MRL Game #3 vs Mequon Red (WI)

Another beautiful day in Appleton.  A little cool at the start, but the sun was shining with the promise of warmth later in the day.

 We had seen Mequon last year at Regionals.  They had a danger girl up top and some hard battling mids and defenders, but I was confident that if we could match their effort our skill would carry us through.

Warm-up was sharp and the girls looked ready to go.

Mequon came out in a 5-3-2 formation.  Don't know if this was their normal shape, but they obviously knew the caliber of team they were up against.  

It was difficult for us at first.  We player too direct, forcing quick passes into our forwards when they were usually outnumbered 5 to 2, and we lacked the support up the field when our forwards managed to hold the ball up under pressure.  Cook and I tried to get the girls on the bench to see the space that our wide backs had as Mequon's shape allowed a ton of room for these defenders to play in.  Yet even after making changes it was still a struggle for the team to totally grasp the concept. 

At the 17 minute mark, the wide Mequon wide right mid hoofed a long diagonal ball behind our back line.  Bidi (RD) tracked the ball down but her clearance under pressure wasn't wide or far enough up the field.  To make matters worse for us, the ball fell to Mequon's danger player about 35 yards out from our goal.  The girl took a few touches, our defenders didn't organize enough to provide, and she smacked a high, powerful shot that Tori couldn't get a hand too and it hit the back of the net just under the crossbar.

Crap.  Now they're probably going to a 7-2-1 and we're in for a long game against a packed defense.

To the Goo Girls credit, they managed to begin to grasp the attacking concepts we needed them to.  One minute from the halftime break, We swung the ball around the back to Bidi (still at the right back position).  Jilly (RF) made a great diagonal run across the field as the ball was being switched, and Bidi found her wide down the right flank with a good pass.  Jilly beat her defender and crossed in a low hard service that found Ripper unmarked about 8 yards from goal at the far post.  Rippers controlled the ball and finished to bring us back into the game.  Good goal, great timing.  

After getting the girls on the same page during halftime, the girls really took it to Mequon in the second half.  Mequon's only real chance on goal came about 15 minutes into the half from a 40 yard freekick that took an amazingly bad hop as it dropped about 4 yards in front of Tori.  Tori, thinking to simply take the ball on the hop, made a fantastic relax save as the ball shot off to her left to palm the ball over the top of the net.

18 minutes in we took the lead as Lily (LM) received a pass on the left flank, cut inside, and hit a great diagonal ball behind the Mequon defenders for Jilly (RF) to run onto.  The Mequon GK made an aggressive on-rushing play for the ball but Jilly got their first and toe poked it past her to roll into the goal.

Two minutes later we're awarded a free kick at midfield on the right flank.  I'm yelling across for Bidi (RM) to relax and let one of the defenders serve it, but she opted to play a quick pass 20 yards up field to Jilly (RF).   Jilly turned and found Millie (LF) at the top of the box to the right of the goal.  Millie played a quick Give & Go with Lily (LF), took a shot that hit the far post, ended up playing a Give & Go with the post around the GK, and finished into the empty net.  Funny finish, but great build up.

One minute from time we got our 4th.  Nash (RD) served a free kick in from the right side of the field about 40 yards out.  As we've worked with her in training, the free kick was perfect.  Flighted high behind the defensive holding line to the far post area.  Macky (LF) tried to get a head on the ball but I think it hit her shoulder.  It dropped right in the path of Getch (RF) who was following in and Getch hammered home the last goal of the game.

 Good battle-back performance for the girls.  Toughest game ahead this afternoon with FC Milwaukee.

MRL Game #2 vs Madison 56ers (WI)

The first half of our warm-up was absolutely abysmal.  The girls were not sharp, too lackadaisical, and not very focused.  The captains brought the team together about 15 minutes prior to kickoff to try and get people on the same page.  The girls' touches improved, but we still didn't start the game off well. 

