4/9/11 Game Recap (2-0 Win)

The Devils played another strong game on Saturday, taking their second consecutive win to open the Spring season. Sunnyvale scored a goal in each half and held off a feisty West Valley Surefire squad 2-0 at the Prospect High School turf field.

The Devils played a very impressive game, focusing on ball control and combination plays. There was no shortage of offensive chances on either side of the halftime break, as the Devils pressed in the offensive zone in 30 minute segments.

Courtney put on a shooting display, sending a series of balls on goal from her forward position. Her first chance came on a through ball from Katrina in the 4th minute. She took the feed up the right side before snapping a shot that was gloved by the Surefire goalkeeper.

She would take another shot from 15 feet less than three minutes later that was headed to the upper right corner before being gloved again by the West Valley keeper.

Darcie and E turned in very strong games from the midfield. Darcie showed off her ball handling skills on several occasions, dribbling around defenders before setting up several combinations. E was a force on the left side, applying an up-tempo performance that caused several turnovers. She showed off her diversity by finishing the afternoon on the back line.

The Devils would crack the scoring deadlock in the 23rd minute, when Grace pumped a pass from the left sideline past the keeper for her first goal of the season. The center-midfielder received the ball at the top of the 18, before squaring herself to the goal and firing the shot home.

Sunnyvale began to employ more back passing as the Surefire forwards began to press. Lindsay and goaltender Akayla teamed up to safely clear a threat with a back pass to the box.

The shots would continue to come in the 2nd half. Courtney ripped another shot that sailed just wide right of the goal 2 minutes in.

Jess and Ruhi came up big in the 40th minute when they snuffed out an offensive chance by the Surefire deep in the Devils zone. Jess trapped a crossing attempt inside the box, pushing the ball out with several Surefire players circling her. Ruhi would sweep a return feed out to the right side, before lifting is safely to midfield.

The Devils would cap the scoring with a goal in the 45th minute. Once again, Courtney fired a shot from the right side that the Surefire keeper deflected into the small box. Audrey swooped in from the off forward position and beat a defender to the ball with a sliding shot that found the back of the net.

Game Positives—

The combinations are starting to become a strength of the team. They employed several passing sequences that created plenty of offensive chances throughout the afternoon. A lack of shots on goal was an issue in the fall season. This was a direct result of the absence of extended passing sequences. Saturday’s game showed how multiple passes can create offensive chances.

Development Areas—

Trapping continues to be an area that requires more attention. The girls surrendered the ball on too many occasions because trap attempts bounced away. High balls were a specific trouble spot.

10/3/10 Game Recap (3-2 Win)

A day after the Devils dropped a tough 3-1 decision, they would rebound to defeat West Valley Surefire at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex on Sunday, winning their first game of the season. The game was a nice turnaround from the setback that soured the start of the weekend less than 24 hours earlier.

The girls came ready to play and showed it with a flurry of scoring chances right out of the gate. Akayla put a nice header on goal just two minutes into the game, but a tall Surefire goal keeper would avert danger by gloving the ball.
Courtney would follow that up with a dive up the right side four minutes later, cranking a shot that sailed over the crossbar.

Karsyn's 1st goal clears the keeper

Kelly was fouled from behind in the 14th minute, setting up a free kick from 35 yards out. Playing from her stopper position, Karsyn was tasked with taking the kick. She would unload on the ball, launching a shot that cleared the Surefire keeper for her first league goal.

Courtney would make it 2-0 five minutes later after Marlene slid a pretty diagonal pass to the right corner. Courtney carried the ball on goal and ripped a shot that stretched the twine in the back left corner of the goal.

Audrey just missed putting the Devils up by three goals with two minutes remaining in the half, when her shot just missed wide left. The momentum would swing moments later.

Marlene played big on Sunday

Surefire would cut the Devils lead in half with less than a minute remaining before the intermission by bending a corner kick around Katrina’s glove.

They would strike while the iron was still hot, tying the game 40 seconds into the 2nd half. A Surefire forward slipped up the middle of the field and jumped pas a defender before snapping a point blank shot from just inside the 18.

