Karl Bakes a Cake...Oh and the Orangemen Defeat Mt Vernon 2 - 0

Matt's 30th Birthday Celebration

Back in March of this year, during our last game against our long time rivals, Mt Vernon took us to school.  You can read about it in this post:

Loss to Mt Vernon

Last night, in one of the most thrilling games of the season, the Orangemen returned the favor.  A year’s worth of team building has produced a solid core of players that includes a fresh crop of talent that is just turning 30, as well as some players who continue to be recruited based on our ties to the Pentagon team, and of course our veterans of 20 plus years, still going and going and going.

Last night 19 players turned up for a home game.  Finally Mooch had a fantastic showing at a home game which meant he could collect fees for the match and put a little margin on the books as the Fall season approaches.  As it turns out Mooch was actually turning players away last night as requests to bring guests came from several sides.  As mentioned last week, he’s doing to the best he can to accommodate those requests.  Everyone needs to look at the eVite and make their own decisions with regard to the number of players who show for any given match...and what their prospect for playing time will be on any given weekend.  I’d rather be fat then thin...but fat means that average playing time will go down, but the time you are on the pitch means you should be “all in”.  If you’re walking on the field with 8 subs on the sideline you are going to take a seat earlier than you expect.

Highlights from the match.

Gene kept a clean sheet in the first half. He played and communicated well with the defenders.  On several occasions when the ball was played over the top he was well positioned to step forward and claim the ball at the right moment without the need for the defender to clear it out of the box.

John Hamner showed for his second game and his triumphant return from playing soccer in Kansas, a state known for Army prisons, tornado’s, little dog’s named Toto and anything but soccer.  His foot, after the injury of May 2009 has healed.  Remember John was involved in a red card incident back in May 2009 in which during  the last 5 minutes of a game his foot was shattered by an over aggressive opponent thinking he was playing in the World Cup.  John's foot required no less than 9 pins.  Most of the metal has been removed from his foot and John says he is at 100%.  That’s an incredible recovery from such a bad injury.  In keeping with league policy, Tasso (Mt. Vernon's captain) and Mooch in conference with the ref at the start of the game felt it best to keep sliding off the pitch for this match.  Jon, Mt. Vernon's manager, absent from the night's game, would have  been proud of Tasso's decision to keep sliding out of the match.

A huge change during the match, which might signal a shift in game philosophy, is that we tried out a new defensive lineup...in stead of shoring up the defense with 5 in the back, the idea would be to place 4 very strong players on defense and build from the back.  With a strong defense that enables us an option to play with three strikers up front.  That changes the game dynamics considerably.  And it was clear during the first half that it was having an impact.  So here is how we lined up.

John H, Dave. N, and Kendall up front.  With Jose and Peter ready to go in on the attack.

Chris and Gene would switch as keeper at half-time.

Tedd in central midfield, Alfredo, Will H, Steve H, Karl, and Greg playing midfield with Mooch and Chuck filling in the holes.

Matt, Ben, John, and Mikey playing the strong defense.  The idea here is that with Matt and Ben on the defensive flanks, they would take the pressure off our central defense and would also be able to get forward, overlapping the midfield on the attack.  During the first half, they spent the majority of their time on defensive duties.  And the defense was seemingly impenetrable.  The game seemed extremely even with neither side able to make progress.  As Mt. Vernon tired, however, and Ben and Matt and even John, began stepping out of the defensive role and pressuring into the midfield and beyond, the momentum switched in favor of the Orangemen.  We started playing more and more of the game in the attacking third.  More opportunities presented and it was only a matter of time before we were able to finish.

