Thursday, May 31, 2012
Coach predictions for next year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LsvwmgJ7Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LsvwmgJ7I
Alice's Update!
[From me -- not Alice -- see you all, most likely, Saturday Night for the playoff game against Novi Jags Green 01]
Hello Everyone.
Hello Everyone.
Here is the schedule for next weekend June 9 & 10. The
two games this weekend will heavily determine where we are finish. The
Pacesetters and LCSC will not be participating in the playoffs. After our games
this weekend we will know if we are playing once or twice on June 9. I will have
parking passes sent to me for Lyon Oaks Park for that weekend. See everyone
tonight at the meeting.
Let’s get the girls
excited about winning this weekend. GO FORCE!!!!!
GAME#
|
Time
|
Home
|
Away
|
Location
| |||
Quarterfinal
|
|||||||
2000 QF1
|
12:30 pm
|
4th Place
|
vs
|
5th Place
|
|||
Semifinal
|
|||||||
2001 SF1
|
6:30 pm
|
1st Place
|
vs
|
Winner Quarterfinal #1
|
|||
2002 SF2
|
6:30 pm
|
2nd Place
|
vs
|
3rd Place
|
|||
Sun, June 10,
2012
| |||||||
GAME#
|
Time
|
Home
|
Away
|
Location
|
|||
Championship
|
|||||||
2003
|
11:30 am
|
Semi-Final #1 Winner
|
vs
|
Semi-Final #2 Winner
|
|||
| Under 13 Y Girls Division 1 | Pts | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1. | Grand Rapids Crew Juniors 00 Gold | 21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 33 |
| 2. | Canton Celtic 00 Black | 15 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 |
| 3. | Pacesetter Premier 00 Red (league only) | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| 4. | Michigan Jaguars 00 Green | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 |
| 5. | LCSC 00 Meteors | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 15 | -11 |
| 6. | TNT Dynamite 00 Red | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 28 | -23 |
| Under 13 Y Girls Division 2 | Pts | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1. | Pacesetter Premier 00 Black (league only | 22 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 28 |
| 2. | Canton Celtic 00 White | 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 3. | Force FC 00 Purple | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 10 |
| 4. | Michigan Jaguars 01 Green | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | -5 |
| 5. | Michigan Jaguars 00 White | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 6. | Waza FC 00 Blue | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -7 |
| 7. | LCSC 00 Meteors Blue (league only) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 32 | -29 |
More on racism in European Soccer
U. of Michigan Professor comments on upcoming Euro 2012
Yet soccer competitions involving national teams tend to foster stereotypes and chauvinistic tensions, said Andrei Markovits, a professor of German studies at the University of Michigan who has written
Yet soccer competitions involving national teams tend to foster stereotypes and chauvinistic tensions, said Andrei Markovits, a professor of German studies at the University of Michigan who has written
“I’m sure there will be all sorts of nasty catcalls against dark-skinned players on all sides,” Markovits said of Euro 2012.
But he added: “I don’t see this as only Eastern European, except by shade or degree. It’s ubiquitous in Europe. Somehow the soccer stadium has remained the last bastion of unmitigated maleness. You can behave badly and be proud of it, the way you can’t in virtually any other venue in Europe.”
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Kyra's Dad's Write Up, Pacesetter Tournament 2!
PACESETTER TOURNAMENT part 2
One other thing about game 1 that my middle aged brain failed to
recall: While it's true our girls had a hard time controlling play in the first
half, we did have some success on the counter attack, but were thwarted each
time by the odd but effective strategy employed by the Whitecaps of playing
their backline way up, so as to earn an offsides whistle nearly every time we
sent a pass into their zone. The go-ahead goal that Christina put in after a
tough angled strike by Rhea, was called back on one such occasion.
GAME 2
A 6:40 am trip back to the fields wasn't ideal for a few sleepy girls
and some groggy parents (gotta love that hotel bar!). Of course we couldn't
complain too much about the early start time with temps for the day forecasted
to be well into the mid 90's. The crisp morning air was absolutely perfect, and
it wasn't long before the girls, and even the parents, were up to full speed.
With the whistle blowing promptly at 7:30, the girls were determined to make
this their morning against a worthy opponent from suburban Pittsburgh, Victory
Express. And from the start, this looked more like a Force game than the
previous day's match. Even with the larger, more physical opponent, our girls
used their speed and quick, instinctive passing to set the tone. Without Zoe in
the middle, terrific play by Lauren, Rhea, and Grace provided some nice
opportunities early on. But the team in blue wasn't about to back down and it
seemed on this morning they would be the ones to exploit with the counter
attack. But leave it to our superb backline to deny any foray into the Force
end. Not enough can be said of the outstanding play of Annabelle, Emmi, Jill,
and Sophia. All weekend long, they would reliably and deftly quell the panic of
the parents on the Force sideline. All weekend long, they would frustrate even
the most skilled attackers. As the first half wound down, and with the intense
action on the field, it was clear we were in for another tightly contested
match. Halftime found a visit from a Victory dad to some of the Force parents.
He was very complimentary to our girls, he thought they were more skilled and
quicker with decisions than his team. He felt teams from western PA were at a
disadvantage because of the lack of flatland. Interesting theory.
Maybe his words were an omen, because during the second half we
sensed that, sooner or later, the Force would capitalize. It looked as though
Victory Express had no answer for the speed and finesse of our girls up front.
Anastasia, Sawyer and Kyra took turns challenging the defense. Jazzy, Christina
and Rhea all had near misses on net. Shoot the ball and good things will happen.
And shoot they did. So here it was with 10 minutes left, and finally, the moment
we had been waiting for. Lauren to Grace to Rhea, who as she so often does,
finds a deep angle and launches one, far post. Shoot the ball and good things DO
happen. Just ask Rhea's Mom. 1-0.
Of course we can't forget the "Golden 5 Minutes" - and it was 5
minutes of sheer terror among the Force families. Annabelle's mom was so tense
she was compelled to turn away and watch the game on the neighboring field. The
girls of course were more composed, skillfully turning away any attack. And as
our last line of defense, Kate was impenetrable. Kate impresses me as quite a
leader on the field, and when called upon is as skilled as any young goalkeeper
(this would be put to the test in game 3). 5 minutes and counting, where's the
insurance goal? Oh yeah, Sawyer! We've seen this before- a nice delivery from
midfield found a streaking Sawyer with one defender to beat. 2-0. And that would
do it. Thank the soccer gods.