It looked as if the game was tilting in West Valley’s favor, before the Devils pushed another ball deep into the Surefire zone. They would draw a corner kick, but the ensuing ball would pin-ball in the small bow for an eternity before being cleared to safety.

Celebrating the game winner!

The Devils would get the goal they needed to put them back on top from an unlikely source, when Karsyn converted her second goal of the game. Trapping a clearing attempt outside the 18, she would get her left foot on the ball, firing a shot to the right corner with ten minutes to play.

The play of the game would come with 5 minutes remaining, when E snagged a sure goal out of the air from her goal keeping position. Surefire worked the ball to the left side of the goal, where a forward ripped a chest high shot that was destined for the back of the net. Diving to her right, she would make a backhanded grab of the ball to preserve the Devils slim lead.

The defense would take over to shut down a final attempt by West Valley to score the equalizer. Ruhi would direct a solid backline in the second half, teaming up with Lindsay, Clara and Jess Jess to put the clamps on any comeback.

Game Positives—

Rebounding: In typical Devils fashion, the girls built on their loss from the day before and played with confidence. They showed no ill effects from setback and played with the enthusiasm that has made them so successful.

Defensive Positioning: The girls cleaned up some of the defensive positioning issues to takeaway opportunities from Surefires big shots.

Shot Quantity: The girls recognized that they need to shoot more to generate scoring. They addressed that by taking plenty of shots.

Focus Areas—

Shot Placement: The girls let several scoring chances slip away by putting shots directly on the goal keeper. Poise with the ball in shooting situations can be converted to more breathing room.


Timing Focus: Surrendering a goal right before halftime provided a big momentum shift, which the opposition used to start the 2nd half. The girls relaxed right before halftime and it bit them. Recognizing that the opposition will push late in any half is something the girls need to be more cognizant of, especially at the direction of the coaches.

4/26/09 Game Recap (2-0 Loss)

The Devils suffered their first loss in 4 games on Sunday as they played the back end of a weekend double header against the West Valley Surefire at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex, falling 2-0.

Since losing to the Los Gatos Wildcats in the first week of the season, the girls have steadily improved their game. Even though they came out on the short end of the score, they turned in one of their better performances of the year.

Playing a tenacious game, the Devils played an up and down game, exchanging scoring chances early in the contest before the Devils settled down.

The Devils got a bit of a pick-me-up, when Audrey showed up for the game, battling the flu. She would start the first half in goal, which turned out to be a bigger plus for the team. The Surefire would put three shots on goal in the first half, but she collected each shot.

Grace continues to get batter with each game. She controlled the midfield with her aggressiveness to the ball.

The game looked as if it might end in stalemate until West Valley put a shot across the goal on a deflection following a corner kick with 7 minutes to play. They would convert 2 minutes later on a shot from inside the box.

Putting one more rush on the attack, the Devils tried to cut into the Surefire lead, but an indirect kick went awry.

The defense deserve kudos for their play. Ruhi, Karsyn, Clara, Jess, and Lindsay played exceptionally as a unit, limiting the opposition’s offensive chances for a majority of the game.

Game Positives—

Marking: This was a point of contention against the Jaguars and it was self corrected by the girls after we discussed this following Saturday’s game. It was nice to see the focus on this part of the defensive play.

Toughness & Intensity: We asked the girls to step up and they all responded with great results. Pursuit of the ball and not backing down to the physical play of the opposition was great to see.

Fundamentally Strong: We emphasized the basics, and the girls responded. There were few mistakes in the game, which was the result of strong fundamental play

Development Areas—

Attention to Details: The girls tried to create opportunities (which is a good thing), but the execution was stymied by breakdowns with simple skills. Small game play along the lines was affected by simple passing mistakes.

Lack of Shooting: We didn’t generate many scoring opportunities, even though the ball was deep in the offensive zone on several opportunities. Rather than creating offensive chances by putting the ball on net, there were several instances when the ball was held too long.

Response on Corners: West Valley utilized a short corner kick to a midfielder down the line, but the Devils were slow to react to the play.