The break through came when Will H was making a run up the left side of the field.  A scramble ensued and  Will maintained control of the ball drawing defenders into the box and on the left side of the pitch.  Will turned on the ball and  was looking to drop the ball out back but apparently heard Mooch shouting from the top of the penalty box.  He crossed the ball low and hard.  Last week Mooch let a similar low and hard cross from Will pass him by to an awaiting Tommy, who finished in style.  This time, Mooch wanted the glory so he reached up with his right foot and snatched the ball out of the air coming in about knee level.  The ball miraculously dropped dead straight in front of him.  I was a quality trap for multiple reasons.  One the ball settled motionlessly on the goal side of him, two, it stopped in space away from the closing defender on his right creating extra space, and three, it was sufficiently out from under his feet that Mooch's natural kicking stride required no adjustment.  Mooch felt like he had ten minutes to shoot the ball, felt like he was aiming at the broad side of a barn, didn't think twice about using his left foot to take the shot.  When it left his foot he knew he connected well and as he saw the shape of the ball knew he hadn't over cooked it. It's funny when you know the ball is going in the net...only the spectacular from a keeper stopped a goal in these situations, and the feeling rang true.  The ball cleared the keepers out stretched fingers and dipped beneath the crossbar into the upper right corner of the net.  It felt like an easy goal.  Mooch was more proud of his trap to set up the shot than the shot itself.  So special thanks to Will for the cross in, which earned him the assist.  Will had a chance to take a free kick earlier in the game, which he placed perfectly onto the back of the six yard box with three Orangemen in position to get a head on it.  The first Orangemen stretched to meet it, and unfortunately didn't connect as well.  One of the Orangemen behind would have had a better angle to get their head on it.

Our second goal game off a corner kick.  Tedd took the corner kick and with his signature cross, low, in swinging, and to the back of the box, Ben, up from his defensive position, made a diving header to finish the ball into the need beating the keeper to the inside post.  Everyone is learning that getting on the end of a Tedd corner kick is like money in the bank.  We expect skirmishes as Orangemen fight over that 10 square feet of space near the back post to score an easy goal off a fine delivery from Tedd.

More opportunities presented in the second have with Kendall having a great opportunity on a break away through the center and one v one chance with the Mt. Vernon keeper advancing out.  Kendall did everything right.  He controlled the ball and didn't wait for the keeper to make a move.  He snap kicked the ball with his left foot scoring what should have been a perfectly played goal.  But as mentioned before, the keeper, miraculously made a reflexive and blind flail at the ball, and somehow made contact with it  as it was beating him on his right side.  It was a sick save of a certain goal.

Mt Vernon, however, wasn't without answers in the second half, but Chris was able to keep his sheet clean with a series of two great fore-hand volleys off his line to save the goals.  When the ball sits up like a tennis shot, years and years of tennis reflexes kick in and Chris knows how to volley from the base line.  No one is going to beat Chris on his forehand, and he's shown that again and again.  However, if you play a drop shot, Chris is known for going to ground early.

After the match, our newest player celebrated his 30th birthday.  Matt’s birthday celebration included cakes and cold cuts with one cake hand baked personally by Karl M.  The rest of the birthday celebration was catered by Matt's wife Cori-Ann who wanted to also bring a fireworks display to rival the best displays in the Country.  However, Mooch had to kill her pyrotechnic aspirations by reminding her that the best fireworks were illegal in Virginia and that the County would probably not appreciate us setting fire to the synthetic field.  I must also mention that Matt was also called to medical action to treat Dave N for a sprained or jammed wrist that occurred when Dave got hammered with the ball.  Dave returned to action during the game, and although he claimed he would be sore, the soreness didn't stop him from carrying equipment off the field with his "damaged" left hand after the game.

Great game last night Orangemen...I proud of what we've accomplished this year and look forward to a great Fall season, that should begin in a few short weeks.

Last thing...Dave N felt compelled enough from the game last night to send in his own recount of some of the action, that I dutifully record here for the record.

Dave N says:

Tonight, I feel I need to speak on behalf of all our teammates, and recommend our “Man of the Match” be Jim, the “golden foot”, Muccio.  Starting with his overall play, but highlighting his super first touch in settling the ball in a crowded melee in front of the goal, Jim had the presence of mind to lift the ball neatly over the rushing goalie.  But that’s the second reason for tonight’s recommendation.  The Orangemen played against a talented, young, aggressive opponent.  We had a full lineup with an “abundance” of substitutes.  The principle reason for Jim’s nomination is the outstanding game he coached, insuring a rock solid defense, pressing midfield, and an attacking front line.  Jim managed to move players around without revealing any weaknesses, allowing everyone to get their minutes, yet  insuring the lineups were balanced, and eventually successful.  So Jim Muccio, player of the match, first for coaching, and second for the opening goal of a 2-0 win.

The second man of the match is actually the “family Matt”.  Matt has played with us for only three weeks, but his lovely family including two young angels, celebrated his 30th birthday at the field.  They brought cake, veggies, water, and plates to share the special day with the team.  And, oh by the way, Matt is a very good player who contributed to the solid defense.