Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cinco de Mayo Soccer

Tonight was a rare Wednesday game in the dome. Though the field is smaller, there is something about the closed in facility that makes it difficult to catch your breath. After starting out the season strong, we have struggled as of late and tonight's game was a must-win for us. We're rarely in this position but some new teams were added this season so competition is  a bit tougher. Tonight's opponent was a team that we have played several times. A few seasons ago, I might have called them a rival but their roster changes so often that I can only recognize them by one or two consistent players. Their keeper was the showboating type, looking to run forward with the ball after making a save. We were definitely looking to make him pay for his constant runs deep into our half, however; he got the first laugh as he blasted a free kick past our wall and keeper for a 1-0 lead. Then your boy took over...
A few minutes after their goal, I chased a ball to the corner. With no real options, I toepoked the ball with a lot of pace. It squeezed past the keeper and across the face of the goal until it hit a defender and went in. 1-1. The game was pretty scrappy and every time the keeper made one of his runs we were sure to get a body on him and hopefully deter him from coming out of goal so far. A minute after my first goal, I carried the ball towards the same left corner. After hearing a few "left footed!" calls (which happens to fire me up), I spun inside the defender and fired a RIGHT-footed shot into the net. How's that for left-footed? 2-1.

Once we gained the lead, we started to play a little better and their team began falling apart. It seems that we weren't the only ones getting annoyed with their keeper. One of the mainstays on their team was getting irritated. After the keeper shouted "You suck!", the guy replied (from the opposite end of the field) "Shut the f*ck up!" Not really sure what to do, the referee told them both to chill out. They didn't as we had to listen to their bickering throughout the remainder of the game. 

Anyways, with a 2-1 lead at the half, we came out even stronger in the second. Apparently, the keeper bet one of our guys $50 that we wouldn't chip him during the game. Bad bet. After stealing the ball of the foot of one of their players around midfield, Bryan Mobley lobbed a shot to the far post, over the head of the out-of-place keeper. Note: the goalie later welched on the bet, claiming that he said a specific player on our team wouldn't chip him. Didn't really matter. 3-1.

A few minutes later, it was my turn to take up the keeper on his little wager. After he stepped out to get a loose ball, one of our attackers put some pressure on him. He tried to knock it past him and run on, but the ball came to my feet, though bouncing. With my back to the goal I popped the ball up with my left foot and hit the ball backwards with my right. A defender was near the goalline, but the ball got over his head and just below the bar. 4-1.

A few minutes later I again pressured the goalkeeper just outside his box, forcing him to kick it out of bounds for a corner kick. At Inwood Soccer Center, the corner kick are about 8 yards from goal with very little angle on the goal. I remembered hearing the keeper say earlier that we wouldn't score on these. Wrong again. He was set up at the near post with an odd posture, one hand in the air, the other outstretched into the playing field. I'm not going to lie and say I knew I'd be able to slip it in between him and the post, but that's exactly what I did. 5-1.

Our last goal started with a 2 v 1 fast break. One of our guys carried it along the wall and passed across the middle to Jason at the top of the box. He hit a solid shot, but the keeper was there to make the save. The ball popped up in the air but no one reacted. I stepped into the box and met the ball with the insole of my left foot as it approached the ground. The ball shot into the back of the net with the force that my opposition had come to expect from the Bomber. 6-1.

After a consolation goal with thirty seconds left, the game ended 6-2 in our favor. That's 5 for Bomber, 2 for the other team (in case anyone is keeping track). It was a good win and we hopefully now have the momentum to get back into the playoffs and, ultimately, to the championship game.

Back in the dome tomorrow at 9:45pm.

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