Game one of the first spring match day turned out to be a 0-0 tie against Canton. The morning was overcast and very cold. But the turf at West Bloomfield was firm and big. Force parents dispersed across the stadium to get different vantage points. Annabelle's mom and dad went as far as to choose opposite sides of the field. Now there, we can say, are dedicated spotters.
Grace's mom did her job, getting there early and handing over cash to the referee.
The girls?
They played well, even without a still injured MSH (who got a few minutes) and rock solid defender Jill. Backline running mates Emmi, Annabelle, Sophie, Sophia stepped up big to fill the gap -- as did Grace, shuttling back and forth from midfield to defender. Indeed, the one serious opportunity the Force gave up in the first half found Grace artfully dashing back to catch a breakaway forward and oh so deftly nudging her, Nick Lidstrom like, to avoid the penalty but still throw off the shot just enough for Kate to make (for Kate, not a regular goalie) a routine save. Grace would make a comparable subtle, but brilliant, play late in the game, preventing a corner and then clearing under tight pressure.
The backline's willingness to step up and apply pressure in the second half created some opportunities for the Force. But it also exposed the girls to counterattack. The Force answer here was rather simple: "Annabelle." She stopped two attacks and chased down Canton's biggest offensive threat when the ball took a tough hop against the Force.
When Annabelle wasn't there Rhea tracked back from midfield to save another opportunity. At points, Rhea seemed to be all over the field. How does she get there? The stride is so fluid it doesn't look fast. But there she is at the ball. And when on the ball there she is turning, effortlessly, distributing the pass. In contrast, Zoe is also all over the ball at midfield but seems to have sped up, accelerating sideline to sideline (she must be looking forward to spring basketball). When the backline steps us and plays well like today you see the advantage. Zoe is able to find her way to the offensive end and create problems for the opponent.
The Force could have pulled this one out. They had the edge. Lauren, Rhea and Sawyer put together some nice combinations. But things never clicked inside the final third of the field.
What is a pleasure to watch, both as parent and customer, is the way in which the girls have grasped many aspects of soccer. Ball control, changing the point of attack, making angled runs. This is fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment