9/11/10 Game Recap (2-1 Loss)

Lindsay clearing the ball

The Devils kicked off the 2010 Fall CCSL Season on Saturday with an exciting performance against the Central Valley Jaguars at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex. Playing in the newly formed Bay Silver Elite Division, the girls were pegged against a former Class 1, Division 1 team. They would fight to tie the game midway through the 2nd half, but would surrender the game winner with six minutes to play to fall 2-1.

It was a great introduction to the higher level of play that the Devils fought to achieve by winning the Delgado A Division last year. The competition was certainly faster and more skilled than what the Devils had grown accustomed to seeing, but they met the challenge head on.

They would get things going early with a steady dose of pressure in the Jaguars zone. Courtney setup the game’s first scoring chance with a pretty cross in the 3rd minute that was cleared by a Jaguar defender. The pass forced a sliding save in the box in order to prevent the Devils from cashing in.

Ruhi guarding the backline

The majority of the first half was played in the Central Valley, but an errant break led to a Jaguars goal in the 19th minute. A lead pass deflected landed on eh boot of a jaguars striker on the right side. The initial shot was turned away by Akayla who made the start in goal. The deflection was chipped over to the left in a wild scrum, where another Jaguars forward fired home the game’s first goal.

Sunnyvale continued to pressure in the Jaguars zone, getting off a pair of shots that sailed wide of the net.

They just missed on a golden chance 4 minutes into the 2nd half after Akayla, now at forward, carried a pass up the right side and ripped a shot off the Central Valley goal keeper. The ball pin-balled in the box for several seconds before being cleared to safety.

Kelly had a solid game

The Devils would tie it up in the 44th minute on a wild sequence in front of the Central Valley net. Courtney started things with a big shot from the right side that kicked back out to the 18. Grace followed up with another shot that hit a defender and deflected back to Courtney for the follow up shot. She would chip the ball wide of the keeper, finding the back of the net for the 1-1 tie.

Central Valley would lean on their experience late in the game to convert the game winner. With 6 minutes to play, the Jaguars would send a corner kick into the box from the right side. Sensing that the clock was winding down on the game, they flooded the box with their mids. The devils would encounter some bad luck when a great attempt to clear the ball by Kelly deflected off a Jaguars player into the net for the 2-1 lead.

Celebrating a goal

The Devils would make a mad rush at the end of the game to try and bag the equalizer, but a push in the Central Valley zone just came up short. It was an exciting ending to a well played game.

While the game’s outcome wasn’t what the team had hoped, the performance was outstanding. The coaches raved about the play of each player after the game.

Game Positives—

Ready to Play: The girls picked up were they left off in the Spring with a combination of fantastic team play. They were well prepared to take on a highly skilled team that was quick.

Utilizing Skills: Several players executed some of the higher level skills that have been part of the training regimen over the last couple of months. Lateral ball movement and overlap runs were on display during the game.

Attitude: After showing so much success the past three seasons, it would have been easy for the girls to hang their heads after losing for the first time in league in three Fall seasons, but they ended the game the same way they started it. Successful athletes don’t get too high or too low after a performance, and this is a natural trait of this team.


Development Areas—

Trusting Instincts: As expected, the quickness of the game resulted in some hasty decisions with the ball. In some cases, the girls had time to make a play with the ball, but panicked and immediately kicked it away without finding a target or electing to dribble. There needs to be more trust in their skills, which are more than capable of handling these types of situations.

Playing Balls in the Air: As has been a constant issue, balls in the air continue to be a blemish in the team’s overall game. The failure to utilize chest traps and head balls is resulting in lost chances to control the ball.