GAME 3
So here we were, just one win away from moving on to the playoffs.
Maybe this could really happen. Hold on though, not so fast. The final opponent
would be none other than the mighty Ohio Premier Eagles, who currently sat in
first place, having beaten the other two teams seemingly with ease. Big.
Athletic. Skilled. Fast. one look at them on the field and you get the
impression this is a team of u-14 or u-15 girls. And rumor has it they're
coached to play a bit dirty. Mid-afternoon on a 90 degree day against an
invincible team. No Zoe. This could get ugly. The only way to find out of
course, is to play the game. The opening whistle immediately confirmed our worst
fears. It looked as though OP had no weakness. Were they that good? Maybe our
girls were a bit sluggish in the hot afternoon sun. Nothing was going their way.
The barrage we faced in the first 15 minutes was something to behold. But as I
touched on earlier, Kate was equal to the task, stopping anything
and everything that came her way. All you need to know about Kate and our
fantastic defenders is this: None of the 10 teams in the u-12 11v11 bracket
allowed fewer goals than the Force. It is a true testament to the players that
we have in the back. Of course it helps to be lucky sometimes, as was the case
late in the half when we were called for a penalty in the box (go figure!?!). A
skilled OP striker, one on one against Kate? There was certainly a sense of
inevitability with this one. But again, thank the soccer gods, the shot rang off
the crossbar! Could it be? scoreless at halftime against this team? Consider it
a moral victory.
So, could the girls settle in, make some some adjustments and really
challenge this team? Incredibly, and proudly to all who witnessed, the answer
was yes. Little by little the Force began creating opportunities, buzzing bees
Kyra and Anastasia began pestering their bigger opponent with quickness, agility
and yes, even physicality. Jazzy began forcing her will with size and deceptive
skill. Lauren managed the game from midfield with creativity and flair, what a
gamer she is. All of this led to some real chances. During one sequence, there
was more action in front of the OP net than in the entire first half. But the
soccer gods would not be as generous this time, that perfect bounce would not
come, even with Sawyer, Christina and Kyra lurking. Even so, the resilience of
our girls began to frustrate the side from suburban Columbus. A yellow card was
even given to one particular player who was shoving anyone she came into contact
with (just ask Jazzy's Mom).
But just when you thought the tide had finally turned, disaster. A loose
ball popped free just behind our defenders leaving Annabelle to chase down a
deceptively fast forward. Kate heroically tried to beat her to the ball but just
missed. It was a dagger that found the left corner of the net, and the heart.
Disaster indeed. Especially considering how brilliantly the defense had played
to that point. I'm tempted to say that Annabelle was the player of the
tournament, but a nod could be given to any number of our girls. For this game
we should give special recognition to Emmi, who always seemed to be in the right
place at the right time, always knew when to step up, and always seemed to
deliver a perfect ball.
Could our girls find enough for one last push? They gave it their all, but
sadly, it was not to be. OP dug in their heels and slowed down the game with
increasingly rough play. In the final minutes the size mismatch began taking its
toll, and Kyra, even with all her mighty mouse toughness, fell victim to the
mayhem with a twisted ankle. And with the referee peeking more frequently at his
watch, we new that was it. There would be no back to back trophies. But there's
nothing to be sad about. All should be very proud. Responding at halftime and
taking a team of that caliber down to the wire is quite an accomplishment.
Cookie said as much himself. To him, this was their best match of the tourney.
And of course there's something else we can all smile about: NO SECOND NIGHT IN
THAT HOTEL!
Although the bar was quite fun. Just ask Sawyer's Dad. And Emmi's Dad. And
Stasia's Dad. And Sophia's Dad. And Jazzy's Dad. And Jazzy's Mom. And Grace's
Mom. And Lauren's Mom...
Thanks for listening and feel free to share your own thought or memories
from the weekend.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Kyra's DAD write up!
PACESETTER TOURNAMENT part 1
There's always a bit of excitement and anticipation (even for parents) upon
arriving at a tournament venue. This is especially true for tournaments we've
not attended before. And our trip just south of the border was no different, as
we met at the designated off-site parking to divvy up the six parking passes
allotted to the team. That's right, six parking passes. For 14 families. Or is
it 15 families? No matter, under Joanna's fearless leadership we managed to
squeeze everyone into six vehicles. OK I'm exaggerating a little bit, some of us
had skipped the off-site parking and gone right to the venue, but it's more fun
to remember it this way.
It didn't take long to get to the fields and it certainly didn't take long
to realize that this was indeed a first class event. Well organized, nicely
managed, immaculate playing surfaces. It wasn't without its hiccups though, as
an AWOL line judge turned a half hour weather delay into a full hour delay for
our first game. There was even word of a ref being fired after making a bad call
that changed the outcome of a game.
GAME 1
Again, there's something to be said for the anticipation of the unknown.
The first game at a brand new tournament. Against a team from Cleveland. A team
with horizontal pinstripes on their jerseys. Is that to make them look bigger? I
wonder what Joan Rivers would say. From our vantage point, they did indeed look
bigger, but it wasn't because of their jerseys. As is usually the case, and as
would be for the entire weekend, the Force would be outsized. But as is usually
the case, the girls have plenty of other things at their disposal to counter
with. Could it be enough to bring home another trophy? If we were to judge by
the early action in game one, the answer to that question would unfortunately be
"no". Aside from a very early strike by Jazzy that struck the crossbar, the
Force couldn't muster any offensive control, with the Whitecaps dictating play
and keeping our defenders busy for much of the half. A handful of near misses on
our goal had the Force parents gasping in near desperation. Nothing, however,
elicited the type of gasps that could be heard during a whitecaps throw-in. One
particular defender on the Whitecaps could fire the ball like none of us had
seen before. Time and time again, facing a stiff headwind, she would launch low
trajectory rockets into the box with dangerous results. The speed, skill and
discipline with which the side from Cleveland handled their throw-ins was truly
impressive. It caught the Force off guard too many times and I think it's safe
to say we felt relieved to be scoreless at the half.
