RSVP - Game 6

Team,

Another excellent win on Sunday!!  Great work by everyone (even our late comer).  Peter posted the in-depth recap so visit the blog to relive the memories (and remember Adrian's awesome goal shot).

We have a HUGE match up this weekend vs Far Post (currently ahead of us in the standings) so let's keep our winning streak alive!  Sunday's game (10/2) is at 1:15 PM at Trinity (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=125+Michigan+Ave%2E+NE,Washington,DC+20017).

RSVP to the blog or send an email.

See you Sunday (and Friday for the Happy Hour in Adams Morgan).

At the halfway point

Half of the regular season is in the books.  At the midway point, we are still showing third.  There's no movement from last week because the teams above us won too.  But we shored up our stats a bit.  We only had a +1 in goal differential last week, due to our bad loss to FC Arlington, whereas this week, we repaired that number to a respectable +5.  That's still not going to help us versus the teams above us for the time being.  Far Post has scored a ton of goals this season, and we have a head to head loss versus FC Arlington.  We need to keep pressing on the goals though in case of a tie with Far Post.

Speaking of that, guess who we play this weekend?  This is the key game for the season.  We have a chance to overtake Far Post in the standings here - maybe our only chance.

CCSL>Third Division>
Rank	Team		W	L	T	GP	PTS	GF	GA	GD	GDA
1		FC Arlington	3	0	0	3	9	11	2	9	3.0
2		Far Post	3	1	0	4	9	16	4	12	3.0
3		Goleros	3	1	0	4	9	11	6	5	1.3
4		Our Kicks Dont Lie	2	1	0	3	6	6	5	1	0.3
5		DC Divided	2	1	0	3	6	5	6	-1	-0.3
6		Unathletic DC	1	2	1	4	4	9	17	-8	-2.0
7		Two Left Feet	1	4	0	5	3	6	13	-7	-1.4
8		Red Devils	0	2	1	3	1	7	12	-5	-1.7
9		Funky Town	0	3	0	3	0	1	7	-6	-2.0

Second straight shutout

Sunday's 4-0 victory was not your average game.  The insanely early 8:00 a.m. start proved to be one of many competitive advantages for us.  Most of you crazy people were there at least 15 minutes prior to kickoff.  How motivated are we right now???  What is more, we had six fans not to mention Mike & Denise's dog.  The tried-and-true fanbase was quite vocal in support of the Orange & White.  I heard Nap's dad shout out from the stands, having arisen that morning around 4:00 a.m. according to sources, and I think it was De's dad that razzed the refs for blowing the offside call in the second half.  I don't blame him.  Elyse's volley to Anna, which would have resulted in a goal, was quality.

Despite that early start, you have to admit the following.  Once you arrive at the pitch and see the open space and your teammates warming up, things start looking up for the whole day.

From the start, we gained control of the match.  We had the personnel and the attitude to get it done.  Meanwhile, Red Devils struggled to integrate their pieces and had players trickling in throughout the game.  Red Devils were a last-minute add to the league when we lost a team that folded.  They are a patchwork from several teams brought together by the Vice Commissioner so we haven't seen nearly their best yet.

In terms of scoring, Nate got on the board in about the 20th minute with another one of his long runs.  Pam found him on a cross and Nate finished confidently with his head from the far post.  Pam continued her breakout game about 10 minutes later by creating a seam on a diagonal run, which Anna found easily.  Pam's excellent cross found Ermy.  Anna's persistence paid off with a goal in the second half and Ermy picked up another goal as well.

The defense yielded but two chances the entire match and was fully deployed in distributing to the attack.  I came off my line as reserve keeper on a number of occasions, but I only had to make 1 save.

Well done.


Notes: 4-0 win vs Red Devils on 9/25/11 at Galludet U.  Goals by Nate (Pam), Ermy (Pam), Anna (Nap, Chris D.), Ermy (unassisted off the crossbar).  GK: Pete.  Shutout.

