First, a word on safety. The Orangemen allow slide tackling, that is our default position. If you are not explicitly told at kick-off, that we are not sliding, the assumption is that we are sliding. Until such a time as the league changes it’s stance on sliding we are a sliding team. Springfield is also a sliding team. We don’t arbitrarily decide at kick-off that we are becoming a non-sliding team for the night. The only thing that makes us a non-sliding team is a request from the other team that we do not slide. This is decided by the two managers at the center circle. Springfield is a sliding team as well. Many teams are not. Everyone needs to know at the start of the game if we are sliding or not sliding. Any confusion when it comes to sliding is a safety risk. Guest players do not make that decision for us. The manager makes that decision. For the most part, thanks for everyone staying up last night...given the confusion of ruling at kick-off. Unfortunately,, against a fast team like Springfield, a slide or two would have worked in our favor.
We had trouble making our numbers last night but many thanks for the extra’s who showed up to play. Bernie and George showed from the Pentagon team. Charlie from the Turtles came to the wrong “Arrow” field and stayed to play with us. And James the manager of unReal Fairfax asked both Mooch and Robie if he could join as his team withdrew for the remainder of the season. Pete also made the drive down from Baltimore to join us.
Gene was in goal and made several outstanding saves during the first half. Saves that he simply shouldn’t have been able to stop.
Tedd ran the midfield with Bernie and James up top. John Hamer was sweeping and kept us in it with his speed. Man on man John was the fastest on the field last night. He demonstrated he could outpace all of their attackers last night. The problem was, he couldn’t outpace all three at the same time, although he tried on several occasions. Springfield remains the team with the highest per capita speed. It’s amazing the Robie was able to field so many really fast players when most team can only come up with one or two. But it’s his players speed that really define Springfield terrific run of form this year...as they still have won most of their matches.
Bernie scored two… first half Steve H was playing left winger. Steve took the ball at his feet, used his body to keep the defense away, turn inside and used the outside of his right foot to put a square ball inside directly onto Bernie’s path. Bernie to one touch to set up the shot moving into on his right and the hit a terrific bender high in the top right corner.
On his second goal in the second half Tedd place a terrific through ball to him straight up the middle Bernie used a sudden burst of acceleration to run through the middle and straight into the box. He touched it toward goal and made a last second lunge at the ball to sweep it past the keeper into the left side netting.
Tedd scored our third goal in very fast paced flurry of passing in front of the Turtles net. Ultimately Tedd settled the ball about ten yards out. He hit a hard shot to the right side of the goal with his left foot. It look like a goal but it gonged the right post and bounced straight back in the direction it game, just as fast. Tedd used instinct alone to reach out at the ball as it raced back toward him to redirected the ball into the left side of the net.
Final score, first half Turtles 3 Orangemen 1. Second half, Turtles 3, Orangemen 2. It was a fantastic game. Although we came up short, everyone played their hearts out and it was a fair competition.
At the end of the match, one of the Orangemen did question the age of a few of the Springfield players, but Robie assured us the two players who were called out, were 33 and 34 respectively. Nevertheless, it will be important to the Orangemen to make the age distinction since we have been burned by underage players just about every way possible. Underage players have been brought in against us, we have had underage players brought on to our side. We have been called out by other teams and found wanting. The coaches league, being non-competitive, has never required the use of ID cards and age verification. From time to time, when the age issue gets out of hand, the league brings it back up. It’s pretty simple...we simply tell the truth. There are two exceptions. One, there is room for a player in their 30th year, to come out and play, and see if this is the team, league for them. Two, Son’s or Daughter’s of Orangemen, provided they have turned 18, are welcome to play with their parents. The League has accepted off-spring as the exception to the age rule since it’s inception in the mid-seventies.
We do not bring underaged players onto the Orangemen in order to win games. We must seek a competitive advantage according to the rules. Cheating to win is not winning…it is cheating. Just like we’ve made great advances in our sportsmanship to not take a throw-in when we know we kicked it out. Or not to intentionally use our hands to score a goal. We have a zero-policy for cheating on the Orangemen, and if you are caught cheating, you will be sanctioned.
turtles?? i thought it was the Springfield team, lol
ReplyDelete