The Tigers had a good game in that a few players who haven't played much yet did get involved in the game. Chad, thanks to his Grandpa, got out there and did some kicking and seemed to enjoy it. Austin and Bennett had good games, especially Austin, who showed some excellent ball control. But the real highlight of the game was Riley. She played a lot and had a lot of touches on the ball. Her best moments though were two times when she saw that Austin had control of the ball and rather than just chase after him or just stand by she actually started to run ahead of him a bit as though she were thinking she might be able to help him that way. These were just brief flashes but they point to the potential for a player to begin to see the game from a broader perspective. Keep an eye on Riley.
The Polar Bears had a great game too with goals from Ashley and Noah and strong performances all around. The highlight in this game was Ava in keeper. She is as fiercely competitive and fearless as anyone I've coached. When in the field that fierceness can lead her to give in to the temptation to pick up the ball. She wants to control the ball and sometimes the easiest way to do that is to just grab it. She'll get past that. But when she's in keeper that instinct to posses the ball is an asset and in this game she had some great stops. When she did make those stops she wasn't looking to the crowd to catch a glimpse of their approval, she was looking to the field thinking about her outlet pass. Awesome! Then on one stop she had the opposing player right in her face kicking at her before the ref (me) could blow the whistle. Ava was unfazed. Most kids would have been furious and in tears at the offense of having someone kick them in the hands. She just picked up the ball and tried to find a teammate to throw it to. Amazing! When running with the ball in the pack Ava has a bit of tunnel vision but in keeper she is already showing a good sense of being part of a team that has a shared goal. We'll play her in that spot some more. She's earned it.
Team awareness and teamwork was the theme of the Thunder game too. Carson has had some great goals this season but his best so far was this week off an assist from Parker. In the early minutes of the game I stopped Parker and pointed out to him that if he saw that Juan or Carson had the ball he should break off from them and get open so that he might get a pass and have a shot. We talk about that all the time when scrimmaging at practice and I don't expect the kids to get it all at once but the next thing I knew Parker was keeping his spacing from the ball and before you know it he gets possession on the left then turns in and makes a great shot/pass that comes to Carson who puts it in the net. Teamwork! I don't know that Carson exactly realized what had happened but Parker did. When he ran back to me at the circle I could see from his expression that he knew that what he had done had led to that goal. That is huge.
Other highlights in this game were:
Logan's great play in as keeper. He really was diving on the ball that game!
Juan's beautiful touch on the ball. He had one inside cut move where he changed direction while corralling the ball with his left instep that was just poetically graceful (if you are not familiar with the British sports press, this is how one writes about the beautiful game).
Mya also had a brilliant turn of the ball that nearly led to a goal. While tangled in a crowd she made a great change of direction, pulling the ball deftly along with her and suddenly found herself in the open for a shot. I think she surprised herself.
Everyone else played well too, without exception. That was a great game.
And finally, here is my brilliantly insightful analysis of the Sharks' game: Sam Eppley went absolutely insane! Sam was, on this day, completely in control of his full array of talents and he played with real joy. He'd had a hard time against that big kid, Nate, on the red team and I think it shook his confidence a bit. We talked a bit after that game about trying to be more patient with his dribbling and to use his change of direction to get around people. Well in this week's game he made a simple double move, going right then cutting back left, to get around a defender and then score and when he ran out to the circle his eyes were lit up and he said "I tricked that kid. I tricked him." He was thrilled with that breakthrough and I am too. His touch on the ball is so sure and soft he should be able to get around anyone if he's got the space.
Sam wasn't the only one who made a bit of a leap in this game. I saw Samuel actively trying to use his left foot more. That's big. Diego was doing much better in terms of looking up from the ball a bit to see where his teammates were. Jackson did great work moving up from the midfield position I started him in to strike at the goal when he had the chance and he and Elizabeth and Sam E. were going pass crazy!
Sam A. had an amazing game too. Jagger and Trey were great in keeper and when Elizabeth took her turn in keeper she saved a certain goal with a great stop going to her right.
That was a really fun match as Coach Berling's side really gave the Sharks all they could handle. I think it ended up being five to two and that was as good a challenge as the Sharks have had all season. In the huddle at the end they were fired up. They knew they'd played well as a team.
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