Madison had us on our heels for the first 5 minutes.  We created two clear chances on goal but couldn't find the back of the net.  Madison countered on us quickly and effectively, forcing Tori (GK) into one spectacular save early on.  We settled in a bit but still did not have very good control of the midfield.  Tired legs due to thick grass and lack of game fitness took their toll on our central players. 

 Madison played a ridiculously high offside trap, leaving a TON of space behind them.  We just couldn't attack it well enough as our forwards, not use to the trap line, were caught offside time and time again. 

At half time we made a key adjustment, switching from our 4-4-2 into a 4-5-1.  We wanted our wide forwards to be a bit withdrawn, allowing them to attack the space behind Madison's defense facing up the field. 

It proved to be a good change as the girls found themselves on breakaway after breakaway in the second 35 minutes.

We got on the board 12 minutes into the half as Macky (RM) pinged a ball across the field to Millie (Att Mid) at the top of the box.  Millie took a good prep touch and hammered the ball into the left side of the net from 18 out.  After a number of very good chances, it was good to finally get on the board.

That kind of opened the flood gates a bit as we found ourselves time and time again in behind their defense with some quick play and slotted through balls.  

21 minutes in Soph (LD), from about 20 yards from midfield in our half, played a 30 yard ball through to Jill.  Jill went 1v1 on goal and buried a low hard shot for our second.

At the 28 minute mark we put the game out of reach.  Blondie (LF) received a ball from Soph (LD) at midfield, right in front of our bench.  She turned up field and found Ripper's feet for a Give & Go.  Ripper, seeing the defenders track Blondie, faked the Give & Go and ran straight at the Madison defenders.  40 yards later the ball was in the back of the net.  Great individual effort.  

3-0 in a game that honestly could have been 8.  Looking forward to a tough challenge tomorrow with Mequon in the morning (the defending Wisconsin State Cup Champs and a team we saw in our group at Regionals last year) and then FC Milwaukee in the afternoon.   

We ended the half 0-0. 

MRL Game #1 vs Homer Hawks (IL)

A cursory update for the parents at home.

 We seemed to have lucked out with the weather today.  Lots of rain in the area through the night, but partly cloudy and breezy this morning.  Great fields with "real" plush grass (something we haven't seen all winter in MN, and didn't see in Phoenix and Vegas).

First game was against the Homer Hawks from southern Illinois.  They were a fiesty team with a real dangerous forward up top - speedy, tough, and decent technically.  

We played well.  Numerous scoring chances in the first half, but really not testing their GK much as most shots missed their mark.  

The good guys got on the scoreboard in the 31st minute off a corner kick.  We drilled on a revised set piece attack in training on Thursday, and as things sometimes work out, it was picture perfect.  Mille (LF) served in a fantastic cross from the right corner that Ripper (Att Mid) headed home from the top of the 6-yard box). 

With the slight wind at our backs in the second half we took full control of the game.  

20 minutes in, Jill got free on the right flank and served in a low, near-post cross into the box.  Getch (who had just subbed in promising us a goal) streaked to meet the ball, and at a run clipped a low shot into the far post area of the goal.  

A minute from time we scored our best goal.  Tori (GK) punted a ball that found Millie (Att Mid) at around midfield.  Millie, with her back to goal, took the ball out of the air with a fantastic control touch with her laces, then turned and volleyed a through pass to Blondie (RF).  Blondie took off to goal but was caught up from behind by a Homer defender.  Blondie played the ball back and wide to Nash (RD) who was up in support.  Nash took a touch, used some nifty skill to beat her defender, then crossed a ball to the top of the box that found Millie who had rushed forward to support the play.  Millie took a touch and snapped off a high, quick shot that the Homer GK got a hand to but couldn't stop from crossing over the endline.

3-0 in a good match for us.  Notable performances by Becs, Getch, and Hannah (who was fantastic).  Our legs look heavy though.  Big fields and thick grass.  With a couple girls with slight knocks, it will be a battle to get through the weekend.  

Next up, Madison 56ers at 2:30PM.