Halftime gave the girls a chance to settle in a gain some composure and at
the whistle they came out with energy and confidence. Determined, our girls
weren't about to back down to the larger side, and eventually their quickness
and athleticism would pay dividends. With our midfielders dictating much of the
play, the speedy forwards of the Force took turns breaking through the opposing
defense only to be denied on each occasion. This action increased the level of
intensity on the pitch, particularly in the middle, where Zoe fell victim during
a battle with one of the Whitecaps standouts. This would prove to be more costly
than initially thought, as a strained (or bruised) groin would keep her out not
only the rest of the game, but the remainder of the tournament as well. It's
hard to recover from the loss of such a valuable component of the team, but the
girls would soldier on. Speaking of crucial loss- It was clear the team did miss
the speed and grit of Sophie, she was in the girls' hearts all weekend. Of
course let's not forget the fantastic job Claire did filling in.
As time wound down, the Force parents were resigned (or maybe relieved) to
a scoreless draw. Indeed, with the whistle, it was quite apparent we weren't in
Indy anymore. 0-0. We'll take it.
THE HOTEL
Another sign we weren't in Indy anymore was awaiting us when we exited
I-475 at Secor road. Apparently, one of northern Ohio's best kept secrets is the
space/time portal that exists just off the expressway, 3rd turn on the left,
which takes you to 1979. Yes, the year, 1979. Welcome to the Ramada Inn. In all
it's mirrored geometry, fake plants and carpeted walls. This place deserves its
own blog post, but a few of the highlights: Water stained stucco ceilings,
cigarette burned bedspreads, and a shower that was either scalding, or off. CRT
(yes really) televisions, scenic view of a distintegrating parking lot and the
faint smell of who knows what. Unless of course you went to the second floor for
the working ice machine, where that faint smell wasn't so faint anymore. Sorry
Alice, I'm sure you had no idea...
And Sawyer's dad can tell you about his success that night in searching for
the team's new coach, I think he even snapped a photo of this elusive character
in the waning hours of the evening.
Pacesetter Final
| Games of the 2012 Pacesetter Soccer Invitational |  |
| Standings for Div G1211v11 | |||||||||||||
| No. | Div | Time | Field | Home Team | Visiting Team | Type | |||||||
| Saturday, May 26, 2012 | |||||||||||||
| 444 | G1211v11 | 12:00 PM | PP26 | OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN - C | 1 | 0 | C - VICTORY EXPRESS | ||||||
| Sunday, May 27, 2012 | |||||||||||||
| 433 | G1211v11 | 7:30 AM | PP23 | CLEVELAND WHITECAPS - C | 2 | 5 | C - OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN | ||||||
| 438 | G1211v11 | 3:00 PM | PP23 | OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN - C | 1 | 0 | C - FORCE PURPLE 00 | ||||||
| Monday, May 28, 2012 | |||||||||||||
| 445 | G1211v11 | 8:00 AM | PP20 | PLYMOUTH REIGN GIRLS 00 GREEN - A | 2 | 4 | C - OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN | SEMI | |||||
| 447 | G1211v11 | 1:00 PM | PP01 | OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN - C Finalist |
1 | 2 | B - BLAST FC RED Champion |
FINAL | |||||
Links on the division will produce a listing of the teams in that particular division. Links on the team name will produce a schedule of just that team. (5
Monday, May 28, 2012
Pacesetter Tournament, Day 2
| No. | Div | Time | Field | Home Team | Visiting Team | Type | |||||
| Saturday, May 26, 2012 | |||||||||||
| 443 | G1211v11 | 12:00 PM | PP25 | CLEVELAND WHITECAPS - C | 0 | 0 | C - FORCE PURPLE 00 | ||||
| Sunday, May 27, 2012 | |||||||||||
| 434 | G1211v11 | 7:30 AM | PP24 | FORCE PURPLE 00 - C | 2 | 0 | C - VICTORY EXPRESS | ||||
| 438 | G1211v11 | 3:00 PM | PP23 | OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN - C | 1 | 0 | C - FORCE PURPLE 00 | ||||
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Pacesetter Tournament, Day One
| 440 | G1211v11 | 10:30 AM | PP24 | GTFC U12 11V11 - A | 1 | 3 | A - PLYMOUTH REIGN GIRLS 00 GREEN | |||
| 442 | G1211v11 | 12:00 PM | PP24 | ALLIANCE FC 00 GIRLS BLACK - B | 0 | 5 | B - BLAST FC RED | |||
| 443 | G1211v11 | 12:00 PM | PP25 | CLEVELAND WHITECAPS - C | 0 | 0 | C - FORCE PURPLE 00 | |||
| 444 | G1211v11 | 12:00 PM | PP26 | OP EAGLES BLACK DUBLIN - C | 1 | 0 | C - VICTORY EXPRESS | |||
| 441 | G1211v11 | 3:00 PM | PP22 | TKO WISSER - A | 4 | 3 | B - PERRYSBURG GOLD |
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wrapping up -- the basic numbers
This blog began on June 21, 2011. Its original intent was to use my daughter's infatuation with soccer as a spur to have her write on a regular basis and, in particular, write in a "new media" form.
Like many parental plans that didn't work out so well.
Still, it has been interesting and tapped into my more compulsive tendencies. That is, certain things I start and then can't let go. This is getting worse with middle age, but it is helping me understand the habits of my own white male demographics (lawn cutters, golfers, car care givers, sports gamblers, tax cutting tea partiers, etc.)
Here are some basic facts. In the little under a year the blog has been active there have been 260 posts. 261 if you count this one. There have been just over 5,000 pageviews. Some of them by Sawyer's Dad. Surprisingly, most people still seem to use a PC to view rather than hand held device. Explorer and Firefox account for 75% of the searching while mobile devices (Safari, etc.) such as Blackberry and IPhone account for only 6%.
In 2011, the most frequently viewed posts were my comments on Hope Solo and Dancing With the Stars. Coming in second were the posts on various officiating issues and the Novi Jaguars.
