Some history

Yesterday's win versus Gang Green was a good one - a 3-2 come-from-behind win.  It got me thinking.  It's been a while since we've seen that team, but we have, in fact, seen them on a number of occasions.  I searched our blog.  Until recently, I didn't tag team names on the game reports so it was a basic and unreliable word search.  Anyway, I found two games, and I remember them both.  Those two games plus the one we played last weekend all followed a similar script.

In the spring of 2009, we were a pretty decent side but we hadn't distinguished ourselves in the standings.  We faced a must win in the final week to get into the playoffs.  Gang Green came out strong and led us most of the game.  I remember taking the field and shouting that this was it for our season if we didn't step up.  I have no idea what effect that had, but we had one of our great all-time finishes.  We scored two in the waning minutes to get ourselves into the playoffs.  Meg got her first goal for the club and then Adrian did something special to win the game.   I remember Adrian taking a ball and just going all the way to goal with it.  Their defense faced so much pressure in the second half, they finally cracked.  Adrian scored a great 90th minute goal.  Read about it here: http://golerosteam.blogspot.com/2009/06/adrian-propels-team-into-playoffs-with.html.  

In the fall of 2009, just a few months later, we had a similar situation where we earned a 4-4 result that was also come-from-behind.  I recall one of the Gang Green players congratulating us because we never gave up and they just couldn't find a way to beat us.  That was saying a lot because they won the division that season and went up to First Division.  They were there for a while, but took our place in Second Division when we moved down recently.  Now they fell again to Third Division - probably because of attendance. 

We may see them in the playoffs.  Let's be ready.

Goals in Droves

We extended our win streak to 5 with a high powered 9-4 victory over a new opponent, Our Kicks Don't Lie.  Strangest game I ever played.  It was quiet on the field.  We played with 10 at times, we had a new defensive set, we gave up 4 goals...yet we scored nine and never trailed.  Chris scored F-I-V-E goals, a shiny bounty.  Believe it or not, he's done that before!  Wow.

No really, I scored five times

We scored our first quickly and I am willing to cop a plea to being a bad teammate and failing to come into the game soon enough.  When we were still a man down, we gave up our first.  In fact, the whole first half our defense was just off.  Thankfully, theirs was non-existent.

The second half, we made some smart adjustments.  We played a tighter line in the back and got it together quickly, while still keeping the pressure in the offensive half.  Adrian played a great two-way game and ultimately came back unselfishly to mark their only threat.

Well done everyone.

Game balls go to Chris N. for an incredible goal scoring frenzy and to Percy, not just for his goal, but for his stellar play (accurate passes) and willingness to come help out.  Without him, the game may have turned out completely differently.  We didn't have a lot of bodies for this one.

On to the next challenge: DC Divided.  Big game.  More on that later.

Notes: 9-4 win vs Our Kicks Don't Lie on 10/16/11 at Trinity.  Goals: Adrian (not known), Anna (Chris N.), Anna (Chris N.), Chris N. (Adrian), Chris N. (Anna), Chris N. (Griz), Chris N. (not known), Percy (not known), Chris N. (not known).  GK: Nate (1st), Pete (2nd).

A league of their own

You can count on them at happy hour too

Nap remarked to me last week that our women have been awesome this season.  She was bragging about "girl power."  Sensing that she was on to something, I looked a little deeper into this matter.  Turns out it's true.  

Ever since the character of this team fundamentally changed in 2004, when we picked up some recruits like Jackie Y and Kristin who gave us a lasting foundation, we’ve been blessed with a solid female roster.  If you play with us, it's no secret: the women often carry the team.

This season is a case in point.  Even with new faces and roles, we’re finding our game on defense again, relying upon our women to play centrally and on the wing, to stop the major attacking threats and to provide good service to the midfield.  We've got versatility, toughness, and some surprising speed in those players.  (It’s been great to have De back in the mix, hasn’t it?)  In the midfield and at forward, our female side is productive to say the least.  We have women who demonstrate skill and sharp decision-making with the ball at their feet.  When it comes to that last pass or shot, our women account for 19 of the 52 points tallied thus far this season, or roughly 37%.  I did the numbers on paper last week, and if memory serves that's at least 5 goals.  I am virtually certain that these stats are the highest in our division, and I bet it’s tops across all divisions in the league, including Premier, where rosters are packed with former female players from top Division 1 programs.

