U13G Midwest Soccer Challenge - Day 2

MSC Game #3 vs Blackhawks U13C1

Promise of a cooler, wetter day came true. Not too bad, all things considered, but people would be cold today.

Kick off against Blackhawks was 8:45AM. I got to the field a bit early to watch the other group game, Centennial vs Sibley. Sibley and us were tied on points, each with a win and a tie. If we both won this morning, we'd head into a tie-breaker with goal differential being the deciding factor after head to head.

I came into the morning thinking that we'd need goals against the Blackhawks to help our cause should Sibley manage to beat Centennial. If someone looked at the Saturday scores, they'd probably think that since we beat Centennial 4-0, and Sibley tied us, Sibley was likely to beat Centennial by a lot of goals. Having seen both teams play against us, I didn't think that was necessarily going to be the case, but needed to come in with a game plan to increase our goal differential.

Back at Shoreview Commons, the huge field played to our cause. With fast, athletic girls and a lot of space to exploit, we'd get plenty of changes to get behind the Blackhawks defense.

My thought was to get the girls relaxed in warm-ups after the relatively tense game yesterday afternoon, and the challenge them to come out fast and hard.

I'm sure the Blackhawks girls weren't looking forward to the game as both Centennial and Sibley had beaten them yesterday. I told the girls that this was something else that could work in our favor. Some of the Blackhawk girls might have been thinking that they had no chance against us. If we could start strong and get a goal or two early, we'd likely finish the game in the first half. I talked to the MTA girls about high pressure right from the kickoff, working hard for loose balls, closing Blackhawks players down at speed, and talking/communication constantly - all of which can be intimidating for a team that may believe they are inferior.

For warm-ups, I took the girls over to a small 4v4 field beside the game field. The 4v4 field had lines and small goals, perfect for a little 4v4 warm-up. Two teams of 8, no GKs, each team split into 2 sub-teams of 4. Each team of 8 had 4 players on the field and 1 player on each side of the field who could be used as support players by teammates in the field of play. On the "Change!" command, players on the teams could not touch the ball again and had to run and tag a teammate who was off the field in order to release that player onto the field to play 4v4.

Really fun game, good warm-up, girls were enjoying themselves, and there wasn't an ounce of tension in the air. Perfect.

Opted to start the game in a 3-4-3. Reiterated the Line Pass and Over the Top through ball ideas, challenged them again to start the game strong, and left them to it.

Every once in a while, a game plan actually works out perfectly.

42 seconds in, Babes (CM) played a ball Over the Top of Vivi (CF). Vivi slipped the ball to B-Money (RF) and B finished her 1v1 with the keeper with a nice, side of the foot roller. Very good start.

Blackhawks took the restart from midfield, we pressed to win the ball, knocked a few passes in midfield, then back into our backline, then Meg (RD), sent Vivi through again on a breakaway with a 30 yard ball Over the Top. Sometimes, in order to go forward, you need to play backawards. The girls hear that a lot from me and this was a prime example as our possession and play around our backline drew the Blackhawks defenders up and opened up space behind them that we were able to get in to.

Two goals in two minutes. Most of the Centennital team and parents who were watching the game behind our bench headed for their cars. If Blackhawks had beaten us, Centennial would have advanced.

11 minutes in we scored our third. Didn't record and don't remember who scored it as I was so impressed with the first time volley that Phi Phi (CM) hit into the danger area to make the goal happen that I forgot to jot down the goal scorer.

1 minute from half time, Normy (CF) played a diagonal ball from the midfield line Over the Top to Meg (RF), and Meg outran her marking defender to score on a breakaway.

Not much to say at halftime. Rotated playing positions a bunch and off they went.

8 minutes in, the Blackhawks GK's punt was headed back at her by a jumping Babes (LM). The ball fell to Mickey (LF) at the top of the 18. Mickey took a touch and hit a low, right-footed shot past the diving Blackhawk's GK for our fifth.

