The Force Girls wrapped up their spring season and their time with Coach Cookie with a hard fought 1-0 win over the Novi Jags White squad.
This was not a thing of beauty in 90 degree bright sun, but there were beautiful moments. Let me start with the single goal in the second half as it says much about the girls and Cookie's work with them over the last two years. Indeed, as fate would have it, the game and championship winner was one of the more spectacular goals of the last two years -- a team effort that combined skill, brains, communication, training, and toughness.
The play began at midfield with Zoe finding her way to the ball on the slanted west side of the pitch where most of the game's action took place. Vintage Zoe here. She anticipated the Jags pass, intercepted it, controlled, changed direction herself, and then changed the point of attack by sending it across to MSH. MSH caught up with it and took a hard hit and -- wonder of wonders -- got the call. Emmi stepped up from the backline apparently to send the free kick into the box with one her bombs, but MSH, with a quick hand gesture and nod, waved her on for what amounted to a delayed overlap -- if not what could be called a set piece. Emmi reacted immediately and looped around MSH who then sent her a nice touch pass down the right side. Emmi, playing like a skilled forward, took a touch or two and sent a nice cross to Lauren who snagged it at the top of the box. Lauren in turn dropped it to her left for Jazzy to do what Jazzy does -- finish. She eyed the far left post and nailed it just inside.
This marvelous goal let loose a burst of bottled up offensive energy. Sawyer made a great run down the left and got off a hard strike. Jazzy then sent one to Sawyer in the box where she got knocked down with no call. Jazzy tried again a few minutes later and Sawyer tapped it over the net. Lauren sent a terrific stretch pass to MSH who went in alone only to be stymied by a great diving save by the Jag's keeper. It easily could have been 5-0 with a little luck.
Defense won this though. Rockstar, probably still fuming after yesterday, put on a clinic. She seemed to snag every ball -- right foot, left foot, in the air, on the ground -- and if the Jags did get penetration deep she frustrated the Jag's sidelines by bouncing the ball off a white player to get the throw in. Simply put, she made the difficult look easy for 70+ minutes.
Throw-ins? Emmi may have torn a rotator cuff as she took upwards of 20, providing an incredible weapon when she wasn't making plays from the backline. Rocksteady took a hard hit early -- a Jags run at a vulnerable player -- and there was hushed moment when she stayed down. But when she got up she never stopped again, winning ball after ball as the shorthanded defenders played through the whole game. At one point in the first half a streaking Jags forward threatened to cross the top of the box when Rocksteady brought her to a halt with a tackle only to, seconds later, have to take the rebound of her own tackle off her stomach when the Jags trailer found a way to it. Grace, as part of the wall on a free kick, gamely took one off her leg to stop an opportunity and in the second half worked hard with Rhea to clear when a late corner kick caused a scramble.
Even though the Force had taken over the game the last few minutes were tough. Sawyer's Dad forgot his watch so no one knew how much time was left. Kate brilliantly ate up minutes when she could. Parents paced. And then -- there it was -- an opportunity to play in the fall against the GR Crew.
One more wrap post tomorrow when "Cookie's Purple U12 Force" officially shuts down.
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