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The purpose of this blog is to have a central place for game information and to have some fun talking about the game.  It's also a way of avoiding having to put everything in email.  I find that after a while people ignore multiple emails on a list.

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Early look at the table

After three weeks of play, we are just barely in that top echelon of the table.  I think it's more accurate to characterize us as middle of the table at this point in time.  We've got one game on FC Arlington, who beat us head-to-head and whose goal differential is obviously much better (for the time being).  So that's a decent place to be as we push for a top spot in the playoffs.

CCSL>Third Division>
Rank	Team		W	L	T	GP	PTS	GF	GA	GD	GDA
1		Far Post	3	0	0	3	9	15	2	13	4.3
2		FC Arlington	2	0	0	2	6	9	1	8	4.0
3		Goleros	2	1	0	3	6	7	6	1	0.3
4		Unathletic DC	1	1	1	3	4	8	14	-6	-2.0
5		Our Kicks Dont Lie	1	1	0	2	3	3	4	-1	-0.5
6		DC Divided	1	1	0	2	3	2	4	-2	-1.0
7		Two Left Feet	1	3	0	4	3	4	10	-6	-1.5
8		Red Devils	0	1	1	2	1	7	8	-1	-0.5
9		Funky Town	0	3	0	3	0	1	7	-6	-2.0

Trending up [updated]

With the forfeit victory in Week 1 and the weather and holiday events in the following weeks, we didn’t play our first game in months until Sunday, September 11^th.  It wasn’t pretty.  The upstart new team, FC Arlington, beat us 6-1 in a game that was reminiscent of our first match in this league years ago.  We came in from the middle division in Montgomery County.  We were young and rearing to go.  We beat Far Post 6-0, leaving our opponents frustrated.  That game is referred to in this old post.

Following a rainout in Week 2, we had the pieces in place in Week 3 - but they didn’t fit together well.  We had new players, new formations, and rust, all of which was compounded when we started short-handed.  Just as we were getting things under control, FC Arlington took advantage of some confusion and sent a long ball over the top, which bounced above Carlos and George, for a header into the net at speed.

We never recovered, stuggling the rest of the match.  The defense was outmatched by their young and tall strikers – no one on FC Arlington looked above the age of 27 to me – who had better service than we had answers.  One mismatch after another moved the scoreline from 2-0, to 3-0 and so on.  We finally got on the board with Suzie’s layoff to Anna.  But we yielded yet another goal late in the game.

It was sufficient motivation to return to form for Week 4.  Even though we faced a Funkytown team that was shorthanded for much (but not all) of the match, and not very speedy, for the first time in a while we absolutely did what needed to be done.  We made the broad range of plays that are necessary to win – we had defensive stuffs, long runs on the wing, possession, and counter attacks that resulted in shots and goals.  No one will tell you that we were perfect, but that worked well.  It was fun and it represented the proper integration of the various pieces of our arsenal.  Pam and Maggie had good games.  Nate and I earned the shutout in goal – we’ll have to teach George a little something.  Chris D. was the engine that kept us motivated.  De was back in a big way.

From my perspective, I want to point out a few plays that I rather enjoyed watching.  First, early in the second half, when I received the ball as goalie, I was looking for an outlet.  The off the ball running that we have been lacking came back to life.  Kelly got wide and deep on my left wing to create options.  Jon recognized the situation from midfield and came back to split Funkytown’s players.  He gave me a great, direct outlet that spread the field and got the ball not just to safety but to a threatening point in our attack – quickly. 

