Pagewood Botany FC 1 - Sydney Uni FC 0 AKA "wonderful experiment with nonsense football"

First of all, a very sunny sunday decided to become dark and windy just with the first wistle, also,we had a new captain, Pete, who honoured  the bracelet with a good game, covered Ian, who didn't play today. 

With Kenny in the midfield with Ross, and Mikee  for Cam in the CB, we get the following eleven. 

GK Sam

RB Jack

CB Mikee

CB George

LB Darren 

RW Marco

CM Ross

CM Kenny

LW Pete

ST Jason

St Evan

In front of us, Sydney Uni, undefeated with 9/9 points. A solid and disciplined team very strong in high balls, with a few very tall midfielders. They also have a tall guy in the strike today, with a really good touch, same in the midfield, with a guy with black pants, he was another player to have a look at it. All in all something was a tough game, not really beautiful but a football game after all.

Wet fireworks

Today we faced what it should be play against George and Cam. With two strong CB on Sydney Uni defence Jason and the others danced with the ugly ones. It wasn't easy to break, but it was even harder because Pagewood was playing a different kind of game today. Don't stop reading, is some light in the smoke.

In general terms, Pagewood did well. Clean sheet, not a single clear chance against Sam, but one shoot on goal. And we scored. Individualy the team played right, but in some point you have to follow a pattern, and the players didn't today.

Kenny and Ross, are more or less the same style of players. They can break two players and start a long conduction and that's great, if you have something covering your back in case of a contra attack. You need the guy there, and this guy is Ian. Kenny, is a player who likes take the risk and move the ball forward, as he is skilled and fast, typical player who can create danger close to goal. Ross is the same, but also he plays a rol as constructor, or stopwatch in the team. A typical MD. Because we loose the this balance in the midfield, our posession game has failed. Wich means fellas, no shoots on goal.

On a positive side, Darren and Jack did a great game, assuming more attacking roles, and playing a few good combinations, and a few good transitions. Other than that, not much more to clap for. A few "almost" against Sydney Uni, but boring. 

The clearest one was a shoot from Ross after a good combination with Marco, who left two players behind with 2 touches, he played back to the scottish, who in the border of the area lance a shoot that was close to score. Jason had another close one after cross a ball against the keeper in a beautiful standard run, control and shoot. 

10 min for hope and pray.

The second half start with a positional change, Jason played his card, guessing that Uni will start with the same RB, much slower than his partner in the LB. He put Marco in the left trying to take the advantage. 

And it works

  

As soon as they played for the right side, Marco awared of his advantage push the opponent circulation of the ball and create a bit of chaos on the defence. Motivated for that Jason and Evan joined the party and we all had a bit of fun. And more after another

half a chance that Jason had. But embarrassingly the goal end up on goal. The keeper will remember this game for the rest of the week, thanks to him the leadership in the league is a matter of 3. Jason shoot across in slow motion the area, and slowly end up inside the goal. Totally real, 1-0

Welcome to Nowhere land.

Although that Sydney Uni is a good squad, they don't have the individual skill that some players in Pagewood have, also, they didn't show a clear strategy more than long balls and let's see if our striker is faster. Sorry boy but we have George and Cam.

Pagewood decided to make they're own problems, by supplying the wrong material to our crew. The dynamic of the game was lost, too much up and down and catenaccio football. Our strikers ahead and our defence behind the midfield. Too many free space that our midfielders can't control. Jason played intelligent again, and did another positional change. He took Marco of the left wing. In 10 minutes the spaniard drove mad the opponent RB, but he also lost is mind too as he lost the plot against the ref about an  unnecessary tackle. So he place him as a DMC, with orders to be the first men in front of Cam and George, allowing Ross to do his magic. Even with this it was a bit of this and a bit of that, Carlos had a clear chance on a trough ball delivered by Darren, his shoot went to wide and the score was still 1-0. To erratic and unprecise, probably after 3 weeks out, but still, the build up it wasn't as good as it was before. 

Pete had another one against the keeper after a good change of rythm from Marco who delivered the pass, this one was a good safe for the keeper after Peter's shoot. 4 chances apart from the goal in 90 min is not a our habitual. 

After the game, we where aware of that, and this is a good signal, the team will be back the next week for more rock and roll. Victory against the leader, and 9 points out of 9 possibles. Good start for the reds. Hurra!!!