Deadly in the box

Over the years, we've had some great stories to tell: Anna's hat trick a year ago, making her the highest scoring woman in club history; Carolyn's left-footed golazo last season at Trinity; Nap's ability to steer the ball to safety in traffic.

The Lady Goleros are...wait for it...in a league of their own.

Three late goals salvage a point

It didn't look good at the 65' mark.  Our possession was lacking and we were spending most of the time on our heels after yielding two goals.  I hobbled off the field in the 30' with an injury and I was cranky.

But, late in the match, people started thinking positive and just one play turned the whole thing around for us.  Chris N. took possession on the wing about halfway to goal.  He made some moves and sent a long pass to Anna at the far post.  Shot across the goal mouth into the corner of the net!  It was well deserved because Anna had been really good throughout the game, playing quite dynamically up front.

And then she got even better.  By netting two more times, in remarkably similar ways, Anna set a new club record for the first female hat trick.  All three goals came in a 15 minute span.  That's one of only a handful of times we've scored three goals in such a short period of time.  It was great teamwork and thank goodness we took something home for it in the standings.

With that special performance, Anna outscored Roland in the run of play, and that's saying a lot.  You have to defend the guy to understand how hard it is.  Speed, strength, and skill.  We almost had that game won before, in the last two minutes, we lost him by two steps on the endline and he headed in a controversial cross for the tying goal.  It was a tough three points to give up, but just imagine how DC Thunder feels.  They were leading for most of the game and collapsed.

It was a chippy, physical, but well played game by both sides.  Anna wasn't the only good player.  Everyone did great, including Jackie Jr., whose first cap was unusual to say the least.  Diana got her first point with an assist on the last Goleros goal.

On to next week!

Notes: 3-3 tie vs DC Thunder on 9/19/10 at Galludet University.  Goals: Anna (Chris), Anna (Adrian), Anna (Diana).  GK: George.  Discipline: Griz (Yellow, intentional foul on keeper).

Spring 2010

What a season!

Spring 2010 was one of the best on record. We made it all the way to the championship game, and until the last 20 minutes of the match, looked in decent position to win the division. We were just a few plays short. That's the nature of competition. As I said in some blog post or email, there 8 other teams in the division - some 200 players - who didn't make it as far as we did. We were good. Yes, we had 3 losses, but we rebounded and put together a great end-of-season run and playoff campaign.

Our quality was impressive. We had a flow in our attack that was new. Sure, we're not great at lateral movement yet - switching fields and moving up the wings - but we can move the ball effectively. The pinnacle in quality was the kickoff of the second half in the quarterfinals versus Taz Devils. We linked about 6 efficient passes together and scored directly off the kickoff. The other team never touched the ball. Read about it here.

Here are some facts about spring season:

• We were 4-3-1, a .571 record. Given that we were 2-3 in Week 5, this is excellent. We accelerated out of the relegation zone all the way to the championship game. I don't put much stock in the forfeit win affecting our season. I think we would have shown well against Lost Tourists.

• We scored the most goals of any team (22 regular season, 31 overall). I think it's a club record for us to finish first in this category. I'm not sure what our highest goal total is in a single season. In the Montgomery County league, circa 2004, when Chris and Justin lit it up, we probably exceeded 22 goals by a substantial margin. Of course, that league wasn't as competitive as CCSL.

• Our GD this season was +6 in the regular season, which is solid. In our last five games, we outscored opponents 19-10. Take away our 3-1 loss in the last game and that looks crazy (18-7). Since we are not traditionally a big scoring team, be happy. We also did it on the strength many players, both men and women, instead of one dominant goal scorer like many of the 1st Division and Premier teams have.

• Due to our playoff run, we beat most of the teams in the division. The only teams that we didn't beat were Tsunami (Game 1), DC Thunder (tie in Game 8, although we were headed for victory before our game was scratched by lightning), and Little Urban Achievers (championship game). We avenged our regular season losses to Taz Devils and Itchy & Scratchy in the playoffs.

