Last game of the regular season for the Immortals last night. Up against a very talented team that has really come together and played well the last two weeks. Both teams at full strength and the Pearson boys fresh from a dental appointment--no cavities (!) and ready to go. And so a seesaw battle commenced. Back and forth the teams sprinted. Players hit the ground and elbows flew. Whoever thinks soccer isnt a contact sport should have seen this game. No quarter was asked for and none was given. U-16 is real soccer folks, and 4 v. 4 is fast and edgy--it is kind of like Beethovens violin concerto--you are out there all by yourself with nowhere to hide. If you screw up, your discordant notes echo through the hall or you see the back of your opponent’s jersey as he/she blows by you on a breakaway. Both teams edged up to the line that separates aggressive play from poor sportsmanship but never crossed it. Kate, fresh off of her recent trip to Triton, continued to evolve into what I believe is her natural position of striker--she has a pure shot, the best on the team--and she scored a goal. Halftime--score tied 4-4, and a spirited conversation about substitutions and playing together ensued. Maximus was having an off night. The Pearson boys were arguing. Andrue’s legs were wobbly with a half to go. This is where we find out what were made of, coach said stating the obvious. And so they took the field with Nate at keeper and the team in a defensive alignment. The game evolved into a contest of wills. Time and again, Josh stopped breakaways by playing a level of defense that until this night he had never played before. The other team finally scored again to go up 5-4 with fifteen minutes left, the weight of the extra sub beginning to tell. Nate made two diving saves of point blank shots inside of ten feet to keep the margin to one. Switched to offense--hoping the kids had a little in the tank. Nate took the ball on a break and tied it up with ten minutes to go. Four minutes left now, light fading, and the entire game taking place on our defensive half of the field. My kids could barely stand. But the other team was tired too and also frustrated. Sensing this, Andrue my midfielder intercepted a pass, juked the defender, took it the length of the field and scored. Back to our side of the field. Shots barely miss. Maximus makes up for his first half by preserving the lead. And with 30 seconds left Andrue did it again, intercepted a pass, took it down the field, and scored. Immortals win 7-5 and finish the regular season 5-0-1. The stats: Andrue 4 goals, Nate 2 goals and 3 assists, Kate one goal, Josh, immeasurable defense, Maximus—a gutty second half. I wish I could take some credit for this game. But I can’t. Although it is possible to teach fundamentals and even conditioning, one cannot teach will, desire, or heart. That comes from within and all of my kids have it. The playoffs begin next week and our record is 0-0-0. We’ll see how it goes. And for the first time in a long time I wish I was sixteen again just so I could play with them.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:29:45 +0000
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