It was great night at South Run for the Orangemen. As the teams assembled and the team management grappled with why the lights were not coming on, Bruce the Bugling Elk, took his position at center circle and blew the starting whistle. For future reference the light box is no longer down the path on the side of the shack by the baseball fields. It is on the light post directly behind the bleachers on the upper field. See picture.Both teams were at full strength with the Orangemen showing without a sub on the bench (we have to do better Orangemen, both signing up and showing up on time)
But the game was underway and it was clear
the Orange had speed and control on their side. The pressure we put on Braddock Road, I think, took them by surprise. Much was due to the speed of the defenders who David brought in for the match. Our regular defenders (The Two John') were absent from the match.
With Sefrino and Jason started up front and would remain as strikers the entire match. In the midfield, running his legs off the entire match, was Brian. Alfredo and Mooch played on the outside. The defense consisted of David sweeping with Karl in his normal right back, and the late arriving Peter playing on the left.
First blood went to Orange when Mooch found himself alone in the box with a shitty angle on goal. With the ball at his feet he waited for someone to advance...either a defender to dive in, or an Orangemen to move into space. Brian, suddenly made a charge from the top of the box and Mooch slide the ball across and into space between two defenders. He could not see Brian but knew he would be arriving. The ball beat the defenders but was slightly behind Brian. Miraculously and at pace Brian let the ball pass behind him and brought his right foot around himself to hit the ball with force into the back of the net. It was a spectacular goal to open the scoring.
We continued to pass well throughout the first half. Braddock was limited to a few break away runs and we able to capitalize on mistakes in the back. By half time they had closed a 3 point Orangemen lead to 1.
A the beginning of the second half we scored again but then so did Braddock Road keeping them us in their cross hairs. And the momentum began to shift in their favor as Orangemen decided to stop passing for a while. Several individual efforts culminating, as the most often do in this sport, in disaster. No body makes a run, everybody sits back and watches, and then, when the hero loses the ball, as they always do, a quick counter attack changes everything. The Orangemen we on the brink of watching a victory fall.
Luckily we began passing again. And Braddock Road could not counter attack when they couldn't take back possession of the ball.
MVP has to go to Jason for yet another Hat Trick. But a close second goes to Brian for literally running his legs off. In the closing minutes of the game, Brian was over heard saying, I've got no feeling left in my legs. I know the feeling.
Well done Orangemen. And I apologize to everyone for dropping the F-Bomb when it was necessary to bring your attention back to our lack of passing.
