Stuyvesant’s best chance of a goal against the Martin Luther King Jr. Knights (MLK) on Wednesday, October 7, came in the middle of the second half. MLK senior and keeper Jean Carlo Perez barely managed to punch out junior Arik Raviv’s direct kick from just outside the penalty box. Junior Colin O’Connor gained control of the rebound, but his shot sailed over the net.

Thus went Stuyvesant FC’s best chance of defeating an MLK team which has only lost two games in the past four years. Stuyvesant, currently in third place in the Manhattan A division, had been seeking an upset after playing well in a 3-0 loss to MLK on Wednesday, September 6. They were unable to do so, however, and ended up losing the game 2-0.

MLK, which recruits from overseas and is ranked first in the Public Schools Athletic League, was able to break down Stuyvesant FC’s defense multiple times, ultimately leading to the two goals. According to Raviv, moving from a four-man to a three-man defense after the half gave MLK a lot more space to work with and therefore more opportunities on goal.

MLK senior and striker Souleymane Kone, who is originally from Senegal, believes that Stuyvesant’s problems actually lay in its offense. “They improved a lot in their defense, but they’re not doing a good job at forward,” said Kone, who scored both goals in the October 7th game.

Regardless of whether Stuyvesant’s weakness lies in its defensive formation or its offensive power, many players regretted wasting so many opportunities. “With a team like that, they’re going to punish us,” said senior and captain Alex Sandler, referring to Stuyvesant’s mistakes during the game.

Speed was one of Stuyvesant’s setbacks. “We all have to get fitter,” senior and captain Andres Fernandez said.

Kone agreed. “You’ve got to be in good shape,” he said. “You cannot play that good unless you’re in good shape.”

Stuyvesant was also plagued by injuries during the game. Late in the first half, O’Connor collided with an MLK player while going up for a header, and sustained a head injury. “He came in, you know sometimes when two people go after the ball, he just headed me,” O’Connor said. “I was dizzy for a good 30 seconds.” O’Connor, who was playing center midfield, was able to come back into the game after a few minutes.

However, according to coach Felix Fuksman, the defeat resulted from a loss of morale amongst Stuyvesant players after MLK scored their first goal early in the second half. “One team rises, the other team falls,” he said.

Still, both sides noted an improvement in Stuyvesant’s game since the previous encounter.

“I think we played a lot stronger,” Fuksman said. “This was a challenging game, but it went well.”

“They really did better than the last time we played them. We beat them 3-0, but this time, it was really tough,” said MLK senior and defender Serigne Dioum, who was born in Cote d’Ivoire.

Despite Stuyvesant’s improvement, MLK coach Martin Jacobson believes the score should have been even higher on MLK’s side. “I felt we played really great soccer today, that we dominated the game, and that we should have scored at least three or four more,” Jacobson said. Jacobson, who has won 11 boys’ soccer city championships with MLK, is used to seeing his teams to victory. He coached wrestling at Stuyvesant in 1990 and 1991, the last time Stuyvesant’s wrestling team won the city championship.

As both teams look towards the post-season, goals are high. Each is looking to go far in the playoffs. And while they will not face each other again in the regular season, a playoff encounter is more than likely. Stuyvesant is confident in its ability to perform better if this happens. “If we play our best game, we could very well beat them,” Sandler said.

But for MLK, beating Stuyvesant again is not its top priority. They have higher aspirations: a 12th city championship. “There’s no other goal,” Jacobson said.