Sunday's championship game opened with decent conditions: 70s, slightly overcast sky, but windy. The Force parents noted right away in warm ups they were facing a Kate type keeper -- only Kate plus 14 inches and 70 pounds. This girl had hands, great athleticism, and supreme confidence. It seemed no wonder this team, "Westside," only had allowed 1 goal all tournament. Kate was at a perfect O going in.
This goal count, in part, got the girls to the championship game.
The Force girls applied great pressure early on. Sawyer had terrific runs, but was bumped, grabbed, held and, from play to play, played extremely well by a tough defender on the right side. At one point, frustrated, Sawyer gave her own push and offered perhaps the sweetest response of any reprimanded soccer player ever.
The officiating was a surprise. The game was called very tight. This usually benefits the Force who, well...they don't play old time hockey. But here we saw Stasia take a call for a push! Then Grace!!! (Sawyer, Stasia and Grace??).
Grace played her heart out at midfield, covering ground, moving effortlessly. She and Zoe controlled the middle with surprise help from Sophia. With Kyra absent today Cookie had to shift positions. Sophia stepped up from defender and played, perhaps, her best game ever. She dashed side to side, won every ball, and made plays into the offensive end (I will get to that!). Talk about coming up big in a big and new situation!
Jazzy netted a goal (where else? right in front) but it got taken back by an offsides call. After all this possession and pressure the momentum started to turn Westside's way at the end of the half. In a foreshadowing of the game's end parents began checking their watches. Sawyer's Dad, in fact, is like a Swiss repair shop, more regular than the sun. It turned out, though, we were timing for 30 minutes and this was 35 minutes.
Championship games change things and call out the best in great players.
At half time I got distracted. Blogger jr., Henry, was diligently taking notes. Is this good role modelling or bad I wondered? (Tigerwife has a clear answer here).
But about 10 minutes in I woke up. It really shouldn't be a surprise that Jill made what I think is the play of the tournament not involving a keeper. Yet it is a surprise every time for parents and taller opposing players to watch her small blond streak go pushing up the left side, passing taller forwards and midfielders. Indeed, the game had gone to dead even in terms of momentum and it looked like we could be heading for a 0-0 tie when Jill took the ball inside our half -- and seemingly driven by the fact that a moment before she had just given up a ball (how did that happen?) -- charged past three players into the Westside end. Cookie has been outside defenders to push up when the ball is on their side -- here it was. As she passed each player it seemed as if she had been tackled ...yet she kept coming into the Westside 18 where a seemingly shocked sweeper knocked her down.
In league play we never would get this call as it violates the "Only Jags get PKs Rule." Superstriker Sawyer stepped in calmly (Superstriker's Dad was less calm, not sure whether to watch or check his watch). She gave a hint of going to the left corner that the Keeper bought and then drove it hard right, shoulder high.
1-0.
"Can we think about the Golden Five minutes girls?"
Energized, the Force kept moving the ball. Playmaker supreme Rhea placed one perfectly to Ellie and, remarkably, against this, keeper, she tucked one past the inside post
2-0.
Smelling blood, Rhea took a ball in the offensive end hard off her body and sent the ball to a charging Sophia who reacted brilliantly to knock it in off her shin or raised outside foot (blogger needs glasses).
3-0.
Then, unbelievably enough, we got caught by what we usually plea for: tight officiating. A penalty about 12 feet outside the box gave a Westside player a chance. And boy did she take advantage. With a bit of wind she put it over the wall, and over an outstretched and helpless Kate.
3-1.
No worries yet.
Then, a few minutes later with Westside gaining an edge the Force took another call, perhaps from a few feet closer. If you are going to beat Kate in a championship, however, you better get it over her head. This hard shot looked shoulder high, heading for Kate's right. But she dove right and knocked it away for a highlight reel save.
Alas, a scrum off the ensuing corner kick saw Kate get whacked hard -- and suddenly the Westside side was back in it. 3-2.
Coach Cookie, after much yelling (no rhetorical questions here) wisely got the girls to go with 4 on the backline (Sophie, Zoe, Emmi, Jill) backed up by rockstar defender Annabelle as sweeper -- taking a page from Westside's formation. This worked well enough. But the last 15 minutes were nail biting. Sawyer's Dad checked his watch for parents more than Alice has to check her texts. Parents urged, yelled, and sweated. Every girl played hard to keep the lead.
In the end, though, this blogger has to point to the sister act. Emmi and Elli simply refused to cave or back down. Emmi stepped up time and again to knock away attacks. And when she did a red faced and furiously determined Ellie -- playing something like a rover but probably midfield -- got to ball after ball and ball and redirected it. UnbEliEvable. What family intensity.
3 seconds after Sawyer's Dad called the ref for a time the ref blew the whistle. -- more to come