In 2012, somewhat to my surprise, the most viewed page by far was my review of Footloose! Who knew? Should have done more movie reviews but I tend to watch movies over and over again rather than see new ones (see compulsions above). Who can sit through the irritations and rudeness of a contemporary moviehouse? Coming in second was my account of a March 10 victory over an RSC term that held first place. I think this got so much attention because it marked the first victory over a quality opponent after a very tough fall.
Like many parental plans that didn't work out so well.
Still, it has been interesting and tapped into my more compulsive tendencies. That is, certain things I start and then can't let go. This is getting worse with middle age, but it is helping me understand the habits of my own white male demographics (lawn cutters, golfers, car care givers, sports gamblers, tax cutting tea partiers, etc.)
Here are some basic facts. In the little under a year the blog has been active there have been 260 posts. 261 if you count this one. There have been just over 5,000 pageviews. Some of them by Sawyer's Dad. Surprisingly, most people still seem to use a PC to view rather than hand held device. Explorer and Firefox account for 75% of the searching while mobile devices (Safari, etc.) such as Blackberry and IPhone account for only 6%.
In 2011, the most frequently viewed posts were my comments on Hope Solo and Dancing With the Stars. Coming in second were the posts on various officiating issues and the Novi Jaguars.
In 2012, somewhat to my surprise, the most viewed page by far was my review of Footloose! Who knew? Should have done more movie reviews but I tend to watch movies over and over again rather than see new ones (see compulsions above). Who can sit through the irritations and rudeness of a contemporary moviehouse? Coming in second was my account of a March 10 victory over an RSC term that held first place. I think this got so much attention because it marked the first victory over a quality opponent after a very tough fall.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sophie update
Well, Sawyer's Dad is certainly an astute time keeper. Before Sunday's game against the Novi Jaguars Green 01 (making sure I get the various teams and coaches straight) he reminded me that the Blog's time is just about up. I didn't think I would be wrapping things up quite so soon though -- although, in parental retrospect, perhaps I should have.
Sorry for lack of write up -- please feel free to send me any info via email and I will post those and continue to do so throughout June 10. If Sophie is up for it by then we will certainly try to hit a few playoff games.
I do recall a few early terrific plays. Zoe send a long stretch pass up the middle to Rhea within the first three minutes which could have been a goal -- but it is tough to handle the ball on a 30 degree incline. A few minutes later Zoe battled like crazy, won the ball, and sent another great pass up the left side...but, again, field conditions played a role. (I was reminded of playing Rec games at Roeper on Adams road where the field is on a comparable slope -- and having to explain to an opposing coach that -- even though those the 6 year olds get confused -- we do have to switch sides after half time because it is a little odd to have only one team playing straight up hill. To avoid conditions, like that, one Dad said, you have to switch to travel soccer -- ah well, English soccer coaches in suburban American are always trying to replicate playing conditions in impoverished Brazil or Mexico so...).
Emmi sent a great free kick, I know, into the front for a great opportunity. And, as I recall, a few minutes later, after taking a ball out of the air, she delivered a beautiful pass from mid field to Sawyer who carefully placed one in the right corner. 1-0.
I remember watching the regular substitution pattern: Soph gets subbed for by Sophia on right defense and that there was some variation as she was subbed back in for Jill on the left side.
Then I lost my focus a bit. Such is fate -- I had perfectly organized notes going for a change. We froze. Thankfully Zoe's mom yelled for Sophie to take a knee and at least get the play stopped before more damage was done.
Walking Sophie off the field I did catch the second goal from behind the net. I glanced up to see Rhea fight off a desparation two handed shove from the Jags keeper to jam home the second for the Force. We were all quite happy to hear that four more were added on the "downslope."
On Soph: As Alice reported she broke her left collar bone and there might be some shoulder damage, too.
She is out for the season and won't be able to try regular activity for about 8 weeks. This cancels spring basketball as well (for curious fans). We are headed to the orthopedic surgeon soon. With a clavicle break, we discovered, you can't do much. The bone can't be immobilized in a cast. You can only use a sling and try not to move.
Soph heard the bone crack or pop when she hit the ground. When we got to the sidelines we knew something was wrong and were grateful to Cookie when he cleared our stupor by saying she should be looked at. Rhea's Dad gave us a quick thinking good tip about Providence Hospital just off Beck road but we decided to head to home turf and Beaumont with their Pediatric ER section. Having done crisis work in an ER I recall the throngs of weekend evenings, particularly when the weather first turns warm and people start falling off their porches.
Not sure if that was the right call. The ride was excruciating. Every jolt or bump hurt and turns were nightmarish. We couldn't quite tell Sophie that getting to the hospital was not going to provide instant relief.
Fortunately she was seen immediately and, at Pauline's persuasive urging, the staff got pain meds into her right away which provided some relief. X-rays were tough though. We got done and back home by 11. As she can't get up and down right now without severe pain I slept on the floor in her room and Pauline set the alarm to give pain meds every four hours. We are hoping she will be mobile enough to school after Memorial Day.
Yesterday she rested reasonably well. All World manager Alice's team gift of a sports' cookie basket brought the first big smile (not from me -- Sophie thinks the basket looks "too cool" to eat). Even the delivery guy was funny. We watched Young Frankenstein on Comcast -- but she isn't quite ready for Mel Brooks' humor yet. Will work on that during recovery. Neighborhood teammates and friends Anastasia and Kyra came over to raid the pickle jars and that was a welcome distraction, too. As someone who loves words and language and their ability to connect people I always find Stasia's constant chatter uplifting :).
Thanks so much for the calls, texts, and emails. We very much appreciate the support. And, again, feel free to join Sawyer's Dad and send me any info you might want up on the blog.
Today's goal: get Sophie to let us cut the Black Force Jersey off her. Yikes!
Sorry for lack of write up -- please feel free to send me any info via email and I will post those and continue to do so throughout June 10. If Sophie is up for it by then we will certainly try to hit a few playoff games.
I do recall a few early terrific plays. Zoe send a long stretch pass up the middle to Rhea within the first three minutes which could have been a goal -- but it is tough to handle the ball on a 30 degree incline. A few minutes later Zoe battled like crazy, won the ball, and sent another great pass up the left side...but, again, field conditions played a role. (I was reminded of playing Rec games at Roeper on Adams road where the field is on a comparable slope -- and having to explain to an opposing coach that -- even though those the 6 year olds get confused -- we do have to switch sides after half time because it is a little odd to have only one team playing straight up hill. To avoid conditions, like that, one Dad said, you have to switch to travel soccer -- ah well, English soccer coaches in suburban American are always trying to replicate playing conditions in impoverished Brazil or Mexico so...).
