First, I’ve got to get on the no shows last night. Five “Confirmed” no shows at the start of the game which doesn’t include the “Maybe’s”. We were ½ in 4 for the “Maybe’s”. If you say you are coming, particularly on a thin night like Memorial Day Weekend, you have to show. Luckily Alfredo showed up, having not responded at all, so we started the game 9 v 11. The Irony here is that Chantilly was supposed to be the short side and we were supposed to give them players last night. So the first reason that you have to show up, is that it sucks playing 9 v 11. Oh sure there’s more space, you get more touches on the ball. The thrill of that ends in about 10 minutes when they score and you already feel like you’ve run a marathon. Second, if we don’t have 12 paying players show for each home game, I eat the cost. If we only have 8 confirmed for a home game I’m cancelling the match. Each game costs us $85 for the ref, $15 for the ref company, and $20 for the field and schedule. Do the math -- that’s $120/game. I need twelve players paying $10 each to break even. With only 8 I’m going to be short $40 dollars. I love this game but not enough to bankroll the team. Tommy did show up at half time and paid, so I really appreciate his effort to get there, but he was only one of the Maybes.
Chantilly is a soulful team with a lot of loyalty. They don’t offer up to play for the opposition without a grimace. There were one or two players on the side lines we could have tapped as ringers but I need everyone to understand my policy on ringers for the Spring, Summer, and Fall. As the league has required us to sign waivers as managers, which I pass onto the team when you acknowledge you will play in the match, I can’t take walk-ons from the field. I will only take players from the other team, who I can assume are covered under their own team liability waiver. Unfortunately in this case, Chantilly didn’t realize we were playing 2 players down at the start. In fact Dick, the casuals manager, was still assuming we would have like 14 or so players milling about so it didn’t even cross his mind that we were the team down. Dick felt awful when he realized the imbalance and we made the balancing corrections at half-time...in fact Dick went so far as allowing us to play a man up to make up for the imbalance during the first half. With Tommy’s arrival, we were able to transition to balanced 11 v 11, although this came already 10 minutes into the second half.
Surprisingly, however, we put some effort into the competition during the first half. We didn’t just roll over, considering we lost Mikey for a few minutes to injury during the first half, which meant we dropped to 8 on the field, and then we lost Chuck to the parking lot to figure out why is car alarm was going off. When Mikey returned after stretching out his injured leg he was faster than ever. Karl, Jan, Mikey, and Chuck comprised our defensive line-up with Alfredo, Scott R, Louis, and Mooch in midfield. Gene was in goal...that’s how we played the first half, 9 men. Surprisingly, on a well thrown ball from Scott R into the box, Mooch was able to run onto it, and as Dick, playing keeper for the Casuals, advanced off his line, Mooch was able to pull the ball onto his right foot and direct it near post into the net. Just near the end of the 1st half, Chuck hyper-extended his knee. He rolled in to play the entire second half on the tender knee...but unfortunately he will probably be out the next few weeks to recover.
Our second goal came in the second half, and was a shot from Louis at the top of the box. It hit the crossbar and bounced 2 ball widths inside the goal line before quickly spinning back up and out of the goal. A clear case for one of two things...either goal line technology, or honest players, since the referee was not in position to make the call. Luckily we had honest players last night and the Chantilly keeper indicated to his mates that the ball did indeed cross the line.
Later in the match, as tensions flared, particular after Chantilly was award a PK for a seemingly no call in the box and a series of other perceived injustices administered by the ref, Dick C could be heard shouting for his team to maintain their head and to not engage with the other players or the ref. Peace was maintained as sportsmanship emerged at both ends of the pitch. However, it shows definitively that the referee has a significant role in maintaining the peace during the match. A continuous series of no-calls or bad-calls will always flare tensions. Mooch showed the ref the area of his chest that was clawed by a defender, after Mooch was penalized for shoulder charging. The ref was not impressed and waved it off saying, “Next time”. Of course that was the fourth time Mooch had been manhandled with a “no-call” so his temper was flaring too.
As for our play on the field we did great. Our intent was to pass, and with Louis, Tom, the talented blue player, Troy, who joined us from the Casuals, Alfredo, Scott, Jan, and Mikey all advancing forward, we were controlling portions of the game and setting up great opportunities. As I said the intent to pass was there, the execution was a little loose last night, primarily, I believe, as a result of our fatigue. All in all I had fun, and as I can barely walk this morning, attests to a great game.
Enjoy your memorial day weekend and Champion’s League Victory if you happen to be Bayern fans!
Sorry I wasn't there to help especially since DC UNITED couldn't capitalize on their goal scoring chances. Their passing was bad. oh well ! They lost 2-0 for their 10 straight winless game.
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