BAYS UNITED FURY 1 - GORGE FC 1

Jonathan letting the opposition know "I am HERE"

A tough game again. Muddy field. Questionable calls (and non-calls) by the referee. But despite all this, I think today was a game where we again showed that once we get into a rhythm, we can play good soccer.

We started off with a shock goal in the first minute. While we attacked, Gorge's center back kicked the ball forward. The clearance went over our defenders who were on the half way line. Gorge's main striker took the ball and quickly went past Brandon, then headed to goal. As he got close to the net, he ran away at an angle from Aaron and as he began to run out of room used his left to put the ball in the opposite side of the net. Aaron slipped while trying to position himself during the first break-away of the game which was unfortunate - yet, we cannot take anything away from Gorge's striker. He pulled away fast from Brandon so that he had lots of room to run into. Aaron's positioning was off and that, combined with his slip, was the space the striker needed to score; and boy did he take it. The game had barely started and we were already one goal down. Yes, it was a difficult start that shocked the boys.

Brandon dealing with Gorge's main striker Patrick

During the first 15 minutes of the game we couldn't get our game going. We seemed desperate and rushed. Our first touch was off too - this was actually a major part of the reason why we were having a hard time maintaining possession. However, we did have two great things going: we fought hard for the ball every time. I was happy about that. The other was that we kept our positive attitude and despite some scary moments, we kept applying our system.

Koby fighting hard to win the ball

In the second half we came out with more conviction. We still met tough play from Gorge but as the game wore on, we began to have more and more possession of the ball. We came close to scoring after Mathew dribbled his way through the left wing into the box and made a great pass to Robbie only to see him stretch his leg to make contact but send the ball above the net.

Robbie putting on the moves on Noah while Thomas begins to look for space

Yet, we kept going. Mathew and Tyler were combining well on the wing while Marcel began to impose himself with speed and astute movement. At the back, Pierce and Jonathan put on a clinic on how to defend against fast strong players. Our center mids kept fighting for every ball and distributing well and all of our strikers were much more mobile, exploiting spaces and pushing Gorge's defenders. Yes, we still had turn overs, but overall, we were running the game.

One of the best players of the day, Pierce, shows Patrick that going by him is not going to be easy - ever

Finally, with about 10 minutes to go, we mounted another attack that proved effective. Gabriel took the ball on the right side after Marcel set it in front of him. Gabriel took it down the line and passed the ball along the ground to Robbie who let it go. Finn, who at this time was playing up front, controlled the ball, set himself up and with a strong definitive blast put the ball on the top part of the back of the net ~ a great goal!

Another one of Gabriel's runs and his cross looking to give his teammates a chance to score

The relief was palpable and the momentum shifted. We kept pressing and continued to have control. But towards the end, Gorge began to rally back and put pressure on our players. Yet, we kept the door closed. When the final whistle blew, both teams looked spent but seemed to feel that the end result was just.

Mathew taking the space in front of him and leading another attack

In my view, we had the clearer chances to win the game. However, as always, we must give credit where credit is due and it is important to remember that Gorge is without a doubt a team to respect.

Last comment? Points aside, I truly believe that the boys are improving, are playing with a style of their own and are understanding that once on the field, a big part of winning is not fitness or skill, but heart and the desire to win. My hat is off to you boys - All of you!

See you at practice!

Roberto

Marcel splitting the defence with a great pass

 

Bays United Fury 6 - Lakehill 0

After having a tough time scoring during the game before this past weekend, our team found its way in front of the net again. Despite having no substitutes, the boys showed resilience, determination and a better sense on how to react when before the goal. Yes, we did have several break aways that should have been goals. Despite that, I thought the boys were better at fighting for the ball, maintaining possession and being incisive.

At the back, Aaron held his ground well and our rock solid defenders Tyler, Pierce, Jonathan and Marcel kept it under control. There is no question that when it comes to maintaining control, our defenders are amongst the best in this division. But don't get me wrong, I was happy to see everyone raise their game and fight hard for the team especially with no subs on the bench,. In particular, I wanted to make mention of the following players:

• Ben: you took on the role in midfield role extremely well. You fought hard for every ball and moved well. I was so happy to see you working hard ~ you certainly impressed me.
• Thomas: your goals were well taken and I truly believe that if you continue to move quickly into the spaces you need to exploit, you are going to amaze yourself. You amazed me.
• Mathew: playing in the midfield is tough ~ back and forth, left and right, knowing when to go attacke and when to come back and defend. Although you did seem a bit lost at first, I thought your second half was phenomenal. You were so intelligent, it made the team so much better. It was clear you calmed down. You even scored ~ Atta boy!
• Hamish: you confirmed two things for me: one was that at front a player should not only worry about scoring but also about assisting. But for me, the best thing was seeing you score as a left back defender. You proved me right buddy! I hope this serves as an incentive for our full backs to follow the example. Well done!
• Finn: You have skill but what I like the most about you is that you never argue or contradict instructions. You stayed wide, you came back to defend and you scored at the end too. Well done Finn ~ great job.

I must admit that all the boys played really well. The notes above are meant to serve as an incentive not a measure of what others did during the games.

Alright, Gorge awaits us ~ let's be ready.

See you Saturday!

Roberto

A new year, a new challenge

Thomas, starting things up right

So here we are, almost at the end of January with two games under our belt facing the prospects of Provincial play and moving up into the VIPL.

Our first game of the year was a tough one: Bays vs Saanich Fusion. The boys dominated the game but it was clear that in terms of scoring it was not going to be our day. We had many opportunities to score, to take the game and make it our own. Yet, despite creating many opportunities, we could not find the back of the net. It was both frustrating and at times disheartening. As the game went on, near the middle of the first half, our talented striker Thomas cleverly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper from Saanich to finally get us on the score sheet. Thomas showed us once again that he is not only skillful but also has a natural instinct for scoring.

Thomas' great skill settled us down and gave us something to work with. However, our woes in front of the net continued. Shots hit the posts, many went over the net and most went directly to the keeper. I see this as a consequence of two things: one was our frustration turning into hesitation within our players. Not wanting to 'screw up' became a weight too heavy to carry. The second was a problem that all teams go through: the frustration of not scoring despite great pressure can turn against the team dominating and can render their confidence to zero. It happens, it's part of the game.

Mathew looking to create a chance up front

In the second half we scored again. After a great pass from the midfield, Robbie took the ball to the wing and made a tight cross that the defenders from Saanich could not handle. In a rushed moved to defend, the Saanich defender tried to chest the ball but it ricocheted off him and went to the back of the net. This goal gave us the momentum we needed. Yet, despite our drive, we again kept failing to find the back of the net. Adding to our frustration, Saanich scored a late goal on a corner kick. It was a scary moment but we managed to win in the end.

Koby setting up his attackers

Lessons? Yes, several but the main one was that we need to be better at finishing. It was clear that we need to be more calm and sure to finish when opportunities arise. I will add this though: despite our difficulties up front, we did maintain a high level of possession, a good degree of accurate passing and were positive. It is important to remember too that games like this will happen and that they are actually important because they remind us that no matter who we play, we must always maintain a high level of play.

Soccer is a mental game as much as it is a physical game. Learning from our mistakes and implementing our lessons is what makes will takes us far. I have every bit of confidence that the boys learned that valuable lesson during our first game of 2013.