Emmi sent a great free kick, I know, into the front for a great opportunity. And, as I recall, a few minutes later, after taking a ball out of the air, she delivered a beautiful pass from mid field to Sawyer who carefully placed one in the right corner. 1-0.
I remember watching the regular substitution pattern: Soph gets subbed for by Sophia on right defense and that there was some variation as she was subbed back in for Jill on the left side.
Then I lost my focus a bit. Such is fate -- I had perfectly organized notes going for a change. We froze. Thankfully Zoe's mom yelled for Sophie to take a knee and at least get the play stopped before more damage was done.
Walking Sophie off the field I did catch the second goal from behind the net. I glanced up to see Rhea fight off a desparation two handed shove from the Jags keeper to jam home the second for the Force. We were all quite happy to hear that four more were added on the "downslope."
On Soph: As Alice reported she broke her left collar bone and there might be some shoulder damage, too.
She is out for the season and won't be able to try regular activity for about 8 weeks. This cancels spring basketball as well (for curious fans). We are headed to the orthopedic surgeon soon. With a clavicle break, we discovered, you can't do much. The bone can't be immobilized in a cast. You can only use a sling and try not to move.
Soph heard the bone crack or pop when she hit the ground. When we got to the sidelines we knew something was wrong and were grateful to Cookie when he cleared our stupor by saying she should be looked at. Rhea's Dad gave us a quick thinking good tip about Providence Hospital just off Beck road but we decided to head to home turf and Beaumont with their Pediatric ER section. Having done crisis work in an ER I recall the throngs of weekend evenings, particularly when the weather first turns warm and people start falling off their porches.
Not sure if that was the right call. The ride was excruciating. Every jolt or bump hurt and turns were nightmarish. We couldn't quite tell Sophie that getting to the hospital was not going to provide instant relief.
Fortunately she was seen immediately and, at Pauline's persuasive urging, the staff got pain meds into her right away which provided some relief. X-rays were tough though. We got done and back home by 11. As she can't get up and down right now without severe pain I slept on the floor in her room and Pauline set the alarm to give pain meds every four hours. We are hoping she will be mobile enough to school after Memorial Day.
Yesterday she rested reasonably well. All World manager Alice's team gift of a sports' cookie basket brought the first big smile (not from me -- Sophie thinks the basket looks "too cool" to eat). Even the delivery guy was funny. We watched Young Frankenstein on Comcast -- but she isn't quite ready for Mel Brooks' humor yet. Will work on that during recovery. Neighborhood teammates and friends Anastasia and Kyra came over to raid the pickle jars and that was a welcome distraction, too. As someone who loves words and language and their ability to connect people I always find Stasia's constant chatter uplifting :).
Thanks so much for the calls, texts, and emails. We very much appreciate the support. And, again, feel free to join Sawyer's Dad and send me any info you might want up on the blog.
Today's goal: get Sophie to let us cut the Black Force Jersey off her. Yikes!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
"awko-taco", drama, part 2, and saying goodbye to cookie
If awko-taco is my current favorite term from my daughter's lexicon then "drama" has to be my second.
Her use of the word "drama" is a bit more complicated than awko-taco. For Soph, drama seems to refer to any bit of social tension or unease that arises during the school day. For example, if two girls have some sort of tif or misunderstanding Sophie will report this, depending on the matter of degree, as "There was lots of/some/a little bit of drama today."
We don't get much more information than this unless said "drama" directly involves her. I am quite proud that she is good at keeping confidences (although the same trait makes me a bit leery heading in to teen years). I was always amazed that girls learn the importance of keeping their mouths shut early on. Boys? Oh, boy. I was dazzled when, starting at age 3 or 4, girls were able to keep quiet about who was invited to what party or what social outing lest some feeling be unnecessarily hurt. Boys seem to learn the opposite. They learn to spot and articulate points of vulnerability ("Look at the HUGE BOOGER on Bobby's nose!!!") -- and they retain this (lack of) skill for most of their lives or until a sufficiently managed by a wife ("my wife handles most of our social stuff" -- good thing!).
In my (probably fortunate) experience, then, the much discussed social viciousness of girls seems overstated. Boys, and men, remain the social exploders and charges to the contrary probably have a bit of old fashioned mysogyny about them. That is, the traditional charge that women are leaky vessels, unable to control their emotions, and prone to histrionics still can be employed. During a recent school election involving taxes I came to dread any discussion with a person of my demographic: white, over 40, male. Maybe one third of that group could argue positions fairly without a) insulting someone b) distorting someone else's arguments c) flying into a rage. Women? Glad they were there.
On gender and drama: Sophie also uses "drama" in a more conventional and what seems to be increasingly popular sense: to refer to someone who shows more affect than a given situation requires. The country (and perhaps) the world prefers a more restrained or managed affect, particularly in men, perhaps because we have to talk to ourselves everyday. When handlers and press started calling President Obama "No Drama Obama" it was generally a positive thing. For Obama, there were no Clintonesque scandals or Bush like verbal eruptions ("Wanted Dead or Alive!"). He was cool (another interesting word), almost to a fault.
David Brooks, my favorite current "conservative," recently opined in the NYTimes that it is only Obama's "cool" that keeps him in such a favorable position heading in to the race against Governor Romney. Brooks argues, more or less, that the state of the union is such that a challenger like Romney should be way ahead but, quite simply, Obama's controlled demeanor has won and maintained votes. In 2008 the single most frequently used term to describe Obama positively was "temperament."
Obama has a good "temperament," people said. He was even keeled, rational, thick skinned. No Drama Obama.
What wasn't discussed too seriously, however, was whether he cultivated such a temperament or whether he was born with it.
Early childhood experts over the last 40 years have claimed temperament is something you are born with it. Some kids are just genetically "cool," able to manage their emotions. Others? Try as we might we yell at soccer officials.