• We played in our 3rd league championship game, and our 5th overall if you count tournaments. We are 0-5 in those matches. That's got to change! Spring has been our season in CCSL. We had a chance for the playoff title in Spring 2007, Spring 2008, and Spring 2010.

• We scored three times off set pieces. Adrian's dominant free kick and Chris' once-in-a-lifetime score directly off a corner in the semis were highlights.

• No game got beyond our control. That has been a problem in past seasons. At one game, we'll just not show up and end up losing by 4-5 goals.

Here are the results for the season:

SPRING 2010 (4-3-1, .571)




2nd Place in Division Playoffs




---------------




2-1 loss to Tsunami on 3/28




4-1 win vs Celtic on 4/18




3-0 win vs Lost Tourists on 4/25 (forfeit decision)




3-2 loss vs Itchy & Scratchy on 5/2




5-2 shorthanded loss to Taz Devils on 5/9




5-3 win vs Diplomats on 5/16




4-1 win vs DC Divided on 5/23




1-1 tie vs DC Thunder on 6/9




PLAYOFFS




-------------




QUARTERS - 4-1 win vs Taz Devils on 6/13




SEMIS - 4-1 win vs Itchy & Scratchy on 6/20




FINALS - 3-1 loss to Little Urban Achievers on 6/27

Read the game reports for each game here.

Not pictured in the team photo: Alec, Carlos, Anna, Andrea, Katya, Liam, Jackie, Tracy, Mike, Ermy.

Leaders

Let's congratulate our points leaders for Spring 2010. Each wins the customary $1 off of next season's dues. What's really interesting is that Mike was able to cobble together 13 points. He missed several games and played almost all his minutes on the back line. He made great runs and converted three penalty kicks. Elyse earned at least two of those penalties, maybe a third too, but I never got any clarity on that.

Another interesting fact: we scored on three set pieces this season.

Here is the points spread:

Chris N. - 6 goals, 1 assist, 13 points

Mike - 5 goals, 3 assists, 13 points

Adrian - 4 goals, 1 assist, 9 points

Nate - 3 goals, 6 points

Jon - 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 marriage, 5 points

Ermy - 2 goals, 4 points

Elyse - 2 goals, strangely no assists but it doesn't feel that way, 4 points

Suzie - 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points

Ashley - 1 goal, 2 points

Chip - 2 assists, 2 points

Pete - 2 assists, 2 points

Deanna - 1 assist, 1 point

Jer - 1 assist, 1 point

Anna - 1 assist, 1 point

Ally - 1 assist, 1 point

There were 2 goals unclaimed and a few assists. A total of 15 players tallied points, including 6 women. That's about the same as last season - then, we had 16 total players on the score sheet, including 5 women. Read about it here. It shows really balanced talent and contributions. That's much better and more fun than a few strikers who are depended upon to carry the team.

Looking back at Fall 2009

As we start the Spring 2010 season, let's have a quick look back. There were quite a few ups and downs.

For one thing, we only won one game - that hasn't happened in about 5 years, and it's on par with some of our worst records. Of course, back in the day, we usually didn't have a lot of ties, and we certainly didn't play the same quality teams. Our winning percentage of .250 isn't criminally low, but it's not anywhere near the Goleros average in past years. We missed the playoffs.

Let's look at the bright side. Although there was only one win, there were three ties, and they came against some of the best teams. Two of the tie games were outstanding battles. We tied a hot Armory team and we had an amazing comeback versus Gang Green. I believe we trailed by three goals in that game before Ermy sealed the point off of Chris D's free kick in the 90'. Armory won the division and Gang Green took second and won the playoffs, if I'm not mistaken.

Another thing to remember about last season. We integrated some outstanding players and I think we had some very solid performances in several games. Hopefully, we can build on that.

Another bright spot - we only had one game get out of hand - our 6-1 strange loss to Quicksilver. If we can just eliminate the stinker each season, I think we will all feel a lot better.

