Girls Soccer: Fords’ Durfee one step ahead of old friend in topping Radnor

HAVERFORD >> Amelia Durfee’s face breaks into a wide smile when the conversation Tuesday steers toward her former club teammate and close friend. For 80 minutes at Haverford High, Durfee and Radnor’s Maura Holst battled in the engine room of midfield. And when Durfee’s Fords prevailed, 1-0, in a Central League affair, the little dose of good-natured bragging rights added some fun to the result.

The foundation of Annalena O’Reilly’s goal in the seventh minute that proved the decider and of so much of the Fords’ success was their midfield pressure, inducing turnovers, denying the ever-dangerous Holst possession near goal, forcing mistakes that the Fords’ speedy forward line could pounce on. That balance was shifted not just by Durfee bringing the “A” game in the final meeting between the seniors, but in having a little extra information in the effort to minimize the talented Fordham commit Holst.

“Definitely keeping her in front of you, and always watching the ball,” Durfee said. “And do not watch her feet.”

“I definitely think it helps,” Holst said of the familiarity. “Everyone develops tendencies from a young age, so it’s kind of good to have that extra bit of knowledge in your back pocket. Everyone has a toolbox of little things they can pull out, and having someone know that already is difficult for sure.”

Whatever the individual relationships, the Fords enlarged the advantage with superior collective play, pressing the Radnor defense and midfield wisely and in unison to dominate the balance of play. That’s what occurred in the seventh, when Durfee recovered a loose pass deep in midfield and fed Sadie Gold, who slipped a through ball behind the defense that O’Reilly latched onto, rounded goalkeeper Alexa Solomon and buried into the net.

“The ball was played overtop, so I just made a diagonal run and touched it around the keeper,” O’Reilly said. “I try to get wide and look for a diagonal ball across. That’s our main focus usually at practices.”

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