The Morristown 1776 AFC snapped their five-game losing streak for the MCSSA 2010 season and registered the first victory in two calendar years by beating Parsippany Blues 1 - 0 at Smith Field in Parsippany.
Forward Peter Luthi scored the winner, his fourth goal in two games this week, following a cross by speedy winger Chester Reggie Berry. Berry beat the Parsippany defender down the right flank and drew the opposing goalkeeper out and drove a cross back into the box. Luthi rose high over his defender and met Berry's cross with his head, burying it in the empty net.
It wouldn't be a Continental match without controversy, though, and tonight's match was ripe with it. Following a reckless and clumsy challenge in the 65th minute by the goalkeeper on 76 midfielder Jack Taylor, a penalty was awarded. Before Luthi could step up and take his second PK of the week, the Blues goalkeeper engaged in a verbal confrontation with the referee. The resulting actions concluded in a red card for the keeper, police intervention, and the referees' refusal to continue the match. The match ended at 1 - nil Morristown.
This should not take anything away from the boys in maroon, who simply outplayed the Blues for the hour of recorded play. The trial-by-fire implementation of a new formation, a 4-2-3-1, ended in the most complete and creative play seen by the side in possibly the history of the club.
"It's a matter of having the personnel to fill the right kind of positions and play selflessly," said Continental veteran Russell Bauer. "I've seen this team go through so many looks and so many changes but tonight we had the right setup and the right people. Everyone did their job, it was the best team effort we've had all season."
The 0-5 start was actually a surprise to the squad, who really believed that they had assembled a very complete and competitive squad. The Continental win saw many players move around to new positions with very positive results.
Change began by building from the back, where Dan Clayton and Evan Taylor started for only the second time ever as center backs together with defensive stalwart Brian Daire and midfielder Steve Dingler covering the flanks. Together this "Thin Red Line" was everything but thin, conceding minimal offensive play in a miserly display resulting in goalkeeper Steve Pallone recording the first ever clean sheet in Club history.
To break up the service from the Blues midfield to the forwards, Bauer and Chris Herte played as the central holding midfielders. Bauer is typically a wide player who has often filled in as a defender while Herte is a collegiate goalkeeper who has played in the back four for the club. Together, along with appearances in the position by Mike Schmidt, Alex Langlois, and Miguel Lazo, this holding midfield scheme helped close down available space and force the Blue attack to make predictable passes.
"I'm definitely on the team," said Lazo, who was mistakenly omitted from the posted roster prior to the season yet has appeared in every match.
Attacking width was provided by Berry, Rob Linepensel, Jack Taylor, and Schmidt. Most importantly, the holdup play allowed for the holding midfielders and wide fullbacks to take up high positions on the flanks and give the team various dangerous looks on the attack.
Derek Wittjohan played in the center of the attacking three, a position best suited for him with his vision and ability to hold up play. Wittjohan easily had the strongest performance of the season by being freed up by the holders to leave his more creative mark on the pitch.
Luthi was a dangerous figure up top, constantly torching the Blues defenders. Brady McDonald provided a different yet equally dangerous look in his time spelling Luthi, sitting a little deeper in the midfield and serving to the wide players more than Luthi's direct approach.
Club chairman Ryan Vinton returned to the sidelines, where he managed the club in the 2007 season, and got his third managerial win. Vinton was at the helm of the "Greatest Week Ever" in Continentals history, leading the team to consecutive victories over Hanover and Sheffield Crew in the same week. Former Continental Aaron Hyndman returned to the club as well, to assist and offer insight as he and Vinton engineered the dominant play of the evening.
The 76 has a very busy two weeks coming up as the fixture list gets more and more complicated due to makeup games from early season postponements. The team looks to build from this success as it pushes for a playoff spot.