1-0 Jason 

Red

DISCONTROL

The team was lost most part of the game with unnecessary mistakes that could become a problem, and not consistency enough in the team play. Also not to mention the lack of sensation of control that we usually have. We haven't been the boss today against Sydney Uni. Time and patience. We have been off 3 weeks. But be aware. 

Oh my under 15 team did yesterday more than 15 passes in a row. : ) 

Yellow

MOMENTS 

In some isolated actions, the team did a few good plays, with long possession and comun sense with the ball. That was happening because you can hear "i'm here" or "behind". The communication was the key to know what to do in the moment of take a decision. Unfortunately that didn't happen offten. But still, we still have it. 

Green

SAM AND 4 MORE

Sam still unbeaten and the defence has a big merit in that too. George, Cam, Jack, Mikee, Darren, and Marco in some points, are showing consistency in defence and a good understanding. Darren and Jack where everywere today and it's a great new for the team. Also Sam is this year more secure. On the last 10 min when our defence was pushed, Sam was the first to keep the chill and deal with that business. 

Sam 8: Mature. Cold like the ice Sam controlled the enemy crosses and didn't had many problems against they're strikers. Also when he had to play with the feet he took always the right decision.

Jack 7: Adapted. He try's to play the combination game as much as he can. Also is disciplined in defence as he show total confidence in the tackle. Playing a very deep role today as been a very useful tool for create chances and spaces.

Cam 7: Serious. With much more control in defence he's able to keep with George a very organised defensive line. In the second half he also had a few "Cam in rush hor mode". Understand me, running towards the enemy goal, passing players like if they where turtles. 

George 8: The oger. Today I understood what be George means. On the half time he took me and told me "Marco, you clap and cheer whatever it happens. Let me be the bad guy". He's the shield and the voice of this team. His defensive perfomance was erotic.

Darren 7: Powerful. Like a High tecnology train, he a took a few really good runs with the ball, leaving players behind. Also, more organised in the passsing. Also as the rest of the line, good in defence, he didn't give many chances away.

Mikee 6: Defensive. He start as a CB, position that he covered really well, also he played as a LB. Good too, but he didn't find as many spaces as other weeks, and although that he was really secure in defence he couldn't combine a often has he did last week. 

Kenny 6: Missplaced. Is not that he didn't did good things today, which he did, but he didn't do what it was required, because he use to have a role closer to the goal. Kenny is way more offensive that what was supposed to be today. But even with this he always offer a good control in the break and options for the shoot.

Ross 8: Prophet. When everything looks confuse and weird, Give a ball to Ross, if he has the right people around better things will happen. Also had a good chance in the first half, and set up a few more in the second half. Good game in defence too, Ross empty his tank today.

Marco 8: Motivated. After a first 10 horrible minutes for him he calm down and played with more sense. Didn't had his best day in attack, although that he had two changes of rythm that generate real danger, Nice on the passing in some moments. He played as a defensive midfielder on a much more defensive role on the second half. He need's to stop getting in troubles with the ref. 

Pete 7: Captain. He played a really decent game, in his progression line. More secure with the ball on the feet, and impecable on the challenge, contribuite on most part of the offensive chances in the game. He got a great chance on the second half after a great pass from Marco. Very smart in the half time sharing information about how to take advantadge of enemy weakness

Jason 7: Lonely ranger. Another goal for the crane, even when is not his best game. He donwload as many passes as he could, but with the general chaos he didn't get too much of it. Today he didn't had much more ammo on the gun so he "only" scored 1 today.

Evan 6: Castaway. He never found himself comfortable on the pitch. Sydney High pressure system put him under the radar. Evan can't turn around and create passes if he have 3 men's over him. Going with the team mood, he played better in some moments of the game. 

Carlos 6: Imprecise. Fight and consistency, he is always the first men to fight for the ball, but on the other side he didn't found space enough for create chances. He had to dance with the toughest defence that we faced, hard work for him. He had a good chance for score the 2-0 but he missed. 

Foff 6: Wrestler. On a tough game like that, Foff found himself on his comfort zone, as he love to show his streng. Put down so many balls and he was more fast moving the ball around, with much more intention than before. Good game fo him, playing on the wings. He always keep his position with intelligence.

Patt 6: Practical. Another player that he did what it was coming to his side right. Good in the pressure and communicative on the pass, the bad thing, he didn't had too many moments to put in practice his tools, because the game was in general to unnorganised

MVP of the game

Marco 3

Ross 2

George 1

MVP of the season

Ross 6

Jason 3

George 3

Marco 3

Carlos 2

Cam 1