What a weekend! Nice cool weather and just enough precipitation to make it perfect for soccer. To top it off, we had both of our games at home on the beautiful SSC fields so one couldn’t ask for much more. The stage was set for Top Gun to play two very pivotal games; they just had to bring their “A” game.
South San Jose Force: 3-0 win
Saturday’s game was against the South SJ Force. The first time we met, Top Gun beat them 5-0 but we knew that this team improved since the beginning of the season so we were very cautious and ready for a completely different team. We came out hard and fast but so did they. We definitely owned ball possession and controlled the tempo but their defense did what they needed to prevent any early goals. Our defense did a spectacular job as well in keeping the ball on the Force’s side of the field so that our offense would have opportunities. The offense had several nice plays that resulted in nice shots on goals but nothing went through and we ended the half a disappointing 0-0.
The second half was very much the same as we controlled ball possession. This half however, the girls were much more determined to put something on the board. Finally, after about what seemed like our tenth cross, Jessie was on the far post at the right time and received a perfect through ball for an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy tap in for our first goal. Definitely a momentum changer since our girls started to calm down and show less desperation in their attacks. We saw calmer, more methodical, well planned attacks instead of closed-eyes, kamikaze type of attacks. This resulted in a nice passing sequence that ended with a perfect left to right pass received by Shayda who finished beautifully with her right foot for our second goal. Finally, after another sequence of passes, Celine made a perfect one-touch contact with an air ball from the left side about 22 yards out which sent the ball bouncing off the right post and in the goal for our third and final goal.
Our D once again came through with another convincing shut-out. Great work by all since everyone is on D when we don’t have the ball but special recognition goes out to our regulars in the back-field. Excellent work by Kalie as she stopped all attacks from ever gaining any momentum, nice job by Hallie and Yo to take care of the outside lanes to truly frustrate their speedy wings. Occasionally when the ball would make it though our first and second line of defense, our sweepers Megan and Eva were always there to send the ball back to our offense.
The team brought at least their “A-” game on Saturday. Everyone played very well individually and more importantly, as a unit. We coaches saw much more passing and better ball movement. We are still not moving the ball east and west and back to our fullbacks and keeper as much as we should but we are definitely making positive progress. Even though we push the girls very hard to figure out themselves how to finish better and score more goals, the fact of the matter is they are doing a great job scoring. There is very little to complain about with 28 goals in eight games coming from 13 different scorers.
West Valley Olympic America: 1-0 win
Sunday’s game was going to be the nail-bitter and really the game that would decide the ranking for the season. This was the only team that scored on us and the only team that tied us and of course, the only team standing in the way of OUR first place title. Needless to say, our girls were AMPED and ready to go, rain or shine!
First half, our game plan was to contain the ball in Olympic’s half and move it around enough to create openings for our strikers to attack. The defense executed flawlessly and allowed our mid-fielders and offense to start to chip away at their very stingy D. We gave their all-star keeper quite a work-out but did not convert any of our shots to goals. I thought both teams played very well the entire first half with a clear domination from the girls in red and white.
For the second half, we went back to basics with nothing unique or fancy in the lineup. We started to move the ball around the shooting perimeter much better and started to see some openings during set plays. The Olympic girls made a few mistakes during direct kicks and corner kicks which gave us some very close opportunities. After some secret instructions from Coach German, Yo put a perfect direct kick through a hole in their wall just missing Jessie by inches as she sped to meet the ball at the far post. We also had some really nice crosses from Lulu, Megan and Cynthia which were all well placed and nearly converted on. Our mid-fielders, Paola, Shayda and Annie ran like marathon runners as they dominated nearly 70% of the field and played both D and offense. Our team did a great job to contain their offense but on one crazy play, we nearly gave up a goal after they intercepted an “11” play and somehow broke through several layers of our D to give their striker a solo look at our keeper and the net. Luckily our keeper, Erika was there to intimidate the shooter enough to make her miss-kick Olympic’s only real chance to score against us.
