Two games, 10 goals, two shutouts.

Indeed, those are highly impressive numbers for Greenwich High School’s varsity boys soccer team, which has flourished in all aspects in its first two games, after registering an outstanding record of 20-2 in 2025.

The Cardinals, who advanced to both the FCIAC Tournament and CIAC Class LL tournament title games last season, have picked up right where they left off from a year ago, winning their first two games in decisive fashion.

Following a 5-0 win over Brien McMahon in its season-opener, Greenwich used a four-goal second half to roll past Fairfield Ludlowe, 5-0, on Sept. 14 at Cardinal Stadium. Senior captain/forward Joseph Carroll recorded a hat trick, while senior forward/captain Luca Ferrario scored one goal for the Cardinals (2-0).

As the game progressed, Greenwich’s level of play increased. Shortly after the second half began, the Cardinals imposed their will and dictated the pace of the game.

“The second half was very good, very energetic, I feel,” said Carroll, who helped spark the Cards’ offense last fall. “In our halftime, we talked about how we have to be better, we have to go with the press more, we have to be more energetic and we did just that.”

Carroll, forwards Luca Ferrario and Diego Cordero and starting goalie Oliver Almeida are the Cardinals’ senior captains. Greenwich is coming off a 2025 season in which it finished 15-0 in the regular season, earned the No. 1 seed in the FCIAC Tournament and won the FCIAC West Division.

Greenwich, which outscored its opponents, 58-10 during the regular season, defeated Fairfield Ludlowe, 1-0, in the 2025 FCIAC Tournament quarterfinals, beat Ridgefield, 3-0, in the FCIAC tourney’s semifinals and was edged by rival Staples, 3-2, in the FCIAC final.

In the 2025 CIAC Class LL state tournament, top-seeded Greenwich topped Platt, 9-1, in the second round, was victorious versus Notre Dame/West Haven in the quarterfinals and beat South Windsor, 4-1, in the semifinals. The Cardinals were defeated, 3-0, in the Class LL championship game by Staples, which dealt the Cards their only two losses of the season.

Graduation claimed 25 athletes from last season’s standout squad, including captains Manuel Bonilla, Henry Davis, Francisco Luzuriaga and James Whiteside. Still, the Cardinals are intent on continuing their winning/championship tradition.

“It’s our first time playing together as a new team, so it’s really just get as many hours together – and that’s on the field and off the field to get that bond and it’s really shown – all the practice we’ve put in on and off the field these past two games,” said Ferrario, who posted a hat trick in Greenwich’s 5-0 season-opening road win against Brien McMahon.

Kurt Putnam is back on the sideline for another season as Greenwich’s head coach. His assistant, Ray Marschall also returns to the Cardinals, who have established themselves as one of the premier teams in the FCIAC and state for more than two decades.

The victory against Fairfield Ludlowe in Greenwich’s home-opener, marked Putnam’s 497th game as head coach of the Cardinals. He has compiled an incredible record of 340 wins, 103 losses and 54 ties as Greenwich’s coach, including last year’s 20-2 mark.

Putnam was pleased with his Cardinals’ performance in the season-opening matchup versus Brien McMahon, which took place on the road and in their second game of the 2026 campaign against Ludlowe.

“The first half for 20-25 minutes, they probably were the better team, the way they moved the ball around, they were connecting and we were chasing a little bit, we found it a little bit difficult to disrupt them,” Putnam said of the Cards’ home-opener against Ludlowe. “But they didn’t create anything in the final third and that’s what it’s about, creating opportunities to create chances to score goals and they didn’t.”

Carroll scored the only goal Greenwich needed in the fourth minute. He tallied off a shot on a header from close in after receiving a pass from Cordero, giving GHS a 1-0 lead.

Almeida made two first-half saves for Greenwich, which gathered the momentum as the opening half progressed. Senior Teo Hillgruber Pita, Raphael Rizzo, a senior and junior Ryan Stanton help lead Greenwich’s overall stellar defensive effort versus the Falcons.