There were three other plays – little plays – that I remember.  One involved Jon coming back for the ball again.  But on this one, he received the ball then just made a simple and completely unnecessary back pass to Carlos. It reset the offense, allowed Carlos to distribute effectively from the middle of the field, and again allowed us to build a full field attack.  We had people in front of the ball!  It was an example of that trust, possession, and Barcelona style that we need to get back to.  A similar play happened when Elyse and Nap made a series of 1-2 passes on the wing that just unraveled Funky’s defense.  Lastly, I’ll note a play in which Griz saw an attack coming and stepped up quickly to the opponent from central defense.  He forced a mistake and was able to reset the ball quickly.  It took away space and created the underlying conditions for a nasty counter attack that resulted in the second goal.

So, we’ve got something to build on in the coming weeks.  We're trending up.

Game notes:  

 6-1 loss to FC Arlington on 9/11/11 at Blair High School.  Goal: Anna (Suzie).  GK: George.   

3-0 win versus Funkytown on 9/18/11 at Galludet U.  Goals by Jon (Chris D.), Chris N. (Chris D, Maggie), Nate (Chris N. Elyse).  GK: Nate (1^st), Pete (2^nd).  Shutout.  Discipline: Carlos (yellow, unsporting), Nate (yellow, unsporting).

Game 5 - RSVP

Team,

Great win last week.  Even though the other team was down, I think we looked pretty good!

Our next game is Sunday, September 18 at 8:00 AM at Galludet.  No excuses for it being too early...let's make it worthwhile!

RSVP to the blog or by email.

Go team!!

Game 4 - RSVP

Team,

Let's not fret about our loss on Sunday, we're still a .500 team (better than half the NFL right now).

Our next game is Sunday, September 18 at 2:00 PM at Galludet (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl).

RSVP to the blog or send an email.

See you Sunday!!!

Preview of the Fall Schedule

At last, we play.  This season has taken FOREVER to start.  We're going to have to deal with that and be ready for the opening whistle at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday night.

Let's look at the schedule this season.

• FALL 2011

• -----------------------------

• Sun. Sept. 11, 5:00 p.m. vs FC Arlington (Blair HS in Silver Spring)

• Sun. Sept 18, 2:00 p.m. vs Funky Town (Galludet U in DC)

• Sun. Sept 25, 8:00 a.m. vs Red Devils (Galludet U in DC)

• Sun. Oct. 2, 1:15 p.m. vs Far Post (Trinity College in DC)

• Sun. Oct. 9, 10:00 a.m. vs Unathletic DC (Ridge in DC)

• Sun. Oct. 16, 9:45 a.m. vs Our Kicks Don't Lie (Trinity College in DC)

• Sun. Oct. 23 - BYE WEEK

• Sun. Oct. 30th - MAKE UP GAMES (TBA)

• PLAYOFFS

• --------------------------

• TBA - could be a 2 week or 3 week process

Our first fixture versus Two Left Feet was a dud.  The other team forfeited.  We collected a 3-0 win on the books but it doesn't mean squat because we didn't break in the boots.

The game this weekend is versus FC Arlington, a new team in the division.  It's a wildcard game, I cannot say for sure what to expect.  We are planning to face a seriously good team, and that is more likely than not anyway.  FC Arlington jumped over from the less organized and less competitive S Leagues.  They likely had their fill in that league and were looking for more.  Like this team, but 5 years later, they are ready for more and will probably be on the rise.  Expect them to be one of the best teams in the division.

The next week we start a 2-game stand at Galludet University.  It's a nice enough field I guess.  The first afternoon game will be nice.  The next week, at the crack of 8:00 a.m., won't 

be.  Don't even think about it.  You're showing up.

The last three games will be trying, but the field selection is nice.  Two at Trinity and a third to be determined (our make up game).  Far Post won its first game 8-0.  Granted, they probably faced a partial squad, but clearly it's going to take several goals to beat them.  

That last game versus the Commissioner's team in DC Divided figures to be a thriller.  Most likely both teams will be playing for a top spot or a playoff spot at least.  DC Divided has beaten us before and is perfectly capable of doing it again.  Unless...

Please keep a few things in mind:

- We'll need bodies for the 8:00 a.m. game.  We aren't carrying a huge roster.

