Good day for Classical soccer

LYNN – With the high school soccer season winding down, and points at a premium, Classical and English got together for a late-season rivalry meeting on Wednesday afternoon at Manning Field.Both teams remain in the hunt for a berth in the state tournament, but only Classical helped its cause, with a thorough 4-0 victory over the Bulldogs. The Rams need just one point in their final two games to continue their season into November.?English beat us last time we played, so I think there was some extra motivation on our side,” said Classical coach Rob Upton. “It?s always a tough game that both teams get up for and it?s always nice to come out on top, especially for our seniors.”After a sluggish opening five minutes, things would turn around quickly for Classical when it created some opportunities. The Rams would score on their first two shots, which came just two minutes apart.The first came off a beautifully operated play from Yabesi Musema, who used his speed to reach a loose ball on the left side before cutting to the middle to lose his defender. With keeper Kyle Arsenault remaining, Musema fired a shot to the top right corner for the 1-0 lead.Just 120 ticks later, the Rams used terrific ball movement to move into English territory, where William Ugorji found Wes Thomson on the right sideline. Thomson fired a shot on net that looped over Arsenault and in.?I thought we came out a bit slow to start, but when you have a guy like Yabesi, things can happen at any given time,” explained Upton. “Yabesi got a shot and buried it and then Wes put a great shot on net, which gave us the fast start we wanted.”The second half was similar to its predecessor in the fact that Musema scored the first of two goals early on. At the 31:28 mark, Thomson sent a ball on net that Musema put home with a header at the top of his leap.?I don?t even know where to begin,” said Upton when asked about the effect Musema has had on his team, not just this season but throughout his career. “He?s one of the best I?ve seen in quite some time. He?s a constant threat and his speed and ability to score at will is huge for us.”English coach Kerry King also had high praise for the Classical striker, who his team is all too familiar with.?Yabesi is a terrific soccer player and very dangerous,” said King. “He came to play today and it showed.”Classical?s final tally came on a great individual effort from Keregya Nasibu. After knocking down a loose ball on the left side and fighting through two English defenders, Nasibu placed his shot just inside the right post.Classical has two games remaining (Friday vs. Salem, Monday at Danvers) to earn the one point needed to punch its ticket to the tourney. English meanwhile, must at least play to a draw with Revere today in order to extend its season.