After the close call, our offense continued to attack with many nice strikes but either their fullbacks bumped us off balance before our shot or their keeper saved the shot. Finally the opportunity looked us in the face and we did not let it slip… After the ball was pushed out, Jordan noticed that the defense was still getting organized so she quickly threw in the ball between 4-5 defenders to create a break-away for Eva who raced after it. With only about a half a stride lead over her defenders, Eva stretched to take her shot just before all the defenders converged on her to drill her to the ground. The shot was MONEY and all we needed to take the lead 1-0. There were only a few minutes left on the clock so we simply played cautious soccer and ran the clock out to take the victory that we definitely deserved.
What a great weekend for soccer and great fun for us parents and coaches as we were truly entertained by our Top Gun girls. Our girls seem to make it exciting for us with their second half heroics but that is typically how it goes since most teams are strongest in the first half of play. As teams start to show fatigue and fall apart like a cheap suit, we just gain momentum and get stronger. With these very important wins, we now have sole possession of first place with just one game to go. Keep the positive support coming, the girls appreciate it and so do the coaches. Thanks for all that came out to brave the weather and cheer for the mighty, mighty Top Gun girls!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
From Gopher Holes to Putting Greens
What a great way to start a weekend, perfect weather, great field and great soccer. Prospect High school ’s awesome turf field was literally a 100% improvement over the hazardous field we played on against the Cheetahs of Santa Cruz. Of course our girls really didn’t care; they simply varied their playing style and delivered great results. Saturday’s performance was an excellent example of nice team play and the girl’s ability to adjust to the speed and bounce of a turf field quickly.
Top Gun started off a bit out of kilter since the turf field was much larger and faster than what they were used to. We quickly took over the game with ball possession but had difficulty controlling our timing and distance. We got our first goal after Lulu’s wizardry with the ball confused the keeper so much that she ended up tripping over herself which allowed the ball to roll in. We got somewhat lucky with that goal but knew it was the momentum spark we needed to get things going in the second half.
After the second half whistle, it was clear that our girls adjusted their pace and touch. We had better passes, mounted better attacks and much better shots on goal in the second half compared to the first half. We had 4-5 great shots on goal that were all stopped by the Striker’s second keeper, who was really on her game and played a great second half. Unfortunately for the Strikers, Top Gun was really on their game as well and was able to not only dominate time of possession but also managed to put three more balls into the net. Great power shot from 22 yards out by Cynthia and a couple of nice goals by miss reliable, Jordan.
Overall, we coaches were very impressed by the play this weekend by our ever improving Top Gun girls. Good east/west passing and some good switching of the field as well as several excellent crosses. Our D managed to contain the Striker’s speedy forwards and gave up only two decent shots on goal, both of which were stopped by Annie, our very alert keeper. At the end of the game, our girls amassed four goals, had a good 45 minutes or so of ball possession and handed out another shutout.
We do have some things to work on such as tight space ball control and better discipline on our set plays but those skills will come with time and more practice. It is safe to say that the girls have come a long way in such a short period of time. They play more like a team now and truly support each other on both defense and offense. Absolutely no complaints from the coaches’ bench so far, especially with the results the girls are turning in. Despite the excellent statistics, our girls seem quite grounded which is always nice to see.
For the second half of the season, we will continue to try to have fun and keep the injuries down to a minimum and see what that brings us. Thanks for coming out to enjoy the weather and to support the mighty Top Gun girls as they make a bit of history for themselves.
Top Gun started off a bit out of kilter since the turf field was much larger and faster than what they were used to. We quickly took over the game with ball possession but had difficulty controlling our timing and distance. We got our first goal after Lulu’s wizardry with the ball confused the keeper so much that she ended up tripping over herself which allowed the ball to roll in. We got somewhat lucky with that goal but knew it was the momentum spark we needed to get things going in the second half.
After the second half whistle, it was clear that our girls adjusted their pace and touch. We had better passes, mounted better attacks and much better shots on goal in the second half compared to the first half. We had 4-5 great shots on goal that were all stopped by the Striker’s second keeper, who was really on her game and played a great second half. Unfortunately for the Strikers, Top Gun was really on their game as well and was able to not only dominate time of possession but also managed to put three more balls into the net. Great power shot from 22 yards out by Cynthia and a couple of nice goals by miss reliable, Jordan.
