| POOL PLAY - Team
members were happy to make the tournament. All were looking forward to
working on their skills and making a good showing for the end of the
season. The first Blue Norther of the year had blown in.... giving
us near freezing temperatures, strongly gusting winds and occasional
drizzle. Whoo hoo... perfect weather to play soccer (if you're
from England, maybe :). The first game was a bit of a disappointment
with the boys letting the other team come back and tie right at the
last. The team was 'inspired' by Coach Elder's appraisal of their
performance and all agreed to work more on teamwork and passing. The
lecture worked and they won the second match handily. The third game
of the day came against Klein, who had not lost a game the entire
season. West U had a pretty rough draw, both with teams played and
times, never getting much of a chance to get out of the elements and
rest. To put it kindly... the boys were slaughtered. They were
cold and tired and the Klein boys were probably the most physical team
they had faced this season. Final score 0-4. We thought that
West U. was out of the tournament. But miracles happen, and the
stars aligned, letting the boys squeak into the semis...
THE SEMIS - After a good night's sleep and warming up,
the team took care of business in the semis, having the best game of the
season. The offense charged hard in the first half giving a one goal
lead. That was all Christopher needed. He made multiple saves
in the second hand and excited the crowd with dramatic blocks and catches
from every position imaginable. After the game, the kids got into
parent's vehicles and cranked up the heat.
THE FINALS - It was to be expected. The opponent
for the finals was Klein, who had coasted through their semi-final
match. They were 'most' confident, having handled the West U boys so
handily the day before. But... that's why sports are so fun, aren't
they!!!!! This game had a whole new tone. Our boys gave
as good as they got - and while they did not have the physical abilities
to match, they double teamed, played incredibly smart and basically just
refused to give up! Warren was the anchor of the defense,
sacrificing his body so many times it began to get scary. Our
offense - Conner - scored off a penalty kick and the defense held through the
remainder of the first half and most of the second. Every boy on the
team at some point was called on to carry his buddies. Everyone
stepped up!!! The final five minutes were spectacular.
Klein made a final push, attacking for all they were worth. At one
time, Christopher made five blocks within the space of fifteen
seconds. Then, Klein got a penalty kick which Christopher was able
to catch. During the last few minutes, the ball never left West U's
eighteen. Between the defense and Christopher, the fans were treated
to the game of a lifetime. The final drive was a shot that careened
off Warren, was blocked by Christopher and landed at the foot of Klein's
best striker. The boy looked like he had gotten an early Christmas
present. He took a right footed shot that curved viciously.
Christopher got one hand on the ball, but instead of pushing out, the ball
died five foot in front of the goal. The same striker came at the
ball to tap it in with his left foot, but Christopher, fully extended,
rolled over and with his fingertips, rolled the ball against the goal post
and then out. The fans on both sides were going crazy. As soon
as the corner was taken - the game was over and West U. had won.
I put this up here with the game description, because I am so proud of
how these boys showed that teamwork overcomes ability. Whatever else
these kids do in their lives, they have the knowledge that at this one
time they did something spectacular. And as history has oft proved,
winners tend to keep on winning!!! I also want to show that sports
does not have to be about folks that make 7 million bucks a year.
This game was one of the most exciting I have ever seen... and not one of
these kids complained about playing time, pay, or any of the things that
are turning professional sports into such a joke.
To all the players of West U. Under 16, It was a
pleasure to watch you play and improve. Best of luck in the future
and thank you for the memories. |