Anyway, we're in good position. Let's just go out and play the game! I'm looking forward to this season.

FALL 2009 (1-4-3, .250)

---------------

5-3 loss to Itchy & Scratchy on 8/29/09

3-2 loss to Celtic on 9/13

5-0 win vs Prism on 9/20

1-1 tie vs Armory on 9/27

4-4 tie vs Gang Green on 10/4

3-3 tie vs Diplomats on 10/25

6-1 loss vs Quicksilver on 11/1

3-1 loss vs LUC on 11/8

Sweet 16

A poll this week asked how many players tallied points on the season. The answer is a new team record: 16. Our active roster is only 25 players, but the more realistic number is 27 since Jackie and Percy played quite a bit. No matter what roster number you use, that is a large numbers to have on the sheet. Compare our stats to DC United this year, which utilized 23 players over the season and got points out of 12 of them.

As you look at the beautiful spread below, consider these thoughts:

• It shows we are very well balanced and have many, many players who can contribute on offense. This is critical depth to have week-to-week to avoid the prospect of losing just because a few players are out of town. Some players on offense were so team-oriented, they didn't even show up on the stat sheet. I'm thinking of Griz, Adrian, and Caro.


• It shows we have a more dynamic defense as well, which is a welcome change. Five (5) goals were scored from a defenseive position - Pete's, Mike's, and Ally's. There were a few assists in there as well, which is really what we're striving for in the flat 4 defense. Way to go defense!


• It shows our women kick ass. We didn't match the record set in Spring 2008 in which we had 8 women on the score sheet. But we have more women with a greater number of points. I'm guessing it's the highest points total among the women (19 of the 52 total points). No one has matched Jess' 9 points in 2004, however. That record stands. For now.


• It shows, to some extent, that we don't have a trusty scoring strategy that we are able to come back to again and again. Sadly, such strategies are effective at the rec level - just look at Armory, Celtic, or DC Thunder, who rely largely upon one striker. As long as we can produce just a few more goals or give up just a few less, our strategy of spreading the ball around will work. And it's more fun. We're good.

Ermy - 3 goals, 1 assist - 7 points

Mike - 3 goals - 6 points

Suzie - 2 goals, 1 assist - 5 points

Tracy - 2 goals, 1 assist - 5 points

Elyse - 1 goal, 2 assists - 4 points

Jon a.ka. "Bubbles - 4 assists - 4 points

Percy - 2 goals - 4 points

Pete - 1 goal, 1 assist - 3 points

Chris D. - 3 assists - 3 points

Chris a.k.a. El Nino - 1 goal - 2 points

Ally - 1 goal - 2 points

Ashley - 1 goal - 2 points

Nate a.k.a. El Loco - 1 goal - 2 points

Alec - 1 goal - 2 points

Chip - 1 goal - 2 points

Cat - 1 assist - 1 point

What did you think of the game?

Last Sunday, we tied Diplomats for our third draw in a row.

I wasn't at the game. Please add any comments. How did we play? How good were the goals on both sides? What was the mood after the game and how do we go for the win this week?

Notes: 3-3 tie versus Diplomats on 10/25/09 at Ridge. Goals by Mike (set piece), Mike (PK earned by Adrian), Mike (PK earned by Suzie). GK: Alec. Only hat trick of the season. Team record: first time a player has scored on three set pieces in a game.

Into the wild

When you organize a soccer team, you hear lots of different reasons why players can't make games - got lost, hungover from Penn State homecoming, going to Peru for semi-pro match, have to watch the kids, swine flu.

But I've never heard this one: Arctic Survival Training. Out for three weeks.

And it's true, folks. Our versatile midfielder/defender, Mike, is off to the Great North for some Air Force reserve training. Captain Mike (literally) is going to enroll in the training and do a first person narrative for the Air Force Times, for which he is a reporter. That is going to be a really cool story. I wish he could blog it, but my instincts tell me that blogging won't be part of the curriculum.

It's a tough loss for us. I mean, the guy had a hat trick last weekend on three set pieces. That's a Goleros record. I don't think we've ever scored on three set pieces, let alone from strikes by the same player. The closest thing I can recall is two penalty kicks by Bubbles in the Coed Classic, one to put us in OT, and the other at the PK phase.

