5/16/09 Game Recap (4-0 Win)

The Devils traveled to a toasty Salinas on Saturday, but the offense turned out to be even hotter, taking a dominating 4-0 decision over the MCFC Wolverines at the Constitution Soccer Complex.

In the spirit of the temperature, the girls opened the game on fire, immediately controlling the tempo. The girls put together one of their best passing performances of the season.

One of the things the girls worked on during week was drop passes to a trailing shooter for one-time shot attempts. Courtney delivered in the first few minutes of the game dropping a perfect pass to Marlene, who put a shot just wide of the left post.

Moments later, Shivani made a fantastic centering pass to Marlene from the left corner. Marlene gathered the pass, before deflecting a shot off of a defender and into the goal.

Courtney would follow that up by scoring one of the prettiest goals of the season. Starting at right forward, she drove down the right side of the field and let loose a high shot that sailed past the goal keeper and found the top left corner of the net for the 2-0 lead.

Kelly and E capped the first half by putting together one of the most impressive passing series of season. Kelly started the sequence by knocking the ball up to E at left forward. E then dropped the ball back to Kelly, who returned the pass before bee-lining to the center of the field to take one more exchange. It was a dazzling exchange that had the Wolverines on their heels.

For the second straight game, the Devils defense limited scoring chances, and only allowed their goal keeper to touch the ball once in the contest, when Grace gloved a shot at the 15 minute mark of the game.

The coaches mixed things up a little to start the 2nd half, putting Ruhi in goal. Grace started the half at center forward, Karsyn at center mid, Kelly at stopper, and Marlene to the sweeper position.

Grace would use her opportunity up front to score her first goal as a Devil. She liked it so much, that she decided to score twice from the position and had a 3rd tally called back on an off sides call. Her first goal would come off a pass from JoJo, lofting the ball right over the goalie keeper’s head.

She would score again by taking a terrific pass from Audrey from the left side, pumping a shot into the net for the 4-0 cushion.

The defense was led by Jess Jess, who stepped into every attempt that came her way, clearing away any would be scoring chances y the Wolverines. Courtney took a long turn at sweeper in the 2nd half, complementing her offensive skills with a strong stint as a defender.

Game Positives--

Passing: The work the girls put in during practice on passing and creating space was very evident during the game.

Communication: The girls did a great job of directing each other, which was evident from the great series of passes that they were able to string together.

Holding and Driving the Ball Forward: The Wolverines did not pull their defenders up so it was difficult to send through balls up the lines. The girls recognized this though, and shifted their approach by driving up field. They deftly held the ball until they were contested.

Development Areas--

Shooting, Shooting, Shooting: Although we came away with a big win, there were many shooting opportunities that went unaddressed or the shot selection was directly on the keeper.

Quick Release: We continue to struggle with taking the immediate shot, instead choosing to take one too many touches before shooting.

Following the Shot: Forwards need to follow every shot on goal.

9/6/08 Game Recap (5-2 Win)

Devils Open the Fall 2008 Season HOT!

The Devils kicked off the 2008 Fall U10 season with a solid 5-2 win over the Monterey County FC Wolverines on Saturday. Mother Nature unleashed one of the warmest days of the summer, and the Devils responded with a hot hand, scoring three unanswered goals in the 2nd half to break a 2-2 deadlock to take their season opener.

The visiting Wolverines were playing with a roster of 8, which included one player who wasn’t feeling well. They were forced to play more than 10 minutes of the game down a player. To make things worse, they lost another player to injury with 5 minutes to play in the game.

The Devils took advantage of the Wolverines misfortunes by taking control of the game early in the 2nd period.

The girls opened the games scoring on a beautiful free kick that Marlene launched from 40 feet, tucking the ball inside the right post with a shot that sailed from left to right across the face of the goal.

MCFC tied the game three minutes later on a series of deflection that ended up in the back of the Devils net. Lindsay would help the Devils retake the lead at the 10 minute mark with a bomb from 60 feet that floated over the Wolverine goaltender. The Devil stood in stunned silence after booming the shot into the net.

MCFC would tie the game again late in the 1st half on a nice play after stealing the ball in the offensive zone and racing up field to put a laser into the back of the net. Several Devils stepped up their game, including Jessica who had several steals from the left mid position. She also teamed up with Courtney on several pretty give-and-go plays that resulted in scoring chances from the left side.

Steady midfield play by Maanasa and Kelly calmed things down and kept the ball in the offensive zone for much of the 2nd half. So much in fact, that Sammie faced no shots on goal the entire period.

Christene would give the Devils the lead for good two minutes into the 2nd half after she whipped around the left end and chipped a shot past the Wolverines goaltender. That goaltender would leave the game, giving the Devils a one-player advantage.

A minute later, Audrey narrowly missed on a shot from outside the box that rang off the left post. She wouldn’t miss on her next opportunity, working around a defender just outside the right post, then punching a 25-foot shot home for the 4-2 lead.
Ruhi anchored a solid defensive corps, stopping several breakaway chances after the Devils had established their two-goal lead. Her ability to stay calm under fire, along with great balling-handling skills secured the back line the entire second half of the game.

The Wolverines luck went from bad to worse with about four minutes to play. With the ball deep in their own zone, the MCFC goaltender tried clearing the ball, but it struck one of their own players in the face, dropping her near the penalty dot. Shivani scooped up the deflection then tucked a shot inside the left post for the final goal of the game.

Positive Takeaways from the Game --

Passing: This was one of the more consistent games the girls have played in terms of moving the ball. That in turn created more scoring chances and it forced the under-manned Wolverines to chase the play. Ball movement plays a more pronounced importance at this level, so it was great to see the girls putting these fundamentals into action.

Communication: The benefits we saw from the great passing, was a result of clearer communication on the field. We’ve been seeing more and more of this progression over time, but it really stood out in this game. The next step in evolving this skill is to make sure everyone on the roster, from goal-keeper to striker, employs this each and every play.

Big Foots: It was certainly obvious that the first two goals of the game for the Devils came as a result of big kicks, but the passing was also a benefactor of the increased velocity that the girls were getting on the ball. That was a focus area in practice leading up to this game, and will continue to be incorporated into training. We have a long way to go, but it was very encouraging to see the balls moving as they were.

Areas of Improvement--

Goal Side Marks: The first goal scored on the girls was a result of the opposition being allowed to roam in the box without clear coverage on the goal side of the ball. This is a fundamental skill that we’ll need to really drive home with everyone on the roster.

Transition to Defense at the Midfield Position: Midfield is arguably the toughest position to play in soccer, but it’s important to have a defensive minded approach, especially during transitions. We’re didn’t respond as well as we should have when the ball changed hands. This left the full backs in odd-man situations several times during the game.

Following Shots: Scoring opportunities can be few and far between in soccer, so it’s important to take full advantage of any chance you have. Chasing a ball that is already its way to the goal is not an innate skill that most players have, but if you learn to follow up on these chances, it will pay dividends from time-to-time.

All in all, a great start to the season. CYSA keeps league standings for all divisions including ours (Delgado Class 3 GU10), so be sure to follow them all season here. There is also a link to these standings in the links section of this team blog.