- We'll need people to be flexible for the makeup.  I don't know where or when it will be yet.

- WHEN we make the playoffs, it will go pretty deep into the fall.  If we don't finish first, and that's not something any keen manager will count on, then we'll have to win out in the playoffs.  That will require focus and attendance.  

So save those dates, please.

 

It happened at...Blair High School

This week's game is at Blair High School in Silver Spring, just outside the Beltway and really far from my house.  It's close to De's place, though, so I'm sure she's happy.  Me, well I don't like the field at all.  Not a fan.  Can anyone remember a certain play that determined the game there 2 years ago versus Tsunami?

RSVP - Game 3

Team, 

It's time to actually get on the field and play a game!!! Sunday's game (9/11) is at 5:00 pm at Blair HS (51 University Boulevard East, Silver Spring, MD 20901).

RSVP to the blog or send an email.  See you Sunday!

Watch this training video

Interesting 2 v 2 drill on a shortened field.  It's cool to see the US players work so hard in training.  You can hear Coach Klinsmann shouting out instructions.  I'm not certain what this teaches, but it seems to put a premium on game-breaking moves that lead to the final pass or shot.

No game this week

The entire league is off this week in observance of the Labor Day holiday.  Enjoy your time off and stay fit!

Sunday's game is canceled

The league moved more quickly than expected.  In some cases, the field managers canceled all activities and in other cases the commissioner just decided to make the call.  Our game is canceled, likely to be rescheduled October 30th.  See the email note below:

As you all probably expected, the weather will indeed impact many of our games on Sunday.  I wanted to give as much notice as possible as it looks like were in for a pretty decent storm that goes beyond our "play on turf no matter what" plans.  We have to put safety first both on the pitch and getting there in the first place.

 

So all games on Trinity, Roosevelt, and SSSAS this Sunday will be postponed.  For now the evening games at GMHS are on as scheduled for Sunday. 

 

We'll likely use Oct 30th weekend for these makeups.

 

Stay safe!

 

Sanjay

Game status

Irene is now a Category 3 hurricane, and in some form, she's likely to affect Washington.  My latest text says we have a tropical storm warning in the DC Area - I believe that means heavy rains and winds, hopefully not enough to do much damage. 

The league's exec team has been discussing proactively canceling all morning games on Sunday, and reserving a decision on afternoon games played on artificial turf.  They would make that call Friday night or Saturday.  Since our game is at 9:00 a.m., I would say we're not likely to play. 

However, the game is still on the schedule and we're mostly all here, so please wait to hear from me before you make other plans.

Happy Birthday, Captain!

Whether it be stepping into goal when we need him, offering inspirational words in our team huddles, or capturing our great moments in photos, this team wouldn't be what it is today without our fearless leader.  Please join in wishing him a very Happy Birthday.  Thanks for all you do for the Goleros family, Peter!

Road warriors

Did you know that members of our team recently drove nearly the entire length of I-95 in a single day?  By my estimates, they drove about 1,500 of the 1,900 total miles of highway stretching from the Miami area to Maine.

The teammates were Carlos and Ally.  Carlos woke up early Sunday morning and drove home from Miami with his family.  Ally woke up and drove to New England with Tom.  I am told they stopped for the night in Worcester, Mass, before continuing on to Portland the next day.  So unfortunately Ally did stray from the I-95 corridor for a period of time.

I work in transportation so this stuff is noteworthy to me.  Was it worth this very random post?  You decide.

Read more about I-95 here:

http://www.i95coalition.org/i95/Home/I95CorridorFacts/tabid/173/Default.aspx

Beware of Irene

Put the inclement weather line in your phones, folks, or bookmark this page, where it is noted.  Hurricane Irene could make its way for Washington this weekend, potentially affecting our game.  Of course, we are on turf this weekend so only lightning will result in cancelation.