In this the modern term temperament mirrors the older, Renaissance term "Grace," or, in its Italianate form, sprezzatura.
Sprezzatura is the art of making the difficult look easy and every Renaissance courtier aspired to achieve it. To make the difficult look easy one must control one's emotions and avoid "drama" or dramatic expressions. Paradoxically, they must manage "drama" by learning dramatic skills. "Acting," is nothing but masking who you really are or what you really feeling to "perform" something else. Balthassare Castiglione, an early 16century humanist, struggled in the opening pages of his influential The Courtier to explain that -- while once has to be born with sprezzatura -- he will now present a whole treatise on how to develop sprezzatura.
Where along the way did women become better courtiers then men?
Her use of the word "drama" is a bit more complicated than awko-taco. For Soph, drama seems to refer to any bit of social tension or unease that arises during the school day. For example, if two girls have some sort of tif or misunderstanding Sophie will report this, depending on the matter of degree, as "There was lots of/some/a little bit of drama today."
We don't get much more information than this unless said "drama" directly involves her. I am quite proud that she is good at keeping confidences (although the same trait makes me a bit leery heading in to teen years). I was always amazed that girls learn the importance of keeping their mouths shut early on. Boys? Oh, boy. I was dazzled when, starting at age 3 or 4, girls were able to keep quiet about who was invited to what party or what social outing lest some feeling be unnecessarily hurt. Boys seem to learn the opposite. They learn to spot and articulate points of vulnerability ("Look at the HUGE BOOGER on Bobby's nose!!!") -- and they retain this (lack of) skill for most of their lives or until a sufficiently managed by a wife ("my wife handles most of our social stuff" -- good thing!).
In my (probably fortunate) experience, then, the much discussed social viciousness of girls seems overstated. Boys, and men, remain the social exploders and charges to the contrary probably have a bit of old fashioned mysogyny about them. That is, the traditional charge that women are leaky vessels, unable to control their emotions, and prone to histrionics still can be employed. During a recent school election involving taxes I came to dread any discussion with a person of my demographic: white, over 40, male. Maybe one third of that group could argue positions fairly without a) insulting someone b) distorting someone else's arguments c) flying into a rage. Women? Glad they were there.
On gender and drama: Sophie also uses "drama" in a more conventional and what seems to be increasingly popular sense: to refer to someone who shows more affect than a given situation requires. The country (and perhaps) the world prefers a more restrained or managed affect, particularly in men, perhaps because we have to talk to ourselves everyday. When handlers and press started calling President Obama "No Drama Obama" it was generally a positive thing. For Obama, there were no Clintonesque scandals or Bush like verbal eruptions ("Wanted Dead or Alive!"). He was cool (another interesting word), almost to a fault.
David Brooks, my favorite current "conservative," recently opined in the NYTimes that it is only Obama's "cool" that keeps him in such a favorable position heading in to the race against Governor Romney. Brooks argues, more or less, that the state of the union is such that a challenger like Romney should be way ahead but, quite simply, Obama's controlled demeanor has won and maintained votes. In 2008 the single most frequently used term to describe Obama positively was "temperament."
Obama has a good "temperament," people said. He was even keeled, rational, thick skinned. No Drama Obama.
What wasn't discussed too seriously, however, was whether he cultivated such a temperament or whether he was born with it.
Early childhood experts over the last 40 years have claimed temperament is something you are born with it. Some kids are just genetically "cool," able to manage their emotions. Others? Try as we might we yell at soccer officials.
In this the modern term temperament mirrors the older, Renaissance term "Grace," or, in its Italianate form, sprezzatura.
Sprezzatura is the art of making the difficult look easy and every Renaissance courtier aspired to achieve it. To make the difficult look easy one must control one's emotions and avoid "drama" or dramatic expressions. Paradoxically, they must manage "drama" by learning dramatic skills. "Acting," is nothing but masking who you really are or what you really feeling to "perform" something else. Balthassare Castiglione, an early 16century humanist, struggled in the opening pages of his influential The Courtier to explain that -- while once has to be born with sprezzatura -- he will now present a whole treatise on how to develop sprezzatura.
Where along the way did women become better courtiers then men?
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"awko-taco," part one, getting ready to say good bye to Cookie
As I have written before, I love the term "awko-taco" (sp?). This is a neologism (new or invented word) my daughter discovered at school this year. It isn't a soccer term yet but I am trying to work it in before Cookie's Purple U12 Force Blog officially closes on June 18, 2012 -- the times and coaches for 2012-2013 Force Tryouts will be posted soon (I am sure).
Awko-taco is a variant of the word "awkward," and can refer to any socially awkward situation that presents itself to 12 year old girls. When I tell jokes in the soccer Flex, for example, my daughter will say, "that is so awko-taco, Dad", meaning my social interaction with her teammates feels strange or awkward to her. Translation: Dads should drive, produce cash, lift and carry things, and talk with other Dads. Period. Signs of life beyond that can be, from her perspective, "awko-taco" -- socially unsettling. Please shut up before my friends notice you.
Awko-taco, then, points, with clever, ironic critical distance, directly to the developing self-consciousness of the 12 year, a self-consciousness that will guide and determine how one learns to interact with others.
An overdeveloped self-consciousness can lead to the restricted affect of the standard, middle class, white Midwestern American female who is so petrified as to how to interact socially without giving off the wrong signals that one learns to walk around with a zombie like blank stare, broken only by the presence of immediate family members or childhood friends. Indeed, think of the moment in the zombie movie when the zombie -- walking blank eyed -- suddenly springs into "life" in the presence of fresh meat! ("Did you got to Seaholm? I did, too!!!")
Alternately, and more troubling than an overdeveloped self-consciousness, an undeveloped self-consciousness can lead to the obnoxious affect of the standard, middle class, white Midwestern American male who believes every conversation he has is either with great, life-long friend who thinks just like him OR a fierce enemy who must be shouted down or insulted to the point of speechlessness. The locus classicus is still Archie Bunker but this fellow can now be found in modern form on most golf courses irritating the 3 others in his group or making public comments at a school board meeting. ("Those teacher benefits are killing the economy! First, let's kill all the teachers! Then we can back to REAL education")
So, I love the term awko-taco because it reveals my daughter identifying her own self-consciousness and developing it. Like most parents, I hope to help her develop in a way that avoids the "Scylla" of overdeveloped self-consciousness and the "Charybdis" of an under-developed self-consciousness.
