Planning, preparation pays off

Once the referee’s whistle blows and a soccer game gets under way, coaches are essentially left to watch their teams until halftime.

The sport offers few opportunities for change during a game, which is why the business conducted off the field — training and scheming — is so vital.

Preparation and the ability to improvise and adapt to opponents are especially key skills when it comes to the one-and-done postseason — you can’t go back and fix things if you weren’t prepared the first time.

During the recent Catholic High School League varsity boys soccer tournament, Madison Heights Bishop Foley’s John Pisacreta and Warren De La Salle’s Thaier Mukhtar proved they were more than up to the challenge of some late-season improv.

Pisacreta got two key goals from Foley forward Alan Wisniewski in the Ventures’ two CHSL Division CD tournament games – a 2-1 win over rival Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and a 2-0 decision against Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the final.

The Foley coach moved the towering Wisniewski, who literally stands heads and shoulders above the competition at 6 foot 5 inches, up from the JV team late in the season. Pisacreta’s move and Wisniewski’s patience and hard work paid off for Foley when it needed it most.

The Ventures also decided to move one of their top players, Derek Rosiek, into a more complete defensive role. While Pisacreta noted Rosiek has solid playmaking skills, the need for his defensive abilities led the coach to move the player from the stopper position into the sweeper spot.

“I prefer not to play him back there, but because of the opponents that we play, that’s what we decided to do,” Pisacreta said. “And he was fine with that, as long as we win. And so far, we’ve won with him back there.

“I pride my coaching staff on scouting teams and determining what their best attributes are and what they do well, and us countering that with what we do well.”

Defensive changes also affected the Pilots of De La Salle, which won its second straight CHSL Division AB title over Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

Injuries kept a few key De La Salle defensive players off the field, yet Mukhtar and his staff had the reserves ready and more than willing to stand up to the challenge of keeping the Shamrocks' offense in check during a 2-1 win.

Catholic Central’s lone goal came on a long free kick from standout Josh Gatt. The Shamrocks' star forward was otherwise shut out against the Pilots in three games this season.

De La Salle’s defense has been impressive this season, holding opponents to just nine goals (including three penalty kicks) all season (20 games).