5/8/11 Game Recap (1-1 Tie)

Sometimes you just have one of those games. Clinging to the points lead in the CCSL Bay Silver Elite Division for U12 girls, the Devils let a flurry of opportunities slip through their fingers on Sunday night, and with it the top spot in the standings. They didn’t lose, but failed to capture the win and the three points that goes with a victory, tying Santa Clara Sporting Green 1-1 at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex.

The Devils scored a goal with 5 minutes remaining in the game to avoid their first loss of the season. Ace’s heroics helped the Devils stave off defeat by punching home a goal from 25-feet, looping a shot over the Sporting goal keeper to help Sunnyvale rally late.

The game was a frustrating one for Sunnyvale, who dominated most of the contest, but failed to convert on a bundle of chances in front of the Santa Clara goal.
Jess Jess opened the affair with the games 1st shot in the 7th minute, a nice scoring opportunity that she sent up the middle. The sporting keeper gloved the shot with a diving stop to her right.

Marlene would follow up the scoring chance with an play in the 14th minute. Once again the Sporting keeper was up to the task.

The Devils midfielders controlled the centerline, preventing any serious chances from approaching the Sunnyvale goal. Clara, Darcie and Grace played an exceptional first half, moving the ball well laterally.

Sunnyvale generated a nice chance on net right before halftime, when Marlene split two defenders in the 24th minute and sent a shot on net that was stopped by a diving save.

The complexion of the game changed in the second half. Sporting created more offensive chances by playing aggressively to the ball. They would score in the 36th minute after a goal punt fell short. Sporting intercepted the ball just outside the 18 and floated a shot over Hazel for the easy tally.

The Devils would go to work in an attempt to draw even with Santa Clara. Audrey missed on a golden chance on a through ball in the 49th minute pushing a shot just wide of the right post.

Recognizing that they needed to gain control of the ball in order to create any offense, Kelly went on a rampage from her midfielder position, tracking down balls and bumping players off the ball for the better part of the half. She created the turnover that led to Grace’s goal.

With the clock ticking down, Sporting made one final push, generating a shot in the game’s final seconds that rang off the post. Hazel tracked back to the ball and swept it to safety as two Sporting forwards tried to collapse on the rebound. The whistle sounded, allowing the Devils to escape with a point.

Game Positives—

The girls showed great tenacity in their attempt to rally from the one-goal deficit late in the game. The play by the midfielders was exceptional in the last 20 minutes of the contest, which allowed the team to score the equalizer.

Development Areas—

The lack of focus in the final 2 minutes of the game could have proved costly. Trapping continues to be an area that is hurting the team. That skill allowed the opposition to penetrate as deeply as they did on the game’s final rush. The outcome of the game may have been much different had the forward line players taken more shots. There were several instances where the ball was held too long.

9/18/10 Game Recap (1-1 Tie)

Grace wins the ball

Sometimes you just need to be happy with the hand that you’re dealt and move on. The Devils missed a golden opportunity to secure their first win of the season against one of the stronger teams in the division on Saturday, but in the end were happy to get away with a tie. Playing on a hot and humid day in Santa Clara, the Devils squeaked out a 1-1 tie against Sporting 99.

The Devils could have made it a much different game had they converted on their early chances. The heat and humidity may have played a role in the games outcome for both teams, who looked lethargic out of the gate.

Akayla had a nice chance in the 4th minute of the game, punching a shot just short of the goal line after the Sporting goal keeper missed on a diving save. The ball was eventually cleared to safety, but the missed opportunity would bite the Devils.
Both teams had difficulty kick starting things in the first half, but Santa Clara would miss on a golden chance in the 37th minute when a lofting feed into the box was one-timed just wide of the left post.

Christene fights for position

Santa Clara would capitalize on a Devils miscue in the 40th minute, after a goal kick up the middle of the field fell short. A Sporting forward would scoop up the ball then race into the box and slide a pass to her left. A trailing forward punched the ball home for the 1-0 Santa Clara lead.

The Devils would rally late with a series of scoring chances. First Akayla took a feed from Audrey on the left side then pumped a shot as she was being tackled. The Sporting keeper gloved the shot, but it would be a taste of what was to come.
AK would setup another prime scoring chance 2 minutes later, with a chip pass to her right to Courtney, who unloaded a blast that was once again stopped by the SC keeper with a glove save.

Ruhi locked down the back line

Audrey would score the equalizer in the 56th minute, sending a shot from the left side of the 18, bouncing it off the right post and into the goal. She slipped a Sporting defender just outside the 18, before taking a step and putting some pop into the shot.

The Devils were able to manufacturer the equalizer because their defenders were locked on in that last 10 minutes. Ruhi played an exceptional game and was awarded Player of the Game.

Game Positives—

Perseverance: Once again, the girls showed that they’re never out of a game. Stepping up the pressure in the last 10 minutes of the game showed that they can compete in the Bay Silver Elite Division.

Sustaining Pressure: The Devils opponent was an exceptional passing team, but the Devils offset that to some degree by constantly pressuring the passer and with coverage as soon as the ball was received.

Development Areas-

Over-committing: Several players had a tendency to over-commit to one side of a player when attacking on defense. This resulted in opportunities for the SC ball-handlers to turn easily with the ball and get past the Devil defender.
Creating Offensive combination Plays: We’ve worked extensively on combination plays, which is something the Sporting squad utilized very well against us. This is a development area that will pay huge dividends for this team once they master this skill.

Shots from the Outside: The girls could have created more scoring opportunities if they had simply put more balls on goal. They are generating zone penetration, but need to have more faith in their shooting. Putting their shots to the corners is something we need to develop more.