11/29 Scrimmage vs U12 South Boys err Showcase By U12 Boys

Holy cow are our U12 boys a ton of fun to watch.  I was looking forward to playing them again as both the games this fall had been good.  Today the boys put on an absolute show against us.  It was great for us to play them because we have been talking about needing to train at a faster pace and this game was perfect to show us why as the boys absolutely shredded us with their skill and quickness.

I am trying something new with the video that we were able to take this weekend by pulling out all the dribbling highlight and passing highlights from the game and making videos out of them as well as pulling the goals out by themselves.  Let me know which highlights version you like better.  The one with the replays or the one without it.  I am going to try to add music to the clips later.

Here are the dribbling highlights.  The boys pull out some amazing stuff.  

*For best viewing, double click the video while it is playing and watch the highlights in full screen.

11/29 vs U12 Boys Dribbling Highlights with music from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

Here are the passing movements that were fun to watch.

 
11/29 Passing from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

The boys got on the board first with a goal around the 9th minute when they countered us very quickly.  Good passing and great runs led to the shot.  While the shot should have been saved, the movement deserved a goal.

Boys First Goal from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

We were able to tie the game up 10 minutes later when Kenzie flicked on the thrown in into the box where Carly challenged the boys defender for the ball.  The ball came through to Kari, who continued her run into the danger area, and her quick touch was able to sneak past both the goalie and the defender on the line.

U13 Goal from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

The boys scored their second goal around the 40th minute mark and it was a thing of beauty.  After winning the ball in the midfield the boys set off on another one of their quick counter attacks.  The scissors were mesmerizing and the pass and finisher were fantastic and a joy to watch.

Boys 2nd Goal from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

Despite the show being put on by the boys we were somehow within one goal of them at the end of the game.  Soccer is a cruel game like that depending on your position in the game.  As we approached the final minutes of the games I thought about how this group of girls always finds a way to be close at the end of games even when they have no business being in them.  They always seem to give themselves a chance to get a result.  It is a great characteristic to have and one that will serve us well in the future.  

As we were pushing to tie the game up the boys countered us after blocking a shot in their box with another great full field movement.  Again the dribbling and passing are fun to watch.  How did he get through our 3 defenders with the ball?

Boys 3rd Goal from Andy Kaasa on Vimeo.

 We finished the game on that note.  After the game I talked with the girls about the speed at which the boys play, but they never seemed rushed on the ball.  They are relaxed and skilled.  We didn't use our skill and we were not ready for their quickness because we don't aren't used to this type of pressure on a consistent basis.  The challenge for the girls is going to be to try and create this type of defensive pressure so we will be able to play at the same speed as the boys.