“Following up last year was big shoes to fill,” said Almeida, who has been rock-solid in goal. “We had Henry Davis and Nick Martschenko – we lost our whole backline. Kurt switched us to a three back. The first day against Brien McMahon, Kurt switched us to a 3 back and we put everything together as a team. We really put everything into it. We put our hearts into it, now we’ve scored 10 goals and conceded zero and we’re starting to fill the shoes that were left behind.”

The visiting Falcons’ best moments came during the earlier portion of the first half, as they applied pressure on the Cardinals. Greenwich, however, withstood Ludlowe’s early surge, then steadily built upon its lead once the second half commenced.

Senior striker Ebrima Touray helped create Greenwich’s second goal with 31:58 left in the second half. Moving the ball along the right sideline, Touray lofted a cross to Carroll, who rose up for a header and deposited it past Ludlowe’s goalie inside the right post from 18 yards out, putting GHS on top, 2-0.

“Great work from ‘E’ (Touray),” Carroll said. “He had positive energy, whipping that ball and it was just an easy header from there. He did a lot of hard work.”

Carroll’s second tally was certainly one of the matchup’s more impressive plays.

“The changing point of the game was when ‘E’ (Touray) chased down that ball and crossed it to Joe,” Putnam said of Carroll’s second goal. “That was the change in the game. He did in the second half what he did against McMahon the entire game. He chased the ball down and was strong on the ball and put a lovely cross in and we scored.”

“We got in at halftime said we are stuck in third or fourth gear, we’ve got to go fifth gear and get back to what we know we do well, which is make it hard for other teams and then play our game.”

Greenwich seized a three-goal advantage on Ludlowe, courtesy of Carroll, who booted a shot home from approximately 30 yards out in the 49th minute, making it 3-0.

Ferrario converted a penalty kick after Ludlowe committed a penalty in the box in the 76th minute, then GHS tallied an own goal with 1:10 to go, sealing the game’s scoring.

“I feel like, especially in the second half, we were very aware of the level we belong and clearly we were able to fix that, scoring four goals in the second half,” Cordero said, following Greenwich’s home triumph versus Ludlowe. “We picked up the tempo, we were more clinical and in the first half, I thought the first 25 minutes we were a little bit sloppy. We did get a goal, but it was kind of lucky, we did pick it up and I’m very happy with the backline, they haven’t conceded a goal yet and it’s going to be a great year, I think.”

As the season’s first two games have illustrated, scoring shouldn’t be much of an issue for Greenwich, which won the CIAC Class LL state tournament championship in 2022.

“It’s really easy when you have Luca and Joe, they’ve scored hat tricks the last two games,” Cordero noted. “And you have ‘E’ and Alessio (Gjelaj) strong up top as strikers. They make it easier for us.”

Said Ferrario: “I’m playing in the middle and I have the other captains, Joe and Diego on my left and right, so it’s been really good with them playing around me. I always have the option of playing wide. I feel comfortable with the ball and I know I have options.”

Greenwich hosted Fairfield Warde at Cardinal Stadium today (Sept. 16th), then visits Ridgefield High School on Saturday (Sept. 19) for a 10 a.m. FCIAC matchup.

“If we would have been told that we would have scored 10 goals in two games and keeping a clean sheet, we would be more than happy,” Carroll noted. “I feel great about the team, last year we had a great back four and they went off to college, so we had to replace them and they have done an impeccable job of keeping two clean sheets. So, it’s all praise to them and our two 6s, who have been playing incredible.”

“The goals as a team are to win it all,” Almeida said. “We won every game last season, we went 15-0 last season. The goal is to always win every game, one game at a time and take it like that, one game at a time. We need to win states, we need to win FCIACs.”

Here are some more pictures from Greenwich’s home win vs. Fairfield Ludlowe.