- January 15, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Innovative strategies, transformative individual talents and an increased understanding of advanced statistics all have played a major role in evolving how sports are played across every level. Think of the increased importance basketball teams put on the three-point shot or how the advent and mass-adoption of the spread offense in football has teams throwing the ball at record-high rates.
In modern soccer, one of its monumental evolutions has been the formational shift to a three-forward attacking line — deploying a central forward and two wide forwards, also known as wingers, flanking either side of the player in the middle.
However, with every new change in how a game is played, there is a consequence.
As the three-point shot’s importance increased in basketball, the need and value for mid-range specialists and post-up big men decreased and drastically eroded the number of players who fit those archetypes over time. The same can be said for running backs in football.
For the beautiful game, the sacrifice made at the altar of evolution and innovation has been the two-man striker partnership. In today’s game, duos such as Thierry Henry and Dennis Berkamp for Arsenal FC, Ronaldo and Raul at Real Madrid, Manchester United’s Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke or Brazil’s World Cup-winning pair of Romario and Bebeto have all but gone extinct.
Every so often, though, there’s an exception to the norm. A team that chooses, for whatever reason, to zig when everyone else is zagging.
In the case of the 2024-25 Windermere High boys soccer team, coach Lou Romao’s reason for changing his tactical approach and bucking the front three in favor of an old-school striker partnership came in the form of junior forwards Alfredo Adrian and Francesco “Checo” Sanchez.
“Their partnership is one of a kind,” Romao said. “You don’t see this sort of connection between players this talented very often. It’s almost like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin — but with the caveat that either can be Jordan on any given night. … In all honesty, either of them could have been our starting striker, but when we saw we had two great strikers, we knew right away that we wanted to put them up front together. We knew they’d be a good fit because they play their hearts out for each other.”
Romao and his coaching staff were spot-on in their analysis. Through 11 games, the duo has combined to score 35 goals and have been the driving force behind Windermere’s 9-1-1 start.
Like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, or any other great one-two punch, Sanchez and Adrian bring different qualities to the table that, for whatever reason, seamlessly blend together in a way that produces a delicious result.
“They’re both phenomenal players in their own rights,” Romao said. “Checo is a very skillful player who likes to hold on to the ball but knows when and how to release it. He has good vision, knows when to take a shot, and is extremely quick with the ball at his foot. Alfredo is just a ball of speed, ability and agility who always finds himself behind the defense, on the receiving end of a through ball. He loves taking on defenders one-on-one and can have a field day against pretty much any defender he’ll see this season.
“They both have their two distinct styles, but their styles work well together,” he said. “Alfredo often uses his athleticism to win balls in the air and get Checo the ball in an attacking position. And now, because of Checo’s production so far, defenses have been keying in on him and making sure he’s having to contest with multiple defenders. Lucky for us, not only because he’s skilled enough to deal with that attention but also because that usually opens up Alfredo to be on the receiving end of a ball — which is why he’s been on a tear in the last few games. Of course, if defenses don’t concentrate on sending extra defenders at Checo, he’s shown that he’ll blow past guys all day.”
Their connection goes beyond how they complement each other on the field.
“They just have a special relationship,” Romao said. “Yes, they are both great players who have put up incredible statistics this season, and they have this chemistry on the field together that oftentimes makes them feel unstoppable. But I think that comes from their relationship; they’re like brothers, they’re always hanging out together. Their connection goes beyond just what they do on the field; it’s much more about what they do off the field. Although they’re not blood-related, they are definitely brothers off the field.”
After last season’s historic run during which Romao led Windermere to its first regional championship in his first year in charge of the Wolverines, it is no secret that there are increased expectations for Year Two.
With a bit more than half the season under its belt, Windermere has shown to be one of the best teams in West Orange and Southwest Orange, but the question still remains if it is ready to push the program even further and bring home a state title.
“We have the talent to go further than last season, but we still have a little bit of work to do when it comes to our mentality,” Romao said. “If we’re able to develop our mentality when we get back from the Christmas break, we have a real chance to make a run at a championship. … Right now, we’re 9-1-1 and that for us, believe it or not, is below our expectations, so there’s a lot we know we need to improve on if we, both players and coaches, are going to reach the very high goals we have set for this season. But do I think we can get there and win it? Absolutely, but it’ll come down things like being able to execute tactical changes mid-game, fighting through mental and physical exhaustion and outworking the other team and generally being mentally locked in for the entire 80 minutes. I think we can get there because I know the coaching staff, myself and these players will push one another every day.”