Fall 2008 Game 5 Photos

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10/12/08 Game Recap (1-1 Tie)

What a difference a day makes. Coming off a frustrating tie to the SASC Blades on Saturday, the Devils played what may have been their best game of the season on Sunday in San Jose. Facing off against the West Valley Surefire (arguably the best opponent in the league), the Devils came within minutes of laying claim to the best record in the standings, but still battled to a 1-1 tie.

So the question remains, who is the best team in the division? The Devils performance on Sunday certainly makes them worthy of consideration.

The effects of the illnesses that plagued the Devils all week seemed to be as far behind them as the 6-1 drubbing that the Surefire handed the Devils during their pre-season scrimmage back in September.

The Devils played true to the game plan the coaches drew up for the match, sticking to positional play and getting a strong performance from the backs. The Surefire are loaded with big shooters, but the Devils defense prevented any big shots by stepping up and taking away the initiative.

Ruhi once again played a huge part in shutting down the opposing offense. Shivani, Lindsay, Jessica and Karsyn also rotated on the back line to help suppress the Surefire.

Neither team dominated on the offensive side of the ball in the first half, so the chess match would be decided in the second stanza.

Consistently using the mids to move the ball to the forwards, the Devils kept the ball away from the Surefire forwards, which contributed heavily to the low scoring game.

The Devils capitalized on a huge opportunity at the 40 minute mark, when Maanasa sent a high arching shot from 50 feet out that landed in front of the Surefire goaltender, then hopped over on a trajectory over her head. The goaltender got a hand on the ball to slow it down, but it continued to head toward the net, trickling over for the goal.

With time winding down, the Surefire moved the ball into the Devils zone and created their own scoring opportunity with a corner kick. Almost identical to the Devils goal against the Blades a day earlier, the Surefire punted the ball into the box, where a wild scrum ended with a shot that found its way into the goal.

With less than three minutes to play, Surefire had one more golden opportunity to steal the win, when the ball landed even with the right post and nothing but daylight between a Surefire shooter and the goal. With the inevitable go ahead goal sitting perched for the shot, Jessica came flying across the field and cleared it to safety along the left sideline. You could feel the air pressure return to normal as the 15 or so parents in attendance exhaled after the close call.

Positive Takeaways from the Game—

A+ for Effort: The team’s tie the day before could have easily affected the way the Devils came out on Sunday, but they continue to demonstrate how resilient they are. The effort was fantastic up and down the lineup.

Physicality: The Devils are not a physically domineering team, but they played with more emphasis on contact against a team that can kill you with speed and sure footed shooters. That resulted in fewer turnovers for the Devils and fewer scoring opportunities for the opposition.

Stick to the Plan: The girls continue to stay with the general game philosophy that is being worked on in practice. The more trust they establish in that plan and each other, the better they will become at anticipating where their teammates will be. This is a work in progress, but it was fun to see it in action against a very strong opponent.

Practical Application: There were two situational drills that the girls have been working on in practice the last two weeks. 1) quick set ups for direct & indirect kicks and 2) establishing a defensive wall when facing a direct or indirect kick. It was great to see both put into action on Sunday. There was a Devils direct kick that just missed finding the back of the net. There was also a defensive situation that delayed (by design) the opposition from getting a kick shot on goal.

Areas of Improvement—

Vision: We had several situations where there were opportunities to pass to teammates that were wide open, but the blinders prevented the ball handlers from seeing those chances develop. This was especially true of the forwards who were holding the ball and allowing the opposing defense to collapse on them. That leaves the other forwards wide open.

Too Much Initiative: Each player has strengths, but also specific positional assignments. Playing with too much initiative can negatively impact the overall objective. As an example, if players that should be moving up field on an out-of-bounds play decides to take the throw in because they are closest to the ball, it eliminates one prime target for the trailing teammate who should be taking the throw. Another example is taking a corner kick, when there is a stronger foot in the vicinity. We recognize that it’s fun to take a corner kick from time to time, but if you increase the chances of scoring by deferring to a bigger foot on the field, the player should recognize that.