Exciting Season Recap Of 2012 Roosevelt Island Youth Program Soccer League Season - Championship Games Played This Saturday November 17 At Octagon Field

Here's the latest recap from the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP) Soccer League. Coach Adib Mansour sends the following report and pictures.

Don't forget that the RIYP Championship Games take place this Saturday November 17 at Octagon Field beginning 9:30 AM. Also later today (6 PM at the Octagon Field) will be a Seniors Playoff Game between the Blue and Orange teams.

From Mr. Mansour

MINORS:

1- Green team (Johan Marfey is the coach) plays vs. Orange team (Tony Leon is the coach) for Championship - 1st and 2nd place. Game is at 11:10 AM

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Green team is a solid one even after their main player, Majd Matug broke his arm during one of the games, a couple of weeks ago; he was designated honorary coach -will the doctor permit him to play in the finals? The Green team has been an exemplary one in compensating for the loss of their main player with 20 goals. Dylan Marfey wore numerous hats, from goalie, to offensive and defensive player. The team's solid offense was a triangle comprised of Mach Messy, Elias , and Dylan who developed strong passing skills. The team's solid defense played a major role in sustaining their ranking; this is the work of Dafina Mustafa and Cathy who were fired up all the time and put their utmost efforts during the games; Kaia Keaton was the leader of defense, with the ability to kick the ball from end to end, and has a tremendous throw in -in the semi-final game, she had a throw in from the mid field all the way to the goalie. Lydia Evans in midfield was, according to coach Johan Marfey, "a tough little thing, she surprised me with her soccer abilities".

The Orange team

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has been undefeated however all the games vs. the Green team have been a close call. The championship will be very exciting! Tony Leon's passion for the game transcended to his teams at an early stage with the help of the experienced assistant coach Sasha Prokic. Heaven Leon proved crucial to the teams solid defense; through incredible determination, went from inexperience to a top tear player. Abdelbast Elakrmi had the respect of his coaches and teammates for his magic dribbling and scores in the final game. Maya Levanon has become an all around best defensive player with accurate passing, dribbling, and many saves. Lillian Williams scored two goals in the playoffs taking her team to the championship.

2- Blue team (Foching Li is the coach) plays

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 vs. Teal team (James Brown is the coach)

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for conciliation game - 3rd and 4th place. Game is at 9:30 AM

Both teams have come a long way since the start of the season. Foching and James built strong teams, through extensive practices and team building. The energy both teams have injected into their games is unsurpassed!

In the Blue team, Valdemar Magnusson proved his value to the team's offense from the get go. Emily Highsmith became the central defender and improved on dribbling and positioning and became a good leader. Bijan Navab earned his place as a good attacking midfield player. Billy Cuozzi was dubbed as the Terminator" by his coach. Terri Diarra earned her title as Team Captain with her support to her team both on and off the field.

James' Teal team had 12 well earned goals this season with the help of the incredible Sebastian Navarro, who is one of the few players that can see the entire field, instead of where the ball is. Emilia Brown's determination was obvious throughout the season and culminated in powerful performances during the games. Giulia Cartegni's Italian heritage was obvious in her performance; she understood the game and developed formidable skills. Xavier Martinez was omnipotent during the games... he was everywhere, right behind the ball. Miles Brown was determined to learn all the goalie tricks, practiced hard, and performed with virtuosity. Luise Stadler was very impressive from the very beginning... during the qualifications she impressed everyone with her kicks, even though she was wearing flip flops!

JUNIORS:

1- Green team (Juan Correa is the coach) plays vs. Orange team (Cesar Rodriguez-Arvizu is the coach) for Championship -1st and 2nd place. Game is at 11:30 AM.

Both teams have shown strength in passing and shooting. The championship game will be one of the best this season! HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS! Both teams have worked really hard to reach the finals with 19 points each, and a difference of 3 goals throughout the season. The playoffs were great games to watch. The runner ups gave a robust fight.

In the Orange team

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Eric Leon rose up as one of the strong players, taking over his brother Kevin who was a champ in the last few years before retiring. Johaness is another strong offensive player this year. Coach Cesar had a powerful assistant coach this season: Marianna Espinosa. They promised a surprise in the Championship game! Noteworthy are Nea, nominated as most improved player with strong defense skills. Ayanava Ganguly designated as the captain of the team, for his strong scoring skills and leadership qualities. Rajan is dubbed the fastest player. multiple position Jared Pazmino.

In the Green team,

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 coach Juan had a strong team of assistant coaches who worked hard all season long: Nerida Vasquez and James Suggs! This team has been a powerhouse since the start. The coaches are often on the sidelines screaming their instructions to their team, that could be heard across the island. The green team's power comes from a strong offense often carried by Manuel Correa, Liebe Martinez, and Tenzin Dhasel. Also note worthy is the strong defense often led by Ilias Soumayah and Adam Wolczuk.

2- Blue team (Scott Bobo is the coach) plays vs. Teal team (Ibrahim Diara is the coach) - 3rd and 4th place. Game is at 9:30 AM.

The runner up game will be exciting with both teams showing off what they learned throughout the season.

On the Teal team

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 the offense will prove to be a force not to be reckoned with: Muad Kurer (a skillful player that has one of the most accurate passes in the Juniors' division), Kristen Leopold (who is not just a good player, but one who understands the game and is often at the right place and right time all the time), and Nisany McDonald (who had the energy of a tiger throughout the season)! The Teal's defense held their ground throughout the season with Amira Diarra (who earned her soccer name "Defensive Wall"), and Shuma Hasegawa (who always appeared out of nowhere to stop any offensive play against his team), just to name a few. This team's performance during the semi-final game showed tremendous improvement and a solid team work; they promise a solid fight in the finals.

