BAYS UNITED FURY 8 - LAKEHILL FC 0

Jonathan skips away from his forecheck - a sign of things to come during the game

What a great day in Victoria to play soccer today. Grass field, no rain, no wind and sunny out. What else could a coach ask for? Well, how about a great display of skill and team work like the one the boys gave today. Despite missing two of our two strong defenders and having one of our strikers have to sit due to injury and another not feeling very well, the team responded well and gave it their all. Lakehill gave us a lot of trouble last time. We knew we had to play hard to be successful today.

The first half saw us have most of the possession and the rhythm of the game. At times we did run into some issues (our finishing can still improve and we have to reduce the amount of turn overs). Yet, the movement of the ball and the runs the boys were making were incisive. Mistakes happen but they can be a great source of knowledge if we learn from them.

The first goal came after Finn took a pass from the outside, dribbled into the box and after taking the Lakehill defender to the end line placed a nice pass along the ground to Mathew who one-timed it into the bottom left corner of the net. Well produced, well executed.

Finn looking to see how to breakdown the Lakehill defence

The second goal came from a very good exchange of passes between Koby and Justin. Koby received the ball from Justin and immediately gave a pass back to Justin who settled and then instinctively took a low long range shot that easily beat the goalie who was not expecting it to come at him so fast. Two nothing and we were only 15 minutes into the game. Not long after, our two center mids combined well again. After a cross into the box from the left hand side, Koby gave a one touch pass to Justin who sidefooted the ball into the opposite corner of the net. Three nothing. Those two goals were important because they gave us breathing room but also because it showed that Justin and Koby CAN and SHOULD combine the way they did all the time. Well done fellas!

Before the half ended, Koby once again turned provider and this time found Gabriel who without hesitation used his speed and applied a nice touch to score our fourth goal.

Gabriel receiving the ball during an attack

Half time. We took the boys and gave them some further direction. We asked that they keep an eye on the positioning, especially at the back and the wings. We also asked the forwards to make more diagonal runs so that the midfield had more options available to them. Last, we asked them to be more composed in front of the net. It is great that they get it on target but we asked them to be more confident when in front of the net and to attack every ball that came across the goal.

The second half started out well again. We made some changes to adjust to some of our players suffering some minor problems (Robbie had a strained knee, Marcel's wrist was bugging him, Finn was not feeling well). Up front Thomas was proving to not only be effective but also a handful for the Lakehill defenders. Ben took the stopper position and worked extremely well with Jonathan. Aaron also made some good saves that proved to be important to maintain the confidence of the team.

Aaron sends the ball up field to mount an attack

Hamish began to flow up front with more ease and Koby and Justin maintained control in the middle.

Hamish is off the races ~ despite his injury, Hamish was fantastic yet again

Our next goal came courtesy of a jewel of a free kick by our captain. From about 40 feet out, Koby looked poised to score. His instructions were to keep calm, pick a spot and hit it well. And boy did he ever! Koby struck the ball well with his laces and the ball sailed fast over the wall and the goalie to find the back of the net. Five nothing.

Koby, running the show and setting the example

From then on, it was the Mathew show. Mathew followed our advice and after missing a virtual open net, he became more clinical with his finishing. First it was after he again received a well timed pass from Finn. Mathew found himself free in front of the net and with a very composed touch, scored his second goal. Not long after, Mathew again made a smart run into the net and then found himself with the ball at his feet after Gabriel made an incisive run on the wing and sent the ball back only for Mathew to receive and get his third goal - Hat Trick! Last, towards the end of the game, Hamish and Mathew worked a wonderful 1-2 in the corner of the field, and after receiving a great return pass from Hamish, Mathew drove into the net and hammered a wonderful shot to the top of the corner. An unstoppable goal by a player who was having an unstoppable second half.

In yet another attack, Mathew dribbles through two defenders while maintaining close control of the ball ~ a memorable day for our talented player

In the end, everyone deserves credit. Robbie played very well as a stopper in the first half, distributing the ball very well, not giving it away and pushing forward whenever needed. I was quite impressed with his precision on the ball and the fact that he had no turn overs at the back.

Robbie controls the back and dictates our next attack from the back

Ben also was impressive at the back. In particular, I loved his tenacity as a center back and his calmness on the ball even when he was under pressure. In my view, both of these boys deserve credit for playing so well in positions they do not regularly play in.

Ben blocks yet another pass ~ a great display of determination and hard work ~ well done Benny!

Thomas was always a threat and unlucky not to be rewarded for his efforts; Marcel played through pain and anguish and as usual gave his all for the team; Finn, despite feeling sick, provided two wonderful assists; Brandon's return to his old stumping grounds was also a success. I could go on but I won't ~ I think it is clear that it was a very good game from which we can learn a lot and use as preparation for next week's game.

Brandon maintains his cool even while the looming big forward gets ready to pounce on the ball

So who do we play next week? We play Gorge my friends. So, let's not miss practice this week ~ we gotta prepare for a very important game. If you are hurt, let me know and you can rest though.

Alright, let's keep going boys - the season is just about to get more interesting.

Cheers,

Roberto