Week 8
It is a mere 2 hours past the end of our game and here I am to relate the events to you, dear gentle reader.

Unfortunately, we had a low fan turnout at our second game against DLI, oh the gunner babes were there and Andrew H. was there as well but then it got awfully thin. We also had a low player turnout, as usual. We started the game with a mere ten men. Dan showed up early and did a much better job organizing a starting line up. I played right fullback for most of the game.

I say it was unfortunate that our new fans did not show up because I had a hell of a game. We still lost 5 to 1 but I had a hell of a game. I felt much better with the week off, I had my shin splints all healed up and they did not bother me all game, despite the amazingly large amount of running I had to do. I also felt good from a conditioning stand point. I only ran out of gas about the last 5 to 10 minutes of the game.

Now on to the action: DLI scored a couple of goals early on as we were down a man and they had plenty of subs available. John showed up and we were at full strength. I had a lot of hits in this game and came close to getting a red card, but more on that later. I started off by delivering a lovely blow to the back of number 16's head with my shoulder during a corner kick. I didn't mean to give him a blow to the head, I meant for my shoulder to hit him in the back but I forgot to take into account just how much taller I was than the other guy. He ran off rubbing his head and complaining to the ref.

Let me go into a little detail about just how I delivered that blow, I set myself up just behind the little guy. As the corner kick came in from the left it began to sail just over his head, so I stopped moving and lowered my shoulder for the blow...BAM! Good stuff!

I had a couple of nice slide tackles and was getting a lot of touches on the ball in the first half. The working out is starting to pay off with better speed, agility, flexibility and endurance. I wasn't dying anymore and was able to recover quickly after runs. I booted many a ball down the field and recieve quite a few compliments from my fellow teammates to boot.

DLI were able to put in 2 more goals in the rest of the half. Why was this, if I was playing such a wonderful game? You may be wondering. Good question, I always maintain that I have the smartest blog readers on the planet and you have proved it once again. Well, the reason is that our team has an average age in the low 30's while our erstwhile competitors from DLI have an average age of about 20. Not only were we giving up 10 years to these guys but they are required to stay in shape, they run daily! We on the other hand...not so in shape. What this translated to on the field was our team had better soccer skills overall than the DLI fellas but with their conditioning, they were able to move their entire team up and down the field causing "numbers up" situations when they were attacking and when they were defending. None of the goals scored where from a single player dribbling through our defense, but rather they would bring the ball down on the sides of the field with 3 or 4 players and pass around us then cross the ball into the center of the field. This was incredibly frustrating to say the least.

So we head into the half down 4 to 1 but feeling pretty good because we are getting a lot of chances on goal. Shortly into the second half I recieved my first yellow card of the season. There was a direct kick situation just after a penalty about 25 yards out from goal. We were getting a wall set up but there were a few stragglers. I heard one of the DLI guys yell to hurry up and take a shot. I ran up and turned my back to the ball, give my guys time to set up the wall. The rule states that the other team can request 10 yards for a free kick, but until they do, I can set up right in front of the ball. The ref went to walk off the ten yards to set up the wall and one of the DLI players dribbled the ball forward and around me. I went to step forward and to the side and my foot hit the ball. The ref became annoyed with me and carded me. I gave him a look of "Whatever" and shrugged my shoulders at him as I walked back into line. I think this may have annoyed the ref.

Later, number 4 and I were running to a 50-50 ball, as we drew close, I shoulder charged him, which I think was perfectly legal. 4 fell down and as he did so, hooked my legs with his and whipped me to the ground. I fell and whacked my head a good one on the ground. It hurt a little so I tried a little acting, I cried out and then held my head rolled over face down. I heard a penalty called and Les, one of the refs came running up to ask if I was okay. I lay there for a moment, realizing that I actually had a bit of a headache now then got up and responded to Les, "He hooked me with his leg and threw me to the ground." I then ran off getting ready for play as the penalty had been called on me. That was it, gentle reader, an honest response to an honest question. The other ref, from across the field, yells to me, "That's enough of that!" I yelled back, "He leg whipped me to the ground!" The ref responded, "That was after, you already have one card, do you want to be thrown off?" I was perplexed, dear reader. Does this mean that if you are fouled first it is okay to commit a foul of your own? Obviously not. I think I was getting a little pay back for my dismissive nature when I got the first card. I shook my head a ran off to my position.

It did not take long for me to get revenge on number 4 and, in a passive aggresive way, the ref himself. The ball was kicked out of the end line by DLI, prompting a goal kick. I was see spots and took a knee as Chris retrieved the ball. I stood up as Chris prepared to kick the ball. It went sailing up to about the mid line where it was promptly intercepted by DLI and sent down the right side. They played the ball a little too far and I was able to get to a bit ahead of number 4. He was closing in fast, at first was going to let it go over the end line as were just a couple of yards from it. However, he was going to get there too fast, everyone began to yell for me to kick the ball out but, like the cagey fella I am, I waited. Number 4 drew closer and the trap was sprung, just as he came up to take possesion of the ball, I sprang forward and swung as hard as I could through the ball and through Number 4's shins. I sent the ball off of him over the end line and he went tumbling after. I looked up at the ref across the field and smiled. A perfectly legal play on my part and revenge satisfied.

I went over and played a little left full back when Greg went off with an injured ankle. I was only there for a short time as Greg recovered on the side and came back in.

We held DLI to only one score in the second half but we weren't able to put a ball in either. Some things that might have helped us: Subs, where the hell was everyone? I figured we would have 14 people, no Charlie, no new Andrew...this is really ridiculous. Especially when we have midfielders who walk and walk and walk. They could use a break to catch their breath while we keep up the pressure on the other team. Conditioning, they, more or less, ran us into the ground and we were never able to create numbers up situations because our halfbacks just don't have the conditioning to run the whole game. New shoes for Jeremy, I can't tell you how many times I watched him slip today. He wore the equivalent of artificial turf cleats for the game, and he didn't bring his normal cleats with him, just in case. He should know better by now.

Chris was on himself a lot today. He claimed that two of the goals in the first half were his fault and I know he was blaming himself for the goal in the second half, but those crosses are hard to goal keep against and those other ones came off of a few mistakes upfield, so I don't think Chris needs to beat himself up about that.

So that was week 8. Stay tuned for more updates as we go!
- posted by David @ 4/17/2005 04:00:00 PM