ENCINO — As a midfielder, Louisville’s Kylie Morris tends to sit just behind the ball, seeking opportunities to win it from her opponent with a tackle, and in turn spurring a Royals attack.
“Kylie runs that midfield like it’s no one’s business,” said Royals striker Miye Kodama. “She controls the tempo. She wins the balls. She kind of just sets the pace for us. If we’re pushing, she’s the one pushing. If we’re holding, she’s the one holding.”
On Friday, Morris played a big role in both of Louisville’s goals in a 2-0 win over Monrovia to capture the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship at Crespi High School.
She hounded the Wildcats, dispossessing them as they tried to dribble it before sending long balls that wreaked havoc.
Kodama and Emma Castro both scored for Louisville and goal-keeper Emily Brown recorded five saves. Monrovia had 11 shots and dominated possession for the majority of the game.
The Royals (21-2-1) rarely strung together a series of play, instead they used those long balls — both in the form of passes and defensive clearances — to disrupt any flow built by Monrovia (16-3-1) as it attempted to erase the first-half deficit.
In the 13th minute, Morris stuck a foot in to turn the Wildcats over in their own half before quickly passing the ball up to Castro. Castro took one look at Kodama, sending a lob through-ball to the striker who needed just one touch to slot it in the net.
Kodama didn’t even see the ball go in and had to leave the game briefly as she was shaken up on the play.
“I was jumping up in the air to kick it,” Kodama said. “They swept my feet under so I was looking at the sky and I hit my head.”
After Kodama’s opening goal, the Royals dropped their 4-5-1 formation deeper, keeping each player except Kodama even with or behind the ball to prevent Monrovia from any clear cut chances.
Monrovia’s first opportunity came in the 29th minute, despite holding possession for most of the…
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