The Kearny boys and girls soccer teams are both heading back to Red Bull Arena.
On Thursday, both teams will be playing for Hudson County titles in what has become an annual tradition for the county and in particular the players from Soccertown U.S.A. The girls will be squaring off with Bayonne at 5 p.m.Then, at 7:30 p.m., is the boys final between the Kardinals and St. Peter’s Prep.
Both games are rematches of last year’s finals.
While it will be the fourth year in a row that both Kearny teams will be playing in the finals at Red Bull Arena, it is not an opportunity that is taken for granted.
“It’s definitely an exciting time of the year for us and we are thrilled to be back,” head girls soccer coach Michael Sylvia said. “It’s really, truly one of the experiences that players all keep with them for their entire life. I’m really thrilled for them to be able to experience Red Bull Arena and just hoping for a really, really exciting, great game.”
“It’s special for the boys to play in a professional stadium and get the accommodations and the treatment that they receive down there,” said head boys soccer coach Scott Millar. “They’re treated just like the professionals are and Red Bull and the organization do a fantastic job of providing the boys that experience. We’re thankful to be playing there and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to go down there.”
Millar’s group punched their ticket to the final on Saturday night when it defeated an upset-minded Memorial squad, 2-1, in the semifinals. Senior Gabe Gomez delivered what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 20th minute for Kearny. Gomez also assisted on Benji Silva’s goal in the fourth minute which gave the Kardinals a brief 1-0 lead.
“They’re attacking guys would fit in very well on just about any team in the state and they definitely tested us a bit,” Millar said. “It was definitely a challenge. Memorial’s a team that belongs in that conversation for being in the county semifinals, and they showed up to play.”
St. Peter’s Prep did its part to ensure a third meeting between the rivals on Saturday when it defeated Harrison, 3-0, in the other semifinal.
Both Kearny and St. Peter’s Prep has been among the state’s best teams all season long with the Marauders currently ranked No. 3 in the state by NJ.com and the Kardinals at No. 10. The two teams split the regular season series as St. Peter’s Prep won the first matchup 1-0, on Sept. 11 in Jersey City, while Kearny took the home rematch, 2-0, on Oct. 7.
A year ago, St. Peter’s Prep dashed Kearny’s hopes of a three-peat when it scored in the 78th minute to jolt the Kardinals, 2-1.
“It doesn’t matter what team goes down there to Red Bull Arena. If you don’t come out of there taking home that trophy, then it’s a disappointing trip on that night,” Millar said. “Later on, you can reflect on an amazing experience down there.
“For us, it’s icing on the cake that it’s down in Red Bull Arena. But if you told us we had to go play the final in the ShopRite parking lot, we’d show up. That’s just the mindset of this group.”
While the boys were challenged on their way to the final, Kearny’s girls team eliminated any potential in-game drama with a pair of blowouts in the tournament. In Saturday’s semifinal, the Kardinals blanked Secaucus, 7-0. Kearny’s dynamic duo of Olivia Covello and Keala Cicchino were unstoppable on this as both of them had three goals with two assists.
“We’ve seemed to find a nice rhythm that allows us to both use Keala defensively and let her join into the attack, while being able to secure that back line when she leaves it,” said Sylvia, adding he wasn’t surprised that Covello and Cicchino still had excellent chemistry together on the attack. “I think they bring the offensive threat we’ve been trying to find throughout the season and we’re excited to be able to use it when we need to.”
Sylvia and the Kardinals know the last obstacle on the road to a 16th consecutive county title will be far more challenging. The finals, once a coronation for Kearny, is no longer the case as Bayonne has raised its level of play and closed the gap significantly in recent years. Last year, the Bees took Kearny to the brink, forcing overtime and penalty kicks for the first time in tournament history. It wasn’t until Aracely Vazquez’s save in the seventh round of penalty kicks that the Kardinals were county champs.
“We’re happy to be playing our best soccer during playoff time and that’s the goal,” Sylvia said. “You go through the grind of the season and you work on making sure everything clicks at the right time.
“We’ve been there before and we’re ready for this moment. For us, it’s definitely business as usual, but just on a different scale.”
Learn more about the writer ...
Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)