Travel and survive!

P.S. - can anyone tell me where the title of this post comes from?

Stats from the spring season

Congratulations to Chris, our boy from Baltimore, who wins the prestigious Goleros scoring title. Per our tradition, he wins $1 off next season's dues. Unless the Goleros are still playing in 2050, no player is ever likely to approach his overall points total. He's our Jaime Moreno. And we love him. Let's collectively thank our good friend for his dedication to team. The guy rides his motorcycle all the way down from Baltimore to run with us on Sundays.

We have a decent point spread this season. Fewer women on the board than in past seasons. We'll have to get you ladies the ball a little more. Also, I think Ermy's points weren't fully captured. The data isn't complete because I'm missing a game or two. That might account for the steep drop off in points following Chris, Jon, and Adrian. Also, Chip, didn't you get some points?

Chris "El Niño" - 15 pts on 6 goals and 3 assists

Jon "Bubbles" - 9 pts on 3 goals and 3 assists

Adrian - 8 pts on 4 goals and no assists, with one yellow

Ermy - 3 pts on 1 goal and 1 assist

Meg - 3 pts on 1 goal and 1 assist

Nate "Gumby" - 3 pts on 1 goal and 1 assist

Ally "Alligator" - 2 pts on 2 assists

Ashley "Smash" - 2 pts on 1 goal

Jer - 2 pts on 2 assists

Griz "Grizzy" - 1 pt on 1 assist

Kate L. - 1 pt on 1 assist

De - 1 pt on 1 assist

Don't forget the usual, but important, disclaimer that these are just offensive stats. They don't indicate a player's value and they totally exclude those of us in the midfield, defense, and goal who do our best to set the team up for success. It's one of the rare things we can quantify and it's interesting to look back. Their success is our success and vice versa.

Spring 2008

It's time to turn the page on Spring '08, our most successful season ever. We went undefeated in eight regular season games, securing the division title, and placing second in the playoffs. We achieved promotion to the Second Division this coming fall. Golf clap.

This bunch won our first title

We set several records:

- First title of any kind

- First undefeated season (6-0-2)

- Longest streak without a loss (14 games). We still have a 14-game regular season streak going. Let's remember that...

- Most players scoring points in a season, which I discussed in this post (21)

- Most women on the score sheet in a single season (8 - Jackie, Bri, Ally, Katya, Carolyn, Jackie, Kate, Ashley)

- First goal scored by a keeper, although he was assigned to the field at the time (Liam)

- Most players on the score sheet in a single game (10, versus Red Tape)

- Fewest minutes played while short players (only 1 half versus Quicksilver).

Jon a.k.a. "Bubbles" won the scoring title and $1.00 off fall dues. Chris remains the all-time leading scorer by a wide margin. Deanna, Pete, and Jon get the MVPs. Hey, only two people voted and we each got one vote. De was a stand out, that was clear. I accept my co-MVP for coaching acumen. Recall that each player was required to take one practice PK after the Red Tape match. Turns out that was key to our win in penalties in the semis the following week.

The MVPs

Review the game reports for the season here. This was my favorite game report of the season, for obvious reasons. Wow, I was a happy fellow after that match.

But enough with stats. Most memorable to me is the concentration and dedication displayed by all players. We showed up in force to every game. We were aggressive. We made adjustments. We didn't take plays off. People drove in from out of state - all in pursuit of our common goal of winning our first title. It paid off, we did it.

Now it's on to the fall season, which will offer plenty of challenges - and fun of course.

Have anything to add?

Official results:

SPRING 2008 (.1000)
-------------------

• Mar. 30th - 1-0 win vs Flirts
• April 13th - 2-0 win vs Celtic
• May 4th - 3-0 win vs Capital Crew
• May 11th - 3-0 win vs 2LF (forfeit)
• May 18th - 2-2 tie vs Quicksilver
• June 1st - 4-4 tie vs ClareAndDons
• June 8th - 2-0 win vs Tsunami
• June 15th - 7-0 win vs Red Tape
• ----------------
• SEMIS - June 22nd - 2-2 win vs Quicksilver (penalties)
• FINALS - June 29th - 4-1 loss vs Flirts

And the scoring title goes to...