Overall, we coaches were very impressed by the play this weekend by our ever improving Top Gun girls. Good east/west passing and some good switching of the field as well as several excellent crosses. Our D managed to contain the Striker’s speedy forwards and gave up only two decent shots on goal, both of which were stopped by Annie, our very alert keeper. At the end of the game, our girls amassed four goals, had a good 45 minutes or so of ball possession and handed out another shutout.
We do have some things to work on such as tight space ball control and better discipline on our set plays but those skills will come with time and more practice. It is safe to say that the girls have come a long way in such a short period of time. They play more like a team now and truly support each other on both defense and offense. Absolutely no complaints from the coaches’ bench so far, especially with the results the girls are turning in. Despite the excellent statistics, our girls seem quite grounded which is always nice to see.
For the second half of the season, we will continue to try to have fun and keep the injuries down to a minimum and see what that brings us. Thanks for coming out to enjoy the weather and to support the mighty Top Gun girls as they make a bit of history for themselves.
Santa Cruz, its not that Far
What a great weekend for the Top Gun girls! Once again we were scheduled for two games this weekend but for some reason, both games were away and “way” away for that matter… Luckily, away meant beautiful Santa Cruz , which is a whole heck of a lot better than away to Modesto . As such, Top Gun wouldn’t think of letting the opportunity to enjoy the weather and the beach get away. Zumba, soccer, great weather, delicious grub, sun and sand… what more can one ask for?
If results are what you are asking for then, our Top Gun girls certainly delivered this weekend! Our first game was against the Jaws and even though I was not there to see it, I felt as if I were with all the commentaries that you folks dished out. Not much to boast about except that the girls played a great game and were true sportsman about it. I heard that Jordan started things off with a couple of goals, followed by dos from Yo and a double-shot by Halley. Finally Shayda put the final nail in the coffin with one of her own. After that, I am sure it was the longest 20 minutes ever endured since watching OJ driving around in the white SUV.
So even though I wasn’t there, I can conclude a few things. The offense hummed on all cylinders and played well and everyone got a look at the net. Next, it is obvious once again that our D completely contained their forwards to graciously hand out another shut-out. So in this particular case, I am not sure what happened between with whistles but I am really likin’ the results.
After the game, we all proceeded to our next adventure at the Wilhelm’s beach home. Once I arrived, the party was rolling and great food and libation were being passed around like no tomorrow. The beach was next on the agenda and as we all suspected, that could have been the last stop for the girls. No need for anything else from their perspective. Of course we knew we had a game the next day so the boring ole parents had to call it quits. Good thing since my car was supposedly parked illegally and was about to get towed! Thanks for all the help in delaying the tow truck driver Iraj!! We all need to get the full scoop directly from Iraj about why the tow truck driver instantly felt an affinity towards him… J
Game two on Sunday was again in beautiful Santa Cruz but this time on the worst field I have ever experienced. There were gopher holes, thick never-experienced-a-mower patches and thin never-experienced-grass patches. It was almost a hazard, so we jogged around before the game just to get used to the inconsistencies of this field. After the whistle blew, our girls attacked the ball with conviction and immediately started to control the game. This was not a terribly strong team but they had a few very fast and ultra aggressive defenders that gave us trouble the entire game. After many decent attempts with near misses, Jordan finally put a beauty of a shot in to make it 1 to nil. Second half was a lot of the same, 90% control of the ball and 10-12 good attacks with reasonable shots. Each time, our strikers got roughed up quite a bit. I am pretty sure that if #5 were not there sweeping the backfield, the score could have been 5-0. None of our girls were intimidated and all continued to attack, each time getting closer and closer to scoring. Lulu definitely was not intimidated and took it too them with a solo weave, bump back and great shot to give us a nice padded lead.
The team played very well on Sunday. I commented to them after the game that I have nothing to critique, only that they all played a great game! There were excellent plays in the center field area by our defenders to keep the game safe from our keeper. Our stopper maintained control of the center of the field very well to allow our wing defenders to make an impact beyond mid-field. Completing the dominating D of course are our sweepers, allowing nothing to threaten our keepers. Our mid-fielders and forwards played extremely smart soccer on Sunday as well. There were great back passes and much more east to west ball movement. During the second half, they moved the ball around the shooting perimeter with nice control and created several openings that allowed us to attack. The passing is getting much sharper and more precise and we are starting to look more and more like a team that has been together for years rather than months.