An earthquake and a hurricane in the same week.  Is the world going to end before we have a chance to capture another division title?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/hurricane-irene-what-might-it-mean-for-washington-dc-and-nearby-beaches/2011/08/24/gIQA9CWlbJ_blog.html?hpid=z2

Still pondering a move to Google +

When we discussed how best to communicate team business and news, we quickly decided to keep the blog.  It was nearly unanimous.  I did intend, however, to more fully explore Google +, thinking that it would be innovative and hoping it would add new functionality.  I still haven't done that because I'm not thrilled to join a new social networking site.  However, this article suggests it might work great for us.  Something to think about.  No worries, we won't do anything rash.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/faster-forward/post/google-plus-members-value-their-privacy/2011/08/16/gIQAznU7JJ_blog.html

RSVP - Game 2 - NEW TIME

Team,


First off, congrats on the first win of the season.  We're off to a great start!


As you know by now, the time/venue for Sunday's (August 28) game has changed.  It's now at 9:00 AM at Roosevelt HS in DC (4301 13th Street, NW).  RSVP to the blog or send an email.  

See everyone bright and early Sunday morning!!! 

Instructions for paypal - avoid fees!

I appreciate everyone using paypal - it is so much easier to collect and track.  Here are some additional instructions:

Make sure to send the money to my personal address, as shown on email.

Paypal is a free service when it's linked to your checking account.  You can link directly - therefore the money can flow both directions (you can paid by others too) - or you can do some kind of individual check clearance thing.  A few folks on the team do that.  You can also make convenient one-time payments via credit card.  This will result in a transaction fee.

Make sure to designate the transaction as a payment between friends and family.  That allows me to avoid a transaction fee.  This is not a good or service so you're not breaking any rules.  You are sending me money, which I advanced you as a favor.  If you don't make the right designation here, I end up paying a fee on my end to receive the money.

Thanks!

Note schedule changes

To accommodate the late entry into the division - the revived Red Devils - the league had to adjust the schedule. There is a direct impact for us - game times and locations have changed for our Aug. 28th and September 11th games.  Please make a note.  The information posted on this website is current, superseding my Aug. 13th email.

Game canceled tomorrow

As I mentioned on email, our game tomorrow is off.  Two Left Feet had to forfeit due to lack of players.  Some of us are still planning to get together and play though.

Game report: that's a 3-0 win for us on the books.  8/21/2011 vs Two Left Feet.

Support a teammate and donate

Many of us have been affected by cancer in some way.  Elyse is raising money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.


Visit Elyse's fundraising page here...and make a donation to support a teammate!

Dear Family and Friends,             I am excited to tell you on October 14-16 my mother and I will be participating in the Avon Walk to help fight breast cancer.  Breast cancer is a disease that has touched everyone’s life in some way.  Likewise, this is personal to me since my own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I am proud to say that she is a 12 year survivor! She feels that her life was saved through awareness and early diagnosis. This will be the second time my mother is doing this walk.  Eleven years ago when I stood at the finish line and watched her complete the 60 mile walk wearing a pink survivor shirt, I never felt prouder and wanted more than anything to complete another walk by her side.  I am doing this walk to celebrate my mom, continue to raise awareness, and help defeat this horrible that disease that threatens my family, my future family, as well as all of our loved ones.              A quote that my mom shared with me since a young age was, “You’re not a failure if you fall down, you’re a failure if you don’t get back up.”  My mom didn’t only teach me this quote, but she showed me its true meaning.              Please join me in this important fundraiser by donating whatever you can to support my walk to continue awareness, prevention, and early diagnosis. You can make a donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. Whatever you can give will help! I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress. With love and thanks, Elyse

*Avon image courtesy of Avon Walk for the Cure (no copyright information on the website).

Photos from happy hour

Goleros Power!

Good time.  We should do it more often.  I snuck in two from our earlier happy hour a few weeks ago.

What do you mean you're leaving? 

I'm trying to smile about this