So how did it finally end up?
MSPSP:
I hit games 1 through 4 previously, before I decided to take a break (hah, decided is a funny word. Really, I think it is more of a function of me being more motivated to do video highlights than blogs over the last few months. And with August coming around, the videos are going to be starting up again….but I’ve, I guess, resolved, to try and get caught up and keep caught up).
So let’s hit these games quickly
Game 5 – Vardar South. Lost 2-0. I don’t think we were ever in this game and we played flat…..we seem to have problems with teams that play a sweeper against us (and the other coaches have been talking and more and more teams tend to do this now) and it just gums up our offense.
Game 6 – Carpathia. Lost 2-0 again. We had just played this team at Canton Cup and got lucky to salvage a 2-2 tie and, well, didn’t get that lucky here. They are a big team; I have heard that almost all of their kids are 01s and they don’t have to play a sweeper against us…they have a giant of a center back who does very well.
Game 7 – Alliance. Won 3-0. Matthew had a nice play here that sprung us forward for the first goal.
Game 8 – Dearborn. Won 6-1. Matthew had a pretty sweet assist here.
Game 9 – RSC. Tied 0-0. Needed to win here to clinch 2nd place in the division and, in what is a troubling habit with this team, the boys just did not step up under pressure. It didn’t help that the other team badly wanted a tie and bunkered in for the whole game, but, still, we need to learn to score when teams do that. We waste too many opportunities.
Thought Matthew, well, it is hard to remember what I thought at this point. I know after the Carpathia game we talked about how, in that game, he was really challenged by the opposing mid’s size and strength and how, as a rule, he is going to have problems for the next year as all of these kids around him grow and he gets to his size (and hopefully speed) late. More on this conundrum later….
Michigan State Cup:
I also need to finish up discussion of the State Cup last Spring
Game 3 – Ann Arbor United. Win and we have a chance to advance to the Round of 16. And, because we don’t handle pressure well, we play to a 3-3 tie. And the three goals we give up are ridiculous….they just shouldn’t happen. I can talk and talk about it but honestly, the next big game this group wins will be the first. Yeah, they won a tournament in Fall 2014, but, I don’t know if that should even count…
Canton Cup 2015:
And take a few moments to talk about the Spring Tournament, the Canton Cup
Game 1 – Fort Wayne United. This team is a pretty decent MRL side (MRL is the league above ours, and it has several divisions. The lowest MRL division is probably comparable to the top MSPSP division. We are P2 in MSPSP; they are not the lowest division in MRL.). But we hold our own and it is 2-0 at the half until we give up two crappy goals within 2 minutes in the second half to effectively end it.
Game 2 – Carpathia. We were down 2-0 with 2 minutes left and score two gifts of goals to tie it. I don’t think they outplayed us, but they converted and we didn’t.
Game 3 – Valentis. This team was overmatched by everyone the whole tournament and we pounded them too, 9-1. Thought it was funny to watch kids really work to score goals; Matthew did not, he was happy to take his assist (on a sweet cross). But other kids, man, just makes me wonder sometimes….