Awko-taco is a variant of the word "awkward," and can refer to any socially awkward situation that presents itself to 12 year old girls. When I tell jokes in the soccer Flex, for example, my daughter will say, "that is so awko-taco, Dad", meaning my social interaction with her teammates feels strange or awkward to her. Translation: Dads should drive, produce cash, lift and carry things, and talk with other Dads. Period. Signs of life beyond that can be, from her perspective, "awko-taco" -- socially unsettling. Please shut up before my friends notice you.
Awko-taco, then, points, with clever, ironic critical distance, directly to the developing self-consciousness of the 12 year, a self-consciousness that will guide and determine how one learns to interact with others.
An overdeveloped self-consciousness can lead to the restricted affect of the standard, middle class, white Midwestern American female who is so petrified as to how to interact socially without giving off the wrong signals that one learns to walk around with a zombie like blank stare, broken only by the presence of immediate family members or childhood friends. Indeed, think of the moment in the zombie movie when the zombie -- walking blank eyed -- suddenly springs into "life" in the presence of fresh meat! ("Did you got to Seaholm? I did, too!!!")
Alternately, and more troubling than an overdeveloped self-consciousness, an undeveloped self-consciousness can lead to the obnoxious affect of the standard, middle class, white Midwestern American male who believes every conversation he has is either with great, life-long friend who thinks just like him OR a fierce enemy who must be shouted down or insulted to the point of speechlessness. The locus classicus is still Archie Bunker but this fellow can now be found in modern form on most golf courses irritating the 3 others in his group or making public comments at a school board meeting. ("Those teacher benefits are killing the economy! First, let's kill all the teachers! Then we can back to REAL education")
So, I love the term awko-taco because it reveals my daughter identifying her own self-consciousness and developing it. Like most parents, I hope to help her develop in a way that avoids the "Scylla" of overdeveloped self-consciousness and the "Charybdis" of an under-developed self-consciousness.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Soccer mother's day
The term "soccer mom" was born in a political context.
In the 1996 presidential election (Republican Senator Bob Dole v. incumbent Democrat William Jefferson Clinton), Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne noted that Clinton and his team were successfully targeting a specific group of voters and that this strategy probably would gain President Clinton a second term. The term can be traced as far back as 1982 but it truly came of age in 1996, called by some "the year of the soccer mom."
Who the term refers to barely has to be described: moms, mostly middle or upper middle class, with children, harried, working at least part time outside of the house and politically pragmatic in all things. This profile suited the direction of Clintonian politics that, after a rough first term, had been forced to the middle or even a bit right by Newt Gingrich and his "Contract with America." One forgets, in fact, how fast moving that Gingrich juggernaut was -- amplified by a still relatively new figure named Rush Limbaugh. Only, perhaps, the Oklahoma bombing by Timothy McVeigh (associated with the Michigan Militia) lessened the speed of this rightward trend.
Clinton was looking for a pragmatic center to hang on to as the "right" v. "left" wars we live with today broke apart years of tradition of public dialogue between opposing groups. He found that pragmatic center in Soccer Moms, perhaps the last "political" group that truly understood what it meant to put others -- and family -- first.
During a recent local election I thought about those 1990s soccer moms and the legacy they left. http://ideas.time.com/2012/02/02/how-soccer-moms-have-moved-on/When things get difficult, the country now turns -- and should turn -- to women. They alone seemed to retained the capacity to listen while they speak, to look for solutions and common ground, not things to fight about.
So -- on mother's day -- hats off to soccer moms.
In the 1996 presidential election (Republican Senator Bob Dole v. incumbent Democrat William Jefferson Clinton), Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne noted that Clinton and his team were successfully targeting a specific group of voters and that this strategy probably would gain President Clinton a second term. The term can be traced as far back as 1982 but it truly came of age in 1996, called by some "the year of the soccer mom."
Who the term refers to barely has to be described: moms, mostly middle or upper middle class, with children, harried, working at least part time outside of the house and politically pragmatic in all things. This profile suited the direction of Clintonian politics that, after a rough first term, had been forced to the middle or even a bit right by Newt Gingrich and his "Contract with America." One forgets, in fact, how fast moving that Gingrich juggernaut was -- amplified by a still relatively new figure named Rush Limbaugh. Only, perhaps, the Oklahoma bombing by Timothy McVeigh (associated with the Michigan Militia) lessened the speed of this rightward trend.
Clinton was looking for a pragmatic center to hang on to as the "right" v. "left" wars we live with today broke apart years of tradition of public dialogue between opposing groups. He found that pragmatic center in Soccer Moms, perhaps the last "political" group that truly understood what it meant to put others -- and family -- first.
During a recent local election I thought about those 1990s soccer moms and the legacy they left. http://ideas.time.com/2012/02/02/how-soccer-moms-have-moved-on/When things get difficult, the country now turns -- and should turn -- to women. They alone seemed to retained the capacity to listen while they speak, to look for solutions and common ground, not things to fight about.
So -- on mother's day -- hats off to soccer moms.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Standings, May 7
| Under 13 Y Girls Division 2 | Pts | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1. | Pacesetter Premier 00 Black | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 14 |
| 2. | Canton Celtic 00 White | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 3. | Michigan Jaguars 00 White | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 4. | Force FC 00 Purple | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| 5. | Michigan Jaguars 01 Green | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | -1 |
| 6. | Waza FC 00 Blue | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | -5 |
| 7. | LCSC 00 Meteors Blue | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 21 | -18 |
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Match Day, May 5 game 2 loss 2-1 "Battle of the Bulge"
The Battle of the Bulge is just not about waistlines. The "Battle of the Bulge" was the bloodiest battle of WWII for American serviceman. They took 89,000 casualties from late December 1944 thru January 1945 when Hitler launched a "counter-offensive" -- or counter-attack -- against the Allied Forces. Having suffered horrible losses in June of 1944 at Normandy Hitler and the Nazis tried one last push, attacking through the thick Ardennes forest of Belgium and France. Only George "Blood and Guts" Patton's speedy run to save Americans at Bastogne (like the restaurant) prevented utter disaster.
