Church on Elm Street. Proceeds fund a variety of important projects, at the varsity, reserve and freshman levels.