Wallace comes to Springfield’s defense in win

RADNOR >> Springfield’s Mike Wallace can count on one hand how many games he’s played in defense in his career. There were a few appearances in seventh grade as a sweeper, a few minutes of man-marking notable opponents here and there in high school … and not much else.

Briefer still is the list of games he’s played this season thanks to an illness that cost him much of the preseason and the start of the campaign. Tuesday night was outing No. 2.

But with senior captains and central defenders Justin Donnelly and Ryan Straube missing due to injuries, the trip to Radnor Tuesday looked as good a time as any augment both categories.

Wallace marshalled a cohesive and flawless defense, turning away waves of Radnor pressure and allowing a sensational early goal by Andrew Astrino to stand up in a 1-0 Central League win.

Sans Straube and Donnelly, Springfield coach Jason Piombino had little choice but to test Wallace’s game fitness, which consisted of about a half of the Ridley game … at forward, where he scored a goal.

The combination of lower physical demands in defense and the void of experience compared to Wallace’s innate soccer sense made it the right gamble.

“I just know the game well,” Wallace said. “I’m not a ‘defender,’ but I know the game well enough to play it.”

Wallace led the line, pairing with Alex Fuentes in the center and aided by the rotating cast of outside backs Mitch Masi, Rob McHugh and Thomas McCaffrey. In the second half, with Springfield (8-2-1, 6-2-1) bunkering in to absorb the Radnor charge, Wallace moved back to sweeper in a more rudimentary, conservative formation with the sole aim of preserving a 1-0 lead.

In addition to doing the grunt work of clearing cross after cross and extinguishing dangerous situations time and again, Wallace had time for one outstanding moment. He was the last barrier to Rod Castro’s header three minutes from time, tracing the ball after goalie Mike Gerzabek raced off his line without getting a piece and angling a header over the crossbar inches before Castro’s shot crossed the line.

Andrew Astrino, fittingly, provides the final clear. FT: Springfield hangs on, 1-0, over Radnor. http://t.co/nG0bX4m61j

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) October 7, 2015

“Coaches always preach to follow the shot,” Wallace said. “I saw Gerz coming out for the save, shifted over and luckily got there for the save.”

Wallace’s last-ditch save would’ve been the unquestioned highlight of the evening was it not for Astrino’s stellar volley. In the 10th minute, Astrino sighted a bouncing ball near the edge of the box that a Radnor defender couldn’t clear. He lined up a spectacular volley with his right foot that beat goalkeeper Ben Toomey inside the left post and left no one quite as stunned as the man who delivered it.

“I just saw it take a bounce,” Astrino said. “It went up in the air, and I probably hit the shot of my life there. Give it to me nine more times, it’s probably not happening again.”

From the start, defensive strategy wound this game into a tactical battle. Both teams sought to neutralize their opponents’ primary playmakers, with Springfield’s Nick Jannelli and Radnor’s Alex Egg-Krings more or less marked out of the game. Jannelli’s only chances came from distance or set pieces, while Egg-Krings spoiled his only look at goal, taking an expert first touch to create space but then lofting his volley well over the target late in the first half.

Without those two, the main avenue of attack was to bypass the midfield via crosses and longballs.

The switch to a sweeper-stopper formation, eschewing any attempts at a high line or offside trap with Wallace hanging back and Ron Miller as the shield to the back four, caught Radnor (7-6, 5-4) off-guard, at least enough to disrupt their chemistry.

Ben Toomey quality save on Mitch Masi. hint of handball before? http://t.co/mnd4jV1ujH

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) October 7, 2015

“We haven’t played a formation like that all year, but we have to learn how to adapt,” Egg-Krings said.
“We had a couple of chances, but we just need to be more composed in front of goal and finish our opportunities.”

They had plenty of looks, but few materialized into shots. Gerzabek made one save in the first half and was aggressive charging off his line, but he was rarely troubled by a Raiders frontline missing captain Max Barish.

Springfield nearly put the game away early in the second half, creating chaos off a free kick that resulted in Masi toe-poking a shot aimed at the top corner, but goalie Ben Toomey reached up a hand to bat it over the bar his only save of the night.