Hat Trick for Big K, Orangemen vs Turtles Feb 2014

Orangemen Win!

Orangemen Win! 

Orangemen Win!  

It’s so infrequent that I get to type those words I just wanted to do it more than once.  We waited for two weeks, since the agonizing defeat to Chantilly, in the frigid temperatures to get out of the house, for at minimum a run to shake off the cabin fever, but also for a shot at redemption.  The weather was not cooperating… the weather watchers blew it in Atlanta and we were not seeing any signs that the snow on the fields would melt before our game, even though they said it would warm up on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It was barely warming on Friday and the expected high of 55 for Saturday never materialized.  Instead the mercury approached 48 but had settled back down to 45 by game time.  Nevertheless it the fields at South Run were clear and it was game on.  We had the same Ref from two weeks ago, and he asked if we wanted to play by his same rules, he would let aggressive play, play on if it wasn't dangerous.  However, early on, it was apparent he was going to call a tighter game.  I for one, was appreciative of his early calls...although he did let a few play on that resulted in to our advantage.

Well played Orange, we were passing and dominating a good Turtles side...with the added talent of the two players we gave to them.  Fredrick, who has amazing ball skills on the ground, and Daniel (Maurico #2’s boy) who has the speed of an 18 year old, because he is 18.  We cannot say we gave the Turtles less than top quality on this night.The Turtles, did feel a bit slighted that he was calling the fouls primarily in our favor...I don’t know if that’s true or not...but if it is, occasionally you get a bit of field justice in soccer. Things were just going our way...you only need to ask Kendall how well things were going for us.

So the big news of the night is that Kendall scored a hat trick...1 header, one far post, one crossing ball that lofted the keeper (Jeff) who misjudged the flight of the ball and apologized to his team directly after.  Kendall later admitted to trying to put the cross into the box, but that’s no matter when it stretches the net.

In other news, Mooch completely forgot that he doesn’t know how to play soccer.  For his efforts on the field Mooch is awarded  three assists  -- all crosses in from the right when he was playing up top or in the right halfback position.

On his first cross which Cris gave him a nicely weighted ball for him to run onto, he had to beat the right fullback to the ball, and nearing the endline, get the ball up and into the center of the box.  Five minutes earlier he had the identical run, crossed the ball in, but failed to get it up in the air so it was easily defended.  On this cross he had to hurry but made sure he sunk his entire foot into the ball to lift it up.  The ball crossed over the defenders curling down on the far side of the goal box, right onto Kendall’s head.  Kendal only had to make contact to send it back across the goal and into the net.  

On Mooch’s second assist, again, he came from a pass Cris made to him as he ran up the right side.  Cris called for it back at the top of the 18.  Mooch was only happy to pass the ball back to him as he had no idea what to do with it.  Hearing Cris call out for it gave him a life line.  He hit it low into the center, just beating a defender out streched toe, to hit Cris in the feet.  Cris made his signature feigh to go forward and left, but drew the ball back and move it right, right on to his right foot whereupon he neatly tucked the ball into the goal near the right post.

For Mooch’s third assist of the night, he made another run up the right side, as Kendall was smashed in the foot trying to move the ball back across center. Everyone expected a foul on the Turtles, but the ball squirted out and rolled directly to Mooch who collected it and carried it forward up the wing.  He made a move wide and to the outside, fully expecting the speed of the the fullback to catch him. Instead Mooch beat him on the outside and continued to race up the pitch and into the box.  He felt he had time for another touch and even more time to try to strike the ball low and to the far post.  He hit the ball as low and as hard as he could, but alas, without the accuracy he wanted.  The ball was going to carry wide of the far post.  However, in the resulting seconds, Kendall, who just seconds before, was grimacing over the stomp to his foot, collected himself and made a blistering  run up the pitch to get on the end of Mooch’s ball that was not heading wide of the post.  Kendall hit it back across goals, and thinking to himself that he hit it wide of the other far post, was delighted to see it just curl inside to stretch the net for our third goal and his second of the match.  

In a set piece, Mooch took a free kick on the outside box on the right.  He got a low kick into Will who made space for himself on the right and shot a perfect ball to the right post.  Everyone was ready to yell goal when Daniel, playing for the Turtles, and as a youngin still abides by the rules of set pieces, meaning, if you guarding the post, never step away until the ball is clear, stepped out of the shadow of the post to block Will’s perfect shot denying him his goal.

Then Kendal scored one on a run up the left flank...he was crossing it in. but it lofted toward the goal and Jeff misjudged it and it went in

Alfredo, Scott F, Mauricio, and George put in a solid day in midfield, enabling us to shut down the Turtles advance, and giving us a possession game which we so sorely lacked against Chantilly only two weeks ago.  When we can defend at midfield like that, it really changes the game, and we don’t have to depend on our defense, which gives them a break, and when the do have to engage, they are sweeping up, rather than making the one critical touch that makes or breaks the play.  Early in the game George mixed it up with Fredrick (our player in green) and game out of it with a bloody nose.  It’s always good to see a little blood on the pitch, reminds us that we are playing an aggressive sport at times.  As we continue to watch Fredrick, who has great skills, for permanent inclusion on the Orangemen, it was interesting to see him playing against us.  He’s a challenging playing and strong as an Ox.  Mauricio found himself on the ground no less than three times after mixing it up with Fredrick...He’s a good friend of Will so we’ve ask Will to talk with Fredrick to make sure he is aware that the Coaches league is a fun game...it’s not the World Cup and we all want to return to work on Monday.  And speaking of the World Cup...be thinking of Venues where we can get the team together to watch some games this Summer.  That will be fun. First game is Thursday, June 12th, at 4 pm...Brazil vs Croatia.

Karl and Gorilla Greg played well as fullbacks, Greg, coming back after sustaining a broken toe several months ago, but still showing his speed to break up play.  Karl, charged into a few skirmishes and came up the winner on more than one.

And I can't forget to mention Gene our keeper.  Today he was throwing himself to ground and making the stops he needed to make.  He was taking his time on distributions and more often than not finding Orange, rather than green.  Special mention to Ben who was taking the goal kicks, and also finding Orange on the fly.

All of this great play up top would not have been possible without the dedicated and selfless play of Jan, Ben, and Johnny H and their speed in the back, shoring up our defense, and passing the ball between themselves and out of trouble, allowing for a controlled pass into midfield, typically to Cris, who could then either make his signature run at the defense, or who had options left or right to pass the ball.  Mooch was the beneficiary of most of those distributions coming to the right side on this night.

So Mooch puts in the performance of a lifetime but alas after he completes three separate assists, to two different goal scorers, and makes an  amazing run into the box with a three touch juggle and then volley as he raced through the turtles defense, and his free kick to Will that was so closes to a goal, woulda coulda shoulda, he does not get man of the match honors.  Kendall, with his hat-trick, is man of the match.  Had Mooch found the net on his juggling exhibition, however, it could have been a different story.

Well played Orangemen.  It’s nice to see we really do know how to play the beautiful game!!