Whistle blows on fantastic season

It's never fun to go out with a loss, but that's what happens for all playoff teams except the champion. We weren't the champions, unfortunately, but rather the runners up.

We came up short and lost 3-1 to Little Urban Achievers in the 2nd Division championship match. Credit our opponents. They played really well. They also celebrated an important homecoming for one of their organizers, Andy, who has returned to the field after fighting cancer. Congratulations to LUC.

It was a very close game. There were no easy goals. No big mistakes. To say it was hard fought would be an understatement. It just came down to a few bounces, rebounds, and miscommunications. No matter how many times we have played LUC, we have never found the answer to their 3-man attack. We have got to find a way to shut that down and exploit the open spaces in the middle and the female matchups.

Maybe I'll write more about the game later.

Suffice it to say that it was extremely well played by everyone. We played our game. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm not sure we would do it a whole lot differently if we could replay the game. We were not easy to beat today. There were some great plays and some close shots. Chris and I nearly scored goals in the final 10 minutes.

Game summary:

47' - Goleros give up a relatively quick goal after LUC won the ball from our last line of defense in the air and then got behind the defense.

60' - Goleros score on a trademark buildup. Chip recovers a turnover, heads to the center for Chris' feet, and Chris makes a great finish.

70' - LUC scores on an open net after an outstanding save by George and failed clearances.

80' LUC scores again on a similar play when we had sent most of the troops forward.

If you have something positive to say about our awesome season, go for it! There will be more posts later, including the customary wrap ups.

Notes: 3-1 loss to Little Urban Achievers in 2nd Division championship game, 6/27/10, Ridge. Goal: Chris N. (Chip). GK: George.