And so ends a very frustrating regular fall season.In the first half the girls got pinned back in their own end tonite -- as they have almost every game this season. The Jags never really had a scoring opportunity, but the Force have yet to learn how to break out of their own end. Punts and goal kicks come right back and the game sometimes look like a tilted pinball machine.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZCwiNJ4wgo I am sure there is a soccer term for what in basketball would be "break the press" but I don't know it. I would love to learn more about it because it seems a critical part of the game. The girls really seem to have little sense -- conceptually speaking -- of what they are trying to do or what their options are in such situations. Nor have the Force developed a sense of how they put other team's in such a position, that is apply pressure by trapping balls at midfield.
Things went a bit better in the second half, but the Jags managed to get just enough pressure to produce a hard shot that banged off the crossbar and came down crazily inside the goal line.
Officiating issues that began the season stayed with the team until the end (surprise, surprise -- "Those Force parents were mean to one of our guys! boo hoo"). The officiating in the league is generally fine during the game. These are 11 year olds after all. It ain't, as they say, dental surgery. For example, tonite there was really only two missed calls that I saw: Emmi got bumped once, then knocked down -- but Emmi gives as good as she gets. And, for a variety of reasons, the ref had already made up his mind about the Force when Rhea got taken out during a run in the second half. So that's one bad or missed call for one parental outburst.
Fair enough, to coin a phrase. But the larger context matters:
In eight games we have had one game decided by a perfectly bizarre pk called by an official who did not move up and down the field. We had one complete meltdown by an official who thought it was fine to swear up a storm in front of 11 year olds. The consequences? Have no idea. To his credit, the young lad that popped his cork started the game on time. Only at one game have all officials shown up on time for a game. At one game we were missing a linesman and at another one was 20 minutes late. Everybody gets paid, of course (we are overworked!! -- the cries go and sometimes seem akin to the "Occupy Wall Street" group -- and I sympathize accordingly with the injustice done these poor souls -- as one one late flag man told me at 3:15 as I passed the baton to him -- "Dude, I was in bed when they called"). The officiating response is loud and clear, particularly if there are complaints: be glad we are here.
Fair enough, again, to recoin a phrase.
But for an industry that costs so much in time and money this group really needs to do a bit better. 8 games with aforementioned attendance and on time ratings.
And there needs to be less dramatic insertion of officiating into Force U12 games. As the smallest (or tied for smallest) team in the league and the least physical our play seems to draw more than our fair share of attention from officials. 3 pks against the Force, including the one already mentioned, we had one for a questionable hand ball against a team while losing 6-3 (the game really wasn't that close). And, tonite, one yellow card. Really? An 11 year old girl ("Those Force parents were mean to one of our guys! boo hoo"). This card against a girl who takes a beating every game and is the team's most active player and leading scorer. Really?
This, too, is the league where kids are coached and encouraged to jeer at injured players. And a yellow card? For talking to the official? Really?
It is perhaps time to sit down with the head of officiating and negotiate some kind of truce. It is possible to have an adult conversation, no? Somebody co-ordinates the officiating, correct? Perhaps there is a way to salve the wounded pride of these sensitive individuals. As consumers, parents have little choice. I am paying too much money to get taught a bizarre lesson by this seemingly overworked crew. Perhaps it is the Bloomfield thing? If it would help, I would be happy to share my W2s with the officials to build some working class solidarity. My income is public knowledge -- I get no cash under the table. To the barricades comrades/comprades/mates!!! (just lay off the pk or dramatic decision per game thing, ok? )
The girls played pretty well. Rhea continues to dazzle on offense. As a spectator you hope and wait for her to get the ball. I haven't seen Zoe called for a foul since she was six! Good for her! Lauren was back -- which means energy at midfield. Grace really does some nice things out there and tonite even got off a few shots on net to go with her inside passing. Kyra had big moments again in limited time. Sophie had a solid game on defense. And Christina is the kind of kid you just want to coach because every bit of her is given out there on the field day in day out. You can't say enough about Kate. Even she can't catch a hard shot that bounces off the crossbar and straight down.
Looking forward to the playoffs next weekend. !! The officials make 35, 20, and 20 per game in the playoffs. And play begins with a World Cup "walk-out" for sportsmanship. We play the third place team, I think, at 11 PM in Hamburg, MI (I don't know where that is) and, if we win, we play at 3PM>
| Michigan Jaguars 00 Green | 22 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 13 | |
| 2. | Canton Celtic 00 Black | 16 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 11 | 15 |
| 3. | LCSC 00 Meteors | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| 4. | TNT Dynamite 00 Red | 9 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 17 | -11 |
| 5. | Michigan Jaguars 00 White | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 18 | -11 |
| 6. | Force FC 00 Purple | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 25 | -13 |
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