The Blue team

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had one of the most robust learning curve this season; even though they did not have experienced players, coach Bobo and his players built their team from the ground up: Their amazing young goalie Georgia Bobo gave her team 110% throughout the season; she was eager to learn and always asked questions, practiced hard and was proud of all the saves she had this season. Some of the noteworthy players on the Blue team are: Ander Martinez who zoomed across the field with determination and solid skills; Dominic Pabon who, with his powerful kicks, gave his team exhilarating advantage; Jaden Luna assisted in numerous goals with his skills to pass and be in the right place at the right time; Isiaha Dickens was crucial for the team's solid defense; Joana Calderon started with no experience and moved her way up to become a solid part of the defense; and finally Czarina Elisaia who also started with no soccer experience, to become Captain of the defense halfway through the season and kept the team's defense line ready!

SENIORS:

The second playoff game was interrupted due to the lack of light on the field, with 25 minutes remaining between the Orange and Blue teams. The game is scheduled to resume Tuesday Nov. 13 evening at 6PM (pending weather / rain). Winner of this game will go the championship vs. the Teal team, with game scheduled on November 17 at 3:00 PM. The runner up will play vs. the Green team at 1:00 PM.

The Teal team

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(George Daniels is the coach, with 2 great assistant coaches: Felix Cardinal and Luz Leon). This team had a solid run throughout the season with a player that held the title of best player by his opponents, Tshering Penjor: He has great long range shots, accurate heading, accurate passing and a tremendous speed. Alessandro Cartegni with his Italian background has what it takes to be a great player, with the advanced knowledge of the game and the skills to carry it on the field. Nicholas Loveless successfully wears multiple hats: fro a great goalie to a speed dribbler injecting energy to his team. Laura King and Sunshine Martin have proven themselves to be a defensive power not to be reckoned with. Isaiah Cole is a solid player that adjusts his skills according to the team he's playing against, dribbling where needs to or shoots long distance passes accurately. Emma Ike is beyond doubt a great midfielder and defensive player.

The Green team

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(Sal Bakhrani is the coach with Shirley Payne as his assistant). This team built itself from the ground up with solid players like Luka Delic who is the dribbling wizard, and has a power kick that attract the opposing defense out of fear of eminent scoring. Minh Pham has a run that cannot be caught by any opponent’s defender. He's always ready to take any opportunities in front of his opponent’s goal keeper. Max Dorfman also proved crucial to his team wearing multiple hats, from a solid Goalie, to a a midfielder with the combined short and long passing in his playing strategy. Maria Meriton was the defensive player that saved her team from eminent goals; she has a solid kick that often reached the defensive positions of the opposing team. The Green team had 18 goals this season many of it the result of Ahmed ElShakshuki's foot or his assistance. Maren Martinez is one of the best defender in the Seniors' league; with her Spanish background, she held off 90% of the attacks against her defensive position.

The Orange team

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(Serge Enama is the coach, with 2 great assistants: Franz and Johanne Enama). This too has become a team solid performances week after week, with 41 goals most of which came from one of the best player in the league, Wilson Wong. Wilson is a massive player with killer kicks -he has scored numerous goals this season from a midfield position. He is a team player and encourages his teammates throughout the games and practices. Wilson is not the only star player in this team... Nguyen Nam has a powerful kick that can score a goal from a corner shot. He is the center of defense for the Orange team. Salomon Diarra has proven to be a solid player in the midfield with tremendous speed and accurate passing. Regis and Blaise Enama both also have colossal energy and varied skills that move the ball forward no matter what position they are in. Don't let Ja'niah Payne's sweetness fool you... she is a solid defense player that understands her responsibilities to her team. Other noteworthy players are: Max, Maurice, Mohammad, Taj, and Alusa).

The Blue team

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(Adib Mansour is the coach, with the help of assistant coaches Chris Enock, Vlada Bestic, and Vanni Bucci). The Blue team has built itself with solid Offense (Tristan Todorovic, Kerwin Barrera, Aaron Pazmino and Donald Smith -DJ), a powerful Defense (Khalif Cole, Mira Girard, Daniel Wolczuk, Hoang Nguen, Alex Cole, Gabriela Roldan, and Tatiana Dickens), a robust Midfield (Mark Shinozaki, Gonzalo Palomino, Theo Spedalle, Alex Cole, Jarroll Navaro, and Joshua Carter), and the "best goalie" -according to his coaches- of the season Andrew Enock. The offense developed a strong relationship transcending in speed, accurate passing, and solid kicks with advanced skills. Some of the noteworthy players are: Tristan, who became a leader from the beginning with thoughtful advise and sophisticated skills. Kerwin and DJ's role in the offensive maneuvers are exceptional. Mark Shinozaki has brought energy and concrete expertness in the midfield area. Andrew's fearless Parkour skills enabled him to become the ultimate goalie, saving his team from numerous defeats. Daniel Wolczuk surprised his coaches and teammates midway through the season with advanced dribbling skills, and power kicks; he has become an integral part of the team's success. Mira Girard's energy and quench for knowledge was evident in games with a lofty learning curve. Khalif is one of the most prominent defenders in the league with magical speed, powerful kicks, and omnipotent presence on the field. Tatiana has a powerful kick that proved valuable to the defense.

Our referees are: Luis Ticona, Xina Ticona, and Gustavo Mendes.

And let's not forget the RIYP Kinder Kids,

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the future players of RIYP Soccer Program.

A sample from action at RIYP Soccer game earlier this year.

You Tube Video of RIYP Soccer

Good Luck to all the RIYP teams in Saturday's Championship games!!!!!