Bubbles!  Congratulations, Jon, you win $1 off fall dues.

But it's not all about Jon.  Check out the score sheet for Spring 2008.  We are an equal opportunity scoring machine.  We don't discriminate based on size or gender.  We set new records for the number of players on the scoresheet (20) and the number of women scoring points in a single season (8).  Impressive.

Scoring is done as follows: goal (2pts), PK (2pts), assist (1 pt), earned PK (1 pt).  Feast your eyes on this:

Jon - 6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points

Chris - 5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points

Adrian - 4 goals, 1 assist, 9 points

Ermy - 2 goals, 3 assists, 7 points

Mike - 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 points

Nate - 2 goals, 0 assists, 4 points

Katya - 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points

Bri - 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points

Kate - 1 goal, 0 assists, 2 points

Jackie - 1 goal, 0 assists, 2 points

Liam - 1 goal, 0 assists, 2 points

De - 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points

Chip - 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points

Ashley - 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point

Ally - 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point

Jer - 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point

Pete - 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point

You must remember that this is just a tally of the offensive scoring. Everyone knows that a team must be equally balanced on offense and defense. You can't win without either - there's just no quantitative way to measure your defensive value.  Our objective is always for the team to perform at its highest level. We aren't about individual scoring. Many players never even get the opportunity to get that assist or take that shot. They are too busy tracking back and trying to win the ball back for the offense. So people, give the defense our due!

[Edited to reflect Liam's goal!]

Shootout!

Like the Spain-Italy game, our semi final match versus Quicksilver ended in a shootout. We won it in penalties and punched a ticket to the finals - for the second time in a year. We will face the Flirts , who are solid and sportsmanlike. The finals are their only path back to the 2nd division from whence they came. Yeah, they're motivated to win.

Let's remember how we got here. Our semi final win was a thriller. Some teammates helped me piece it together as follows...

It took a while to settle, since we had some new players. Luckily while we were still settling we got a penalty - there was no argument - Adrian got the ball just outside the box turned and went around their last defender so the goalie came out to try for the ball and Adrian just touched it by him before the goalie got there and the goalie took him out. time. Jon took the PK, slotting it in the right side netting with his right foot and making it look easy.

In the second half, we earned a corner almost directly off the kick. Nate sent the corner in, there was a scramble before Ashley redirected the ball in hard, which Katya deflected into the right/near post with the keeper diving to his left - the ball was just past his fingertips. Since Ashley is new, I will avoid the term I usually use to describe a situation where two women hook up for a goal! Let's just focus on the fact Ashley got a point in her first game and Katya got her first goal.

We gave up two goals after that, which must have been a bummer.

Then it was PKs. Jon, Ally, Adrian, Bri, and Mike got the call. Liam made two saves and saw one miss entirely. And so we won. It was the third time we went to PKs, and the second time we came out on top. I like that trend. Gimme a little credit for holding a practice session last week.

Time to get ready for the finals.

Notes: Semifinal playoff win versus Quicksilver coming off a first-round bye. 2-2 (3-2 in penalties). Goals by Jon (PK earned by Adrian), Katya (Ashley). Discipline: Jon (yellow for dissent). GK: Liam. PKs taken by Jon, Ally, Adrian (make), Bri (make), Mike (make). Liam had two saves and saw one missed penalty.

Goleros win division title!

We stampeded into first place on Sunday with a resounding 7-0 win over Red Tape. In doing so, we won the division title and earned promotion to the Second Division.

What did you think of the game? What was the best play?

It was a day of milestones: first title, first undefeated record (6-0-2), first top seed going into the playoffs. Congratulations to everyone! Finishing at the top of the table is a nice validation of our teamwork and skills. Quite a few people put heart and soul into the team - making it fun for everyone.

