Orangemen vs Alanzia -- Practice Makes Perfect

Although we came up short against Alanzia last Saturday by a score of 1 to 5, it was still a well played match. Tommy scored off a cross from Alfredo that Mooch decided not to touch as it was played into the eighteen.  As the ball swung in the defender didn’t have the reflexes to react and it dropped to Tommy’s feet.  He finished with a low and hard shot that the keeper reacted to and got a mitt on it but not sufficient change the the route of the ball.

Tedd, was coming up with multiple opportunities to score with both his left and right foot.  Alas, it was one of those days for him where the ball just wasn’t going into the net.  On a different day Tedd would have tallied 5 or 6 goals.

Mooch had a great opportunity when the a defender cleared the ball straight to him.  As the keeper scrambled out Mooch tried to lift it over his head and miss kicked it.  The result however took the ball away from the keeper and afforded Mooch another shot at an open goal.  This time he tried the strike the ball from the top of the 18, hard, straight, and on target.  The kick that resulted was soft and wide of the goal a very disappointing shot indeed.

Late in the game Maurcio had a similar great opportunity to score when the ball squirted out from deflected poor clearance from their keeper onto his foot as he advanced just outside the top of the box.  His shot went high and wide.

Karl introduced us to Matt for his first game out with the Orangemen.  Matt brought an entire cheering section, his family, to our game.  One might say they’ve been Orangemen fans for their entire lives based on the abundance of orange they were wearing.  Strangely, most of the Orangemen attire they were wearing was adorned with a strange symbol in the appearance of an orange UT.  We may never know what that means or where the orange clothing originated..  However, Matt fit in well and demonstrated he has some prior training in this sport, could the strange symbol UT have had anything to do with it?  Any how, he elevated our game and we hope he decides to return.

We also had another visitor last night...Steve Harris...who we can hardly say is a visitor because he played for decades on the Orangemen...except he hasn't been out in over a decade.  

As always, Kendall’s speed up top was effective at relieving the pressure on the midfield and back although he was unable to find the net on this night.

Alanzia goals came early and resulted from us playing too high a line -- we didn’t anticipate the speed of some of their forwards and paid the price early on.  As we adapted to their speed they were less effective and allowed us to level off their attacks.

At have time we changed keepers...Chris made some great saves... and then he started to dial in his punting foot...we still don’t know how to get on the end of them but they are traveling, and length and height of his kicks amaze our competition.  I think if Chris can dial back to 95% when he connects with the ball he will still get the great distance but with more control.  He seems to put every ounce of adrenaline through each ball.

In addition to Matt’s family we had young Orangemen show up from a number of different families...which reminds me we should probably start planning for a family event.  I’ll wait and see what our field status begins to look like into Aug and Sept...hopefully we will not be playing these ridiculous 9 pm matches.

We had  20 players show up...once again I’ll make an appeal to check the invite and respond accordingly.    I’m paying close attention to the lineup as well as trying to accommodate the requests to bring visitors.  I try to invite visitors on light days.  Also, if you are on the bubble for a certain match...check the numbers and if we are heavy...that might be a good night to give something back to your family.

Although we were at 20 on the bench, Jim Land Danni opted not to play, which helped.  18 is really the upper end of trying to play a coherent match and make reasonable substitutions.  But once again, there was evidence that somehow substitutions magically happen.  Do not come off the field unless you know who’s replacing you.  At the start of the second half we had eight players take the pitch.  So three came off without being told to come off and without knowing who was replacing them.

So, as always, here are some Orangemen, policies.  I’ll call them philosophies because they are not really policies, rather they are what’s going on in my head as I try to make sense of the masses.

With high numbers showing at the start of the match, the only fair way to start the game is by having the first 11 to the field start the match.  Sometimes this is hard to figure out.  And I like to make the following modification.  The first 11 I see ready to start the match.  That means dressed out, shin pads and shoes on, warming up out on the pitch.  Sitting in your car trying to stay warm or out of the rain doesn’t count.  Jawing with your girl friend on your cell phone doesn’t count.   Taking a natural break in the woods doesn’t count either.  About the only thing that counts is being out field fully dressed.  

That kind of leads us to policy number two with regard to the game itself.  If you want to be substituted into the match be dressed, with shoes and shin guards on, and be standing on the sideline ready to come in.  Wandering around someplace else doesn’t help...if I can’t see you, or not see that you are ready to play, I have to assume the opposite.  Out of sight out of mind.  

And finally, as previously mentioned, keep playing unless you sub out intentionally during a substitution or I tell to have a seat at half-time.  Don’t just step off the field until I talk with you.

OK last thing.  If  you don’t think practice helps, I hope everyone was watching as Greg put on a clinic for the Alanzia defense.  He comes to the Wednesday practices and it is showing with his ball control.  He had an incredible run up the left side of the field.  The ball came out to him on the wing.  He trapped the ball and waited for the defender to dive in.  He cut the ball left and beat his defender on the outside.  He ran onto his own ball stopped it and cut outside shielding the ball from another full-back.  He reversed direction of his run still in control of the ball.  He got his head up and looked inside and passed a diagonal ball to a player in  orange.  It was a wonderful 5 seconds or so.  It required at least 5 touches before the pass all of which had to be perfect, and they were.  So I’m awarding Greg Man-of the Match honors this week for his marked improvement.