We played a new team on Saturday; Eaton Rapids didn’t field a team in the fall. So, we loaded up the bus and headed southwest to the game….first time we’ve been to Eaton Rapids since the cousins lived there!
Took some doing to find the field…..many of the parents also had troubles and we only had a full team right as the game started. I’d like to blame the late arrivals, but, man, I just really don’t know why the team came out flat. But they did, and we were down 3-0 in less than 6 minutes. I’ll give the boys full credit though, they got their act together and played a whole lot better after that….scored two goals in about a minute to make it 3-2 and were down 4-3 going into the half. Took the lead 5-4 in the 2nd half but gave up a late goal to walk away 5-5.
Don’t think my boys played particularly well at all; Christopher is definitely showing signs of not having played in months….spends too much time standing and waiting for the ball or play to come to him. This improved all during the ER game, but, will really have to work on this.
This is all one sequence….I think it’s mostly Christopher who cuts the guy off and takes the ball and drives forward with the ball (maybe Matthew does it and Christopher comes around the other side…I’m not sure). He does a great job here beating two players……
More of Christopher on defense….
Since I play this 2-2-1 now, you only find Christopher on defense and forward….so, he ends up in front of the goal fairly often. He needs to be a little quicker on converting; that’s not a problem here, I think he did a good job to do anything at all with two guys all over him and the goalie so close.
I can’t even begin to figure out what went on with Matthew. He came late, from a birthday party, and complained of being tired even before the game began. He had a few good moments, especially pulling balls out of the air at midfield, but, offensively he was a complete bust…..couldn’t get by anyone and couldn’t/wouldn’t pass…..
The Matthew I know…with all this open space in front of him, would have created something here. Didn’t really happen today
He did a nice job on defense though….always in a good position. He gets no blame for any goals in my book….
And, as the game went on, like the team, he got better and better.
Ugh. Back at it next Saturday. All of these April showers are playing havoc with practice, and I really need some time with the boys to talk through some of the things that have happened in the last few games.
