Tonight, the West Potomac Boys Varsity Soccer team is getting ready to play one of their biggest matches of the season, facing off against West Springfield on home turf at 7:15 p.m. With playoff positioning on the line, players and coaches believe this is a must win as this game determines regional rankings and home-field advantage for playoffs. .
West Po is coming off a tough loss 2-1 to South County after a controversial free kick, leading to South County’s game winning goal. This was only their second loss of the season as they continued the season strong with an overall record of 9-2-2 and a regional record of 4-1-1. Because of their high performance so far this season, they‘ve been ranked first in the region, which puts them in an advantageous spot for the post season games. Not only that but it also gives West Po the chance to host all tournament games after the regular season is over. This means they’ll be able to play all their games in front of their fans on their home turf which could prove to be a useful advantage.
“We have been much more comfortable at home this season and our results can back that up,” CJ Taylor, head coach, said. “I don’t know why but we struggle when we travel, meaning this advantage at playing home would be very crucial for the team.”
The recent loss now gives other teams in the region a chance to seize this opportunity to rise in standings. Woodson and Alexandria City are ranked just behind West Po in second and third place, while also being very competitive teams, look to climb the ranks. This upcoming West Springfield game has become a very important game for the team. In order for them to host the regional tournament this year, they must either beat or tie West Springfield.
This may prove to be more difficult than it seems with them also having an impressive regional record of 4-2-1. However, the team has been preparing accordingly and are very motivated to play them in the upcoming match.
“This loss [to South County] was a wake up call and we needed that. We were getting too comfortable,” Junior Jack Coulter said, “We’ll be more than ready for West Springfield.”
