Bays Fury 4 - Lakehill FC 0

This past weekend we played Lakehill FC for our third time. As expected, Lakehill was hard to break down. Their goalie certainly deserves a lot of credit as do their defenders and center mids. However, after some initial shivers, our team was able to regain composure and eventually we began to take control of the game.

For this game, Darcy took the lead in creating the line up and also running the game. It was great to see the boys adjust to his ideas while maintaining basic principles on our approach.

Our goals came through very well worked plays and good finishing. The first came after a corner kick. Jonathan got his head on the ball. The rebound sat in front of the net for one of us to take and after a few unexpected bounces, Jonathan got his foot on it and scored. Soon after, Thomas scored a beauty of a goal after he and Ben worked a fantastic one-two around two defenders. I was quite impressed by Thomas composure while in front of goal. I was also quite impressed with Ben's instinctive pass back to Thomas. It was a simple move executed with great precision. It seemed that after some moments of miscommunication, we found our stride.

As usual, Pierce, Jonathan, Brandon and Marcel did extremely well at the back, maintaining possession and not allowing attacks to materialize. I was also happy to see them use Aaron as an additional player at the back. Aaron's skill on the ball is of great importance (and I commend you on it) as it allows us to have yet another outlet when we have possession.

In the middle, Koby and Justin worked hard to recover and distribute the ball. Our wingers had a bit of a difficult time at first maintaining width but as the game progressed, they settled and things looked better. Gabriel, Tyler and Finn were threatening as usual. Marcel was also strong when he came to the wing ~ for me, it is great to see so many of the boys taking on different positions and performing well in them. I particularly liked Hamish's positioning on the field. I thought he gave us another dimension when he was on. Good on ya Hamish!

Up front, Thomas, Ben, Finn, Gabriel and Mathew also did well. In the second half, I saw two great unselfish moves from our attackers. First, it was a great pass in from the wing by Koby. Although he had the space to drive in, he decided to cross the ball right into the penalty spot. Mathew read the ball well and instinctively ran to meet the ball and with a one time shot with his left foot, put the ball into the bottom right corner. It was a fantastic goal. Not long after, I saw Finn control the ball in the box and without hesitation, set Koby up for a shot. Koby did not hesitate and took a one time shot that beat Lakehill's netminder. It was clear the boys were working hard and taking control. I should note that we also had many other chances that did not materialize: Finn hit the post, Mathew was robbed twice by the goalie, Gabriel also took shots that were saved by their goalie. Clearly, we were taking the game to Lakehill. In the end, we won 4-0. It was a fantastic way to finish our season before the Xmas break.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

Well we've come to the end of the year ~ so what can we say? Well, I am happy with our progress. I think all of us can look at the boys and see that they are changing, learning and improving. Our team is playing better. I hope that all of you also see the same. I think the boys have learned key concepts:

1. Defensively we have become stronger and more disciplined.
2. Our ability to maintain possession is much better ~ we are more calm when in possession.
3. Our attack is more incisive and we are not dependent on only a few players scoring.

We have also become more consistent in our approach ~ the boys are understanding that moving off the ball is key if you want to be a successful team.

Last, I am hopeful that all of your sons are enjoying their time as part of this team. Being proud of being a part of a great team is what makes a team great. I want the boys to remember this season as one where they learned new things and began to read the game better. It is our hope that our work helps them not just every Saturday, but also for years to come.

I will not go over what we need to work on. We'll get to that when we come back in January.

For now, please get your boy to go out and kick the ball around when he has time. Get him to practice the things he needs to improve on: is it his shooting? is it his passing? is it his speed? No need for me to say anything: the boys know what they want to better. That is what you should focus on.

So, I will end with this: THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENTS! From supporting during the games, to helping on the line, to helping with the nets, to bringing snacks, etc. I want to make sure that all of you know that I appreciate it. No team is perfect, but I truly feel that our team has to the potential to be perfect and as head coach I will always strive to get there.

A special mention to Kim Colpman and Darcy Greaves for being so helpful in my day-to-day coaching.

Have an amazing Christmas everyone ~ Keep going Fury ~ January is just around the corner.

Cheers,

Roberto