The point? Beware of counter-attacks, particularly after massive invasions of defenders on corner kicks.
Game two seemed to be lining up to go the Force's way. They had pulled off a good win against the Jags. Waza waited for the afternoon with a weaker record. The girls had time to rest and recuperate (but not too much). And we had our secret weapon: a Panera Bagel lunch -- suitable for sensitive pre-game tummies.
But there were some bad omens. Just before we hit the field we discovered we would be down 3 players -- Kyra, Jazzy, and Rhea. No white team players were available as they were playing at the same time. And the weather had turned from chilly and overcast to warm and humid. More troubling, the first 7 or 8 Force rushes into Waza territory were called offsides. We might not have been in Ardennes, but the MSDSL Twilight Zone. Who received a throw in seemed to be a matter of, well...I am not sure how that was being calculated, it was just dizzying.
Still, things started out well in terms of play and that is what matters (he said). Zoe controlled most of the first five minutes from her midfield spot, picking up where she had left off in game one. She has developed a "diZangle" cut off her first touch which allows her space and time to find Force feet.
Sophia, continuing to show flexibility when needed by playing up front, delivered a terrific pass to Sawyer who banged one off the far post.
And the Force even got a free kick somewhere near the 18! But powerstiker Lauren went with the six iron instead of the seven and sent one just a foot or two over the crossbar.
Late in the half, though, after controlling the game, the Force got a break. The Waza keeper let a goalkick drift too far from a defender and Anastasia jumped artfully on the opportunity, snagging the ball and sending a perfect pass to Sawyer.
1-0.
Cookie, styling after his first game coaching brilliance in a white fishing hat, green shoes, and black socks looked comfortably American and enjoying a middle aged victory of sorts going into half.
Indeed, after watching Rockstar chase down an athletic Waza a forward and have the gas for a run back up field for an opportunity the Force looked good. Lauren and Sophia "double downed" consistently at midfield to come up with the ball and control the pace. Kate had to dive left for one -- but what of it? Zoe showed the diZangle works on the run, leaving a Waza player standing still (guess you can't say looking for her jock strap) and gave Sawyer a chance.Grace took a beautiful header inside the 18 and managed to get off a good shot.
Then, the Force coughed it up in their own end and a Waza played turned and scored from some distance on one of their few moments of ball control.
1-1.
The Force still looked very much in control. Jill ("Rocksteady"?)looked like she was going to provide one of her game changing runs up the left when she took a hard body blow (I think the Waza player regretted delivering it). Sawyer and Anastasia combined for great runs with Waza defenders reaching, clutching, and grabbing. Stasia, though she burned up the right side, just wasn't big enough to turn the corner against larger Waza defenders.
Then....the counterattack. Off a Force corner kick one of the two Waza athletes pushed past Force defenders. Sophie and Rockstar caught her at the net but the damage had been done. When the ball popped to Kate's left and Waza forward had an open shot
2-1.
Even shorthanded and tired the girls should have had this one. Still, one has to be pleased with the quality of play. Special kudos to the girls for playing a second game with one sub and the never, never land of MSDSL officiating.
The point? Beware of counter-attacks, particularly after massive invasions of defenders on corner kicks.
Game two seemed to be lining up to go the Force's way. They had pulled off a good win against the Jags. Waza waited for the afternoon with a weaker record. The girls had time to rest and recuperate (but not too much). And we had our secret weapon: a Panera Bagel lunch -- suitable for sensitive pre-game tummies.
But there were some bad omens. Just before we hit the field we discovered we would be down 3 players -- Kyra, Jazzy, and Rhea. No white team players were available as they were playing at the same time. And the weather had turned from chilly and overcast to warm and humid. More troubling, the first 7 or 8 Force rushes into Waza territory were called offsides. We might not have been in Ardennes, but the MSDSL Twilight Zone. Who received a throw in seemed to be a matter of, well...I am not sure how that was being calculated, it was just dizzying.
Still, things started out well in terms of play and that is what matters (he said). Zoe controlled most of the first five minutes from her midfield spot, picking up where she had left off in game one. She has developed a "diZangle" cut off her first touch which allows her space and time to find Force feet.
Sophia, continuing to show flexibility when needed by playing up front, delivered a terrific pass to Sawyer who banged one off the far post.
And the Force even got a free kick somewhere near the 18! But powerstiker Lauren went with the six iron instead of the seven and sent one just a foot or two over the crossbar.
Late in the half, though, after controlling the game, the Force got a break. The Waza keeper let a goalkick drift too far from a defender and Anastasia jumped artfully on the opportunity, snagging the ball and sending a perfect pass to Sawyer.
1-0.
Cookie, styling after his first game coaching brilliance in a white fishing hat, green shoes, and black socks looked comfortably American and enjoying a middle aged victory of sorts going into half.
Indeed, after watching Rockstar chase down an athletic Waza a forward and have the gas for a run back up field for an opportunity the Force looked good. Lauren and Sophia "double downed" consistently at midfield to come up with the ball and control the pace. Kate had to dive left for one -- but what of it? Zoe showed the diZangle works on the run, leaving a Waza player standing still (guess you can't say looking for her jock strap) and gave Sawyer a chance.Grace took a beautiful header inside the 18 and managed to get off a good shot.
Then, the Force coughed it up in their own end and a Waza played turned and scored from some distance on one of their few moments of ball control.
1-1.
The Force still looked very much in control. Jill ("Rocksteady"?)looked like she was going to provide one of her game changing runs up the left when she took a hard body blow (I think the Waza player regretted delivering it). Sawyer and Anastasia combined for great runs with Waza defenders reaching, clutching, and grabbing. Stasia, though she burned up the right side, just wasn't big enough to turn the corner against larger Waza defenders.
Then....the counterattack. Off a Force corner kick one of the two Waza athletes pushed past Force defenders. Sophie and Rockstar caught her at the net but the damage had been done. When the ball popped to Kate's left and Waza forward had an open shot
2-1.
Even shorthanded and tired the girls should have had this one. Still, one has to be pleased with the quality of play. Special kudos to the girls for playing a second game with one sub and the never, never land of MSDSL officiating.
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