Rota's Tyler DeMeritt and Robert Jordan put their bodies between the goal and Marymount's Francesco Rizzitelli in the Royals' 1-0 victory on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
BAUMHOLDER, Germany – It’s a season-long goal of almost every team in any sport to have homefield advantage when they’re playing for a championship.
None of the 16 teams competing in the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships Monday had anything close to that, though. Only two of them – the boys and girls squads from Black Forest Academy – were competing in their own country.
Four schools flew in for the event. Naples took a 17-hour bus drive, making BFA’s 3.5-hour trip pale in comparison.
That didn’t stop several teams from making themselves right at home. Though it might not matter where the top-seeded American Overseas School of Rome boys and No. 1 ranked Naples girls are playing in any case.
The Falcons – led by eight goals from senior Gabriele Ghione – earned a pair of 6-0 victories to stay perfect on the season. Ghione scored five times in an opening victory over BFA, then scored three more times before being pulled in a shutout of Rota.
His tally on Monday gives him 22 goals on the season. The Falcons have outscored their opponents 37-2.
BFA coach Isaac Michaels, whose team had only faced Division I competition this season before the tournament, was among those impressed.
Asked if he thought AOSR could hold its own against D-I foes this year, he said: “I think so.”
“I would say their style of play is a little different (than German-based D-I schools). They’re very technical and they pass the ball really well.”
And Ghione is often there to finish the attacks. He plans to attend the University of Southern California in the fall, but not play soccer there as the Trojans don’t field a men’s soccer program.
In the other boys pool, Naples and Vicenza tied, then each won a game to hold the early edge for spots in Wednesday’s semifinals. But Bahrain is still alive despite a 4-0 loss to the Wildcats.
Naples senior captain Nadia Shimasaki and goalkeeper Anais Navidad watch Black Forest Academy’s Jade Hernandez take a shot on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano's Anthony Davis passes in front of the goal while Bahrain's Ghady Mukatash follows behind on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy's Savannah Tweedy and Naples' Ally Garcia battled each other for the ball, then had to come back for it after they overran it on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Naples' Jackson Shorey - who scored three goals - and Bahrain's Jesse Baker follow the bouncing ball toward the Bahrain goal on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Bahrain's Mataab Ibrahim extends to get the ball as Rota's Emma Nichols closes in on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Nicolas Morton and Aviano's Terrance Johnson are brief dance partners in the Cougars' 4-0 victory over the Saints on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount's Eunice Wambura gets off a kick before Aviano's Kayleigh Mitchell could get to her in the Saints' 6-0 victory over the Royals on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Bahrain's Lindokuhle Letsoko stops the ball with his body in a game against Naples on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. Earlier, he scored twice to rally his team past Aviano. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Maya Fitch and American Overseas School of Rome's Silvia Goldman collide while going for the ball on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Anthony Poropat and Naples' Henri Schneider battle for the ball in a game where the team's reached a scoreless draw on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount's Piergiorgio Durola thinks he has a goal after getting himself and the ball past Rota goalkeeper Christian Weaver. But he was called offsides on Monday, May 15, 2023, in the first round of the DODEA-Europe Division II soccer championships in Baumholder, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
The Wildcats girls team wasn’t quite as dominant on the day as the AOSR boys, but certainly lived up to its No. 1 seed. BFA trailed only 2-1 late in their contest before Emerson Shorey tallied the final of her three goals to give Naples a bit of breathing space. The Wildcats then routed Marymount 7-0 in the second game behind another goal from Shorey and two apiece from Nadia Shimasaki, Va Nae Filer and Emma Kasparek.
Naples coach Alyson Parenteau said the Falcons gave the Wildcats all they wanted.
“They gave us great competition,” said Parenteau, whose team remains unbeaten. “They played us really tough.”
Defending champion Vicenza won its only match of the day in the other pool and plays twice on Tuesday.
