The THHS Boys Varsity soccer team opened the season with seniors Alfredo Centola, Max Golosovker, and Anis Djerdjare taking on the role of team captains. They have led their team to a current record of 2-4-2.“Their commitment and love for the game [are] definitely contagious,” said senior Iyad El Bounani, who has just recently joined the soccer team this season. “My captains have taught me to always be positive and look out for my team,” freshman August Krauskopf said.
Coach Matthew Curiale said that “all three captains have been strong and dedicated members of the soccer team throughout their highschool years.”
Prior to being on the team for all four years at THHS, Senior Anis Djerdjare also played on a club soccer team, affiliated with the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). Reflecting on his high school soccer career, he found that his favorite moments were making the playoffs his sophomore year, and starting his first varsity game ever as a freshman. With the 2023’-24’ season underway, he began to learn how to open himself up to further connections with teammates, take training to the next level, and stepping into his role as a captain wholeheartedly.
“I make sure to lead the team in games and in trainings, making sure everyone is on task and [is] playing the best that they can,” Anis said. Yet, he credits previous team captains with how he’s leading the team now.
“The last couple of years I was reserved, but now I’ve seen how [the] former captains led the team and I was able to take what they did and model it a bit this year,” said Anis.
Captain Alfredo Centola said he prides himself on prioritizing his teammates, teaching them the proper way to conduct and contain themselves when on the pitch, making sure they get to practice on time, and ensuring they are aware of upcoming games. During Alfredo’s junior season, he found himself heavily influenced by captain Max Silver who received a red card after standing up for an underclassman on the team. Alfredo said, “When I saw our captain last year get a red card, I knew I wanted to be the captain that always speaks up for his teammates.”
Alfredo said he learned that he can still provide this comfort and defend his teammates while keeping his composure when talking to the referees and players from the opposing teams.
After years of playing soccer, senior Max Golosovker, was convinced to continue his athletic career at the high school level. With a goal to reach collegiate level, Max serves as the most experienced player on the team and an information outlet for the underclassmen and other players.
He has taken his skills all over the world, ranging from Dallas, Texas for the MLS Next Fest in 2021 to Italy for the Viareggio Cup. Although Max has only been playing on the THHS Soccer team for two years, due to COVID-19 and MLS Next restrictions, his impact has been just as abundant.
“My responsibility as captain is to always be an uplifting and optimistic person,” Max said. Sometimes, he said, the pressure of leading a team gets to him, but he welcomes it and recognizes that “being captain is a great honor”that he should enjoy.
All three captains took time to reflect on their favorite memories from playing soccer at THHS in hopes of inspiring younger students to work hard and strive for such moments during their high school experience. Max said, “My favorite memory on the team was winning against Springfield last season. We were the underdogs and it felt amazing to beat them.” Alfredo’s favorite memory was when he scored his first varsity soccer goal. His mind brings him back to the time that the previous captains all ran over to him to celebrate. Likewise, one of Anis’s key memories was scoring his first goal from outside the 18-yard box. He also recalls the time when he scored against one of the team’s largest competitors, Maspeth High School.
Along with the connections all three captains formed with their teammates, each developed a relationship with Coach Curiale in a unique way.
Coach Curiale said, “Max leads by example as he is a dynamic player with a high soccer IQ. Alfredo is very personable, very well liked, respected and serves as a senior role model. He has a humorous personality and it serves him well.” After seeing Anis develop over the course of four years, the coach said, “Anis is a player that I have seen grow since he was a freshman both on and off the field. He has become a confident young man.”