Happiness

The match itself was a wee bit lopsided. A struggling Red Tape side started with only 9 players, but did finish the game with a few subs. We scored and took control in the first minute of play. Fully 10 players got on the score sheet, including our goalie, who busted out a celebration dance that I guess we'll call the quickstep. It was kind of like running in place while twisting back and forth.

Do a little dance!

We are now 5-0 lifetime against Red Tape (read about past matches here, here and here). After the game, we took some PKs in preparation for a potential shootout in the playoffs. We ended the afternoon with a few drinks at Ramparts.

Let’s keep our edge in the playoffs. There are more games yet to play.

Scoring summary:

* In the 1', Bubbles took advantage of a fallen defender (unassisted).

* In the 10', Adrian poked one through off Ally's assist.

* In the 20', Chris (aka El Nino or Pants Guy) failed to finish Carolyn's cross. Filled with rage, he gathered up Ermy's pass with his back to goal, made a quick turn and released a scorcher to the Upper 90. Best ever goal by Chris?

* In the 30', from a midfield position, De stepped into a through ball on the left wing and sent in a perfect cross to Adrian's head. Beautiful.

* In the 50', Liam took De's pass and send a low shot beyond the keeper's reach.

* In the 60', El Nino scored off an assist from Bri.

* In the 75', Grizzy scored from the right wing off an assist from Katya.

Notes: 7-0 win versus Red Tape, 6/15/08, 5-0 record lifetime against Red Tape. Goals: Jon (unassisted), Adrian (Ally), Chris (Ermy), Adrian (De), Liam (De), Chris (Bri), Griz (Katya). GKs: Liam (1st), Adrian (2nd), Jon (2nd). Discipline: Jon (Yellow, 10’, dangerous play), Ally (Yellow, 70’, intentional foul/obstruction). Red Tape had a yellow as well.

Results of the Poll - and some reminiscing about the old days

The most dramatic match we've played in is...the Spring '07 CCSL championship match, according to your votes. Dramatic? Yes. Uplifting? No. In case you didn't know, that's the match in which we hung tough with Team X but completely unraveled at the end. Our goalie got a red card. We lost a player to injury. The ref, seeking retribution for the red card, allowed the winning free kick to be taken, without another goalie in place. But we know that we hung in there. I'd like to think we would have won in penalties.

All the other matches got votes, except for the '06 Fallfest semi-final game. If you were there, you would definitely know it as one of our great wins. We had cleared our group straight away with 3 wins. In the semi-final, we played Soccer Bums, against whom we were evenly matched. It They had tied the game late, 1-1. As time expired, Mark won the ball at midfield and sent a very long pass into the area which Jer collected on his chest for an amazing two-touch finish (once off the chest, once into the net). The other team's bench went silent; it was incredible.

I voted for the '06 Coed Classic final game. You don't often go to FIFA-style penalties in a rec match. It's an amazing amount of pressure after you've played 5 matches over 2 days. You get to the top of the bracket, play a full game against a tough opponent, and settle everything with 5 shots a piece from the spot. Great experience (we lost unfortunately, but there weren't any hard feelings).

Our history Vol. II

This is the second installment of the critically-acclaimed three-part series: our history. Read the first installment here.

These are the Montgomery County years. They were always fun, but the field locations slowly wore on the team. In the beginning, we played in Bethesda, then Silver Spring, then Wheaton, then Olney, and then the suburbs of Olney! For our growing DC/Northern Virginia contingent, this meant sometimes more than 1 hour of driving each way.

Pete's Graduation in 2003

The significance of these years is clear: we turned things around. We were done simply kicking it around. It was time for some wins. It took awhile but we steadily developed a better work ethic, got some new talent on board, and saw some results. We said goodbye to some players but added some new ones - Kristin, Jackie, John Magoba, Patrick, Chris, Justin, Mark, Erinn, Ermy, Jessica, Megan, among others. In my mind, the turning point was a match in 2003 versus the dreaded Green Team. They had whipped us before but we bested them in a bitter match to close the season at .500. It was so bitter that the Green Team actually disbanded following the game. Some of their nicer folks proposed a merger with us to bolster our numbers for the next season, but we said no.