Nice weekend overall for fun, socializing and soccer. Our team had great success and we coaches learned a few things that we will try to work on so it was a productive weekend as well. Thanks for all the help that happened behind the scenes to make the games flow smoothly and thanks for a great party at the Wilhelm’s. Next weekend is another game with yet another team that we’ve never seen before so get ready for more cheering as our mighty Top Gun girls continue to create a name for themselves in their inaugural season in CYSA.
If results are what you are asking for then, our Top Gun girls certainly delivered this weekend! Our first game was against the Jaws and even though I was not there to see it, I felt as if I were with all the commentaries that you folks dished out. Not much to boast about except that the girls played a great game and were true sportsman about it. I heard that Jordan started things off with a couple of goals, followed by dos from Yo and a double-shot by Halley. Finally Shayda put the final nail in the coffin with one of her own. After that, I am sure it was the longest 20 minutes ever endured since watching OJ driving around in the white SUV.
So even though I wasn’t there, I can conclude a few things. The offense hummed on all cylinders and played well and everyone got a look at the net. Next, it is obvious once again that our D completely contained their forwards to graciously hand out another shut-out. So in this particular case, I am not sure what happened between with whistles but I am really likin’ the results.
After the game, we all proceeded to our next adventure at the Wilhelm’s beach home. Once I arrived, the party was rolling and great food and libation were being passed around like no tomorrow. The beach was next on the agenda and as we all suspected, that could have been the last stop for the girls. No need for anything else from their perspective. Of course we knew we had a game the next day so the boring ole parents had to call it quits. Good thing since my car was supposedly parked illegally and was about to get towed! Thanks for all the help in delaying the tow truck driver Iraj!! We all need to get the full scoop directly from Iraj about why the tow truck driver instantly felt an affinity towards him… J
Game two on Sunday was again in beautiful Santa Cruz but this time on the worst field I have ever experienced. There were gopher holes, thick never-experienced-a-mower patches and thin never-experienced-grass patches. It was almost a hazard, so we jogged around before the game just to get used to the inconsistencies of this field. After the whistle blew, our girls attacked the ball with conviction and immediately started to control the game. This was not a terribly strong team but they had a few very fast and ultra aggressive defenders that gave us trouble the entire game. After many decent attempts with near misses, Jordan finally put a beauty of a shot in to make it 1 to nil. Second half was a lot of the same, 90% control of the ball and 10-12 good attacks with reasonable shots. Each time, our strikers got roughed up quite a bit. I am pretty sure that if #5 were not there sweeping the backfield, the score could have been 5-0. None of our girls were intimidated and all continued to attack, each time getting closer and closer to scoring. Lulu definitely was not intimidated and took it too them with a solo weave, bump back and great shot to give us a nice padded lead.
The team played very well on Sunday. I commented to them after the game that I have nothing to critique, only that they all played a great game! There were excellent plays in the center field area by our defenders to keep the game safe from our keeper. Our stopper maintained control of the center of the field very well to allow our wing defenders to make an impact beyond mid-field. Completing the dominating D of course are our sweepers, allowing nothing to threaten our keepers. Our mid-fielders and forwards played extremely smart soccer on Sunday as well. There were great back passes and much more east to west ball movement. During the second half, they moved the ball around the shooting perimeter with nice control and created several openings that allowed us to attack. The passing is getting much sharper and more precise and we are starting to look more and more like a team that has been together for years rather than months.
Nice weekend overall for fun, socializing and soccer. Our team had great success and we coaches learned a few things that we will try to work on so it was a productive weekend as well. Thanks for all the help that happened behind the scenes to make the games flow smoothly and thanks for a great party at the Wilhelm’s. Next weekend is another game with yet another team that we’ve never seen before so get ready for more cheering as our mighty Top Gun girls continue to create a name for themselves in their inaugural season in CYSA.
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