Butcher Park ? Or park that butchers the game?

Date: 09-22-08

We always have one game a year that for what ever reason we just let down, and it usually comes at that field.    I guess we should be happy that it is out of the way and that we won’t be playing at that field again until next spring.  The field was pretty bad and even without a drop of rain in the last 6 months we played in the mud, just ask Jeremy.  That was the worst we can play and probably the best they could do and it still ended in a 1 – 1 tie.

 It seemed like the whole game we had trouble with the ball.  Whether it was the $15 dollar Unocal ball, the bad center ref or the bumpy wet field we just couldn’t find our touch.  Right from the beginning we could string together a series of passes and it was always that last pass to feed the forward or create the breakaway that just wasn’t happening.  We had our chances in front of the goal and it was just skipping around too unpredictably.

 The first half we came out well but just not with any sense of urgency.  With the San Jose Latinos in a 4 way tie for second they needed the win and it showed.  It seemed like they were always attacking with 4 or 5 and had just as many on defense so much so that I found myself counting their players a couple of different times.  The game didn’t start as I would have wanted pulling my hamstring on my 2^nd or 3^rd run out from the goal and after what we have done to other teams this season it was a different experience altogether when they started shooting and getting breakaways.  Justin and Josh had some great runs up the sides and crosses into the middle but we just couldn’t find the back of the net.  One cross in particular squirted through and found Ronnie alone with the goalie.  The goalie was completely fooled into thinking that Ronnie was going to shoot it and never saw the swing and a miss coming! ;)

 It was a 0 – 0 tie at half and I just figured we would come out stronger and crisper as we usually do but not this game.  My end of the field looked worse in the second half with standing water in the box and a few well placed sprinklers; however the sun was no longer a factor with the days getting shorter and shorter.  We had the same results for most of the second half creating a lot a crosses and long throw ins with no results.  We had another great opportunity in this half as well with Dave finding himself alone with the goalie but the ball took another bad skip/bounce and sailed just wide.  Their offense pressured about the same as the first half but their one forward, who they were funneling all their passes through, found himself alone when the mud took Paul down.  He shot the ball near post and found the back of our net – my bad.  It wasn’t 10 minutes later that Sean won the ball in the midfield, dribbled up and created our goal.  He managed to get the ball to Ronnie, who took a rocket of a shot.  The goalie made a decent save, but only managed to parry it out of harm's way.  As it was going wide, Dave chased it down and slid to keep it in/shot it, putting it away, 1 – 1.

 It was getting pretty dark at this point.  There were a few more shots on our end, one that Josh had to clear off our line when it got through my hands on a cross.  We had a couple of corners and a few more throw ins but it just seemed like they had 11 in the box all the time and there was no room to get a pass or shot off.  The center ref seemed to get worse in the second half telling us that the ball we were using for most of the first half was not acceptable and he gave Will a yellow card when he questioned him after I got kicked in the face.  One thing that did work our way was after a 50/50 ball challenge I started yelling “yellow card yellow card!” and the ref gave their forward one.  I guess it does work?!

 We have one more game in the regular season and then a long break before the playoffs start.  I am going to try to set up a practice or two again during that span since it worked out pretty well last time.  We should look to finish the season out strong against a team we have never played before, Zitacuaro.  Statistically they don’t match up very well but if we play like we did last night it will give them hope.  The fields aren’t going to be much better (probably worse) and we are still going to play the second half in the dark.  At this point it looks like even if we lose we should finish in first but that just shouldn’t happen to this team and in this league!

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