We hit a stride in 2004, going more than .800 for an extended time. Mike was steady in goal; Mark ran the midfield at that unforgettable pace; Jessica outwitted defenses on the wing; Justin and Chris scored more than 15 points each per season; and our women were very strong all over the field. I no longer cared if we won or lost because we were good and the wins would often just come. In 2005, we were promoted to the Second Division. We made the playoffs twice. Our first tournament was the 2004 Coed Classic, which we played in conjunction with Frightening Pace.

What else is noteworthy? Megan agreed to be co-captain. She really helped to organize us and make the team fun. We owe a lot to her.

High points: beating the Green Team, winning one game 10-0, listening to John and Patrick yell at each other in Ugandan.

Low point: missed playoffs in 2005 because of a forfeit. We just didn't have enough women.

Rivals to remember: G.O.R.F. (one of the few teams that we played more than once who we never beat - they once beat us 10-0), Green Team, Yellow Team (love story!), Frightening Pace (read this post).

Greg & Michelle's Wedding

Have any memories of your own?



Next installment: The Move to CCSL.

Another bruiser

Yet another bruiser versus Capital Crew, my least favorite team to play.

Check out Jackie making a fearless tackle at the top of the box. This one got the whistle.

But...3 goals, 3 points. We established control of the match early, and closed out in acceptable fashion. Check the standings. We're in third place with at least one game in our pocket.

In the first half, we got on the board quickly with a low cross by Chris. Kate deflected it nicely inside the near post. The CC keeper is solid so it always takes a good effort to score. Remember last year when he took Katya out? Anyway, congrats to Kate who gets her first outdoor goal with us.
















The rest of the match was characterized by a lot of offensive runs on our part. Nathan scored a nice goal on a solo effort. About 10 minutes later, still in the first half, I won a 50-50 ball at midfield and advanced it to an unmarked Chris for the breakaway score.

We made some fun switches before the final whistle. Jon and Jackie played up, Mike anchored the defense, Liam joined the midfield, and I went to goal to secure Liam's third shutout of the season. Ermy was a fantastic alternate, setting up multiple runs and almost tallying several goals. Carolyn played her first game with us - welcome. Our women rule, I'll say it again.

Notes: 3-0 win versus Capital Crew, May 4, 2008, shutout. Goals: Kate (Chris), Nate (unassisted), Chris (Pete). GKs: Liam, Pete.

Meet your MVPs

You voted for the MVPs and here they are. Meet Mike and Jackie.

This ain't no surprise. They are outstanding players and we love 'em.

Mike's 1-season resume includes the following bullet points: high-percentage passer, natural leader, versatile defender and midfielder, three assists. Mike, I agree with your teammates - you were solid out there. What accolades in your first season! We can thank Jon for the referral.

Jackie's resume goes on for miles - just this season she notched two assists and played numerous minutes as a key defensive midfielder. We all know how she can take over her space, use excellent vision to move the ball around, execute hard and efficient tackles, and disrupt anyone with the bad judgment to come her way. She's a gamer, she shows up to play and steps up to the competition. What's my favorite memory of Jackie? The completely legit steamroller tackles in the semi final of the 2006 Coed Classic. She went right through about 3 of the other team's best male strikers! It's no secret that your captain is in "soccer love" with this special player. She has an addictive personality, we all know that.

Let's not forget our honorable mentions: Griz, Ally, Chris, Jon, Liam, Heather, and Kara.

Fall 2007 Outdoor results

The purpose of this post is just to record our record.

Here are the results from our Fall 2007 outdoor campaign in CCSL. Read our season review here. We voted on MVPs here.


Fall 2007 Record: 3-2-3 (.600)
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Aug. 26th - 3-0 win vs Quicksilver FC
Sept. 9th - 4-0 shorthanded loss to Far Post
Sept. 16th - 5-2 loss versus Red Devils
Sept. 23rd - 2-2 tie vs Capital Crew
Oct. 7th - 2-2 shorthanded tie versus Celtic
Oct. 14th - 2-0 win vs Red Tape
Oct. 21st - 4-2 win vs 2LFeet
Oct. 28th - 1-1 tie versus Tsunami