LaGuardia Red Hawks Men's Soccer prepares to face Queensborough Community College Tigers this Thursday in the Queen's Junior College Derby. Last season, the Red Hawks were up 2-1 at half-time before giving up three unanswered goals in the second half to finish the game with a 2-4 loss away from home. On Thursday, LaGuardia aims to avenge themselves when they travel to Bayside to face the Tigers. In previous seasons, this fixture has ignited the kind of passion associated with rivalry matches - crunching tackles, unsporting fouls, tense on-field exchanges, and eruptive celebrations. This Thursday's match promises to be equally dramatic as it is a critical match for both teams.
The LaGuardia Red Hawks find themselves at eighth place in the Region 15 Men's Soccer table with a record of 2-4 at the midway point in the season. They will need to win more games if they hope to earn a spot in the playoffs. The Queensborough Tigers sit below the Red Hawks at twelfth place in the Region 15 table with a record of 1-6. The Tigers will certainly be looking to collect another win against LaGuardia and potentially bump themselves into playoff contention. With six games remaining in the Red Hawks' season, the team must prove that they can win crucial matches like the coming fixture against Queensborough.
LaGuardia will look to its standout players to put the pressure on the Tigers. Left winger, Edwin Sherpa, has scored twice this season, and has assisted his teammates on several goals. Defender Modou Lamin Jaiteh has two goals himself, and he excels in his role as sweeper, making critical tackles and stopping scoring chances from developing. In a stunning act of selflessness and sacrifice for the team, outfield player Abdoul Ouedraogo volunteered to play goalkeeper at the beginning of the season. In just four games as goalkeeper, he earned recognition for his stellar play; among goalkeepers he currently places third in the region with 40 saves and fifth in the region with a save percentage of .800.
In the upcoming match against Queensborough, the Red Hawks will need impactful contributions from all players - starters and substitutes - if they hope to defeat the Tigers and move one step closer to playoffs.
Come support your LaGuardia Red Hawks away from home! The match will be held at the Athletic Field on Queensborough Community College's campus in Bayside, Queens. Kick-off is at 4 pm on Thursday, October 2nd.
