Annoying streak snapped

Harken back to the last year of the George W. Bush presidency.  The war in Iraq raged on and the seeds of the Great Recession were sown.  Eli Manning and the New York Giants had just made an improbable run to the Superbowl, beating the New England Patriots.

It was Spring 2008.  It was also the last time that the Goleros won their opening game of the season.

The most annoying streak in the world has been snapped.  We enjoyed a decisive victory over Two Left Feet today at Galludet.  We are now 4-10 in CCSL openers, an aberration in an otherwise solid period for the team.

This game was not in doubt once it got underway.  2LF started short and didn't have as much chemistry as they would have liked.  It was clear they were integrating new players so I'm sure they will grow stronger each week.  We know they have quality.

We didn't have a full complement for the whole game either, because we had only a minimum number of women involved. Nevertheless, it was enough.  We were not outstanding, but we dealt with the conditions and scored 4 earned goals.

The game winner was scored in the 15th minute by the guy who deserved it most: Nate.  He's been working hard all off season and looked sharp from the get-go.  Nate's goal was set up by Bucky, newly signed to our full-time roster.  Both he and Cheryl, the other newbie, got points today, which is impressive.  There were three other goals:

• Jon's left footed follow up after the keeper blocked his near-post bid (assist: Anna).
• Griz's easy follow through, because he was in the right place (assist: Ermy)
• Carlos' deft and finessed deflection past the keeper from 15 yards (assist: Cheryl).

Two things stand out.  First, we had a clean sheet and were somewhat lucky in that regard.  We let our guards down on several occasions.  On one such occasion, the Red Sea parted and 2LF's fastest player took advantage and made the break.  George made a fantastic chest save at the 18, but he had to come way off his line.  2LF was in position for a seemingly easy follow up.  De's clearance on the line was memorable, and the perfect complement to George's bravery.  Even then, though, we still had to clear the ball out for good.  But it was fun to watch, clearly a sign that we deserved the win.  The second point I have in my mind is Griz's steady play on the back line.  He made some great slides and tackles today that kept us in it.  He closed on the ball well and distributed nicely.

Well done.  Now let's get ready for next week.

Notes: 3/18/12, 4-0 win versus Two Left Feet at Galludet.  GK: George.  Goals: Nate (Bucky), Jon (Anna), Griz (Ermy), Carlos (Cheryl).