At the 25 minute mark, Babes (now at CD) hit a Slotted Through Pass to Mal (CF). Mal hit a solid first time shot to give us our sixth.

We finished on a great goal from Normy, who collected a poor goal kick about 25 yards from goal on the right side, took a prep touch, and hammered the ball home into the far post side netting.

Good performance overall. Off to the final.

Star of the Match for me was Babes.  All over the field, composed on the ball, involved in many of our goals.

MSC Championship vs PSA Infiniti

Back over to the Hazelwood complex for the championship game vs PSA Infiniti.  The team had a good fall season in 2008, as well as a good summer season as U12s in a tough West District, battling Eden Prairie, Edina, and Tonka United and doing well.  We'd have our hands full.

Girls were their usual goofy selves prior to the game.  That's always a good thing.

Field #2 was a postage stamp when compared with the huge field we'd played two group games on already.  No more than 105 yards long and maybe 60 wide.  Didn't know if this would help or hurt.  Chances were that since PSA was a large club, they'd likely have some very athletic girls in their mix at this age group.  Didn't have any idea how technical they were, nor how physical. 

Went back to our 4-4-2.

Pre-game talk?  Be ready for a battle.  Small field, lots of body contact coming.  Want to avoid contact?  Play the ball quickly.  Make the field big when we have the ball, with wide mids getting their heels out of bounds.  Get tight and compact centrally when we don't have the ball.  Not much room to look Over the Top today, but long diagonals might be on.  Have fun.

Games started well for us.  Girls seem to be firing on all cylinders as of late.  PSA was decent, but not as strong as I expected.  They seemed to have a light bench, so maybe they were missing some players. 

11 minutes in we got on the board.  Vivi (RF) and Cal (RM) played a nifty Give & Go up the right flank, just inside the PSA half.  The combination sent Vivi racing towards goal 1v1.  I thought she might have taken a too big of a last touch when approaching goal, but her pace allowed her to slide in just before the PSA GK got her hands to the ball, and the ball rolled home.  Fantastic effort on Vivi's part.

Two minutes later, we scored a great goal.  Babes (LF) checked back to win a loose ball just inside the PSA half on the left side of the field.  With her back to goal and pressure on her, she took a couple dribbles back into our half, and then played a long, change of field, diagonal ball forward to a sprinting Cal (RM).  Most of the PSA team had been drawn into the left half of the field, so Cal found herself in a ton of space.  She dribbled forward to the top of the PSA box and then fired a low, hard shot to the lower right of the goal.  I don't know if the PSA GK got a hand to it or not, but the ball hit the inside of the right post and carommed back across the goal line.  Em (RF) who had been following the play up field, came racing in to boot the ball home from 2 inches out. 

We then got a huge goal a few minutes from half time (third goals are always huge for me).  Free kick from about 35 yards out on the left side of the field.  Babes sent in a high, lofted ball past the PSa defensive line that dropped at the far post area.  All I saw was a pack of white shirts as Vivi, B-Money, Payt, and someone else all crashed the net.  Payt got a foot on the cross to nearly seal the result for us. 

Not much to say at halftime.  The girls were playing well.  Keep it up, move the ball quickly as the older girls might start to take out frustrations, have fun.

13 minutes into the second half we scored another good goal.  Phi Phi (CM) once again hit a great first time volley forward on a loose ball.  The volley found B-Money (RF) who battled her way past her marking defender to finish on a hard shot from 16 yards out on the right side.

Though the tournament website says we won 4-1, no one I know remembers PSA finding the back of our net.  Tournament error.

Star of the Match for me was Vivi.  Tireless worker, always gives 100% effort.

Tournament MVP was Phi Phi.  Solid performance for her all weekend in many different positions.

Good final result, good tournament.  We're competitive and dangerous every U13 team we've seen.  16 goals this weekend, 1 against on a PK.  Attackers score goals, defenders win Championships. 

State Cup this weekend, league play begins shortly after that.  Should be an exciting summer.