10-Man Hooligans Calm the Stormers 4-0

One of the great mysteries of this game is how a team of 10 can best a full side. Honestly though, I cannot tell you what we did right and where the Stormers were lacking; it just happened this way. It remains a mystery to me. It may be as simple as we focused on passing to each other and not passing to the guys in blue. I don't really have an answer. But, this is how it went...

FIRST HALF
Hooligans were looking for any red jerseys emerging out of the parking lot, but there would be none. They would start and finish the match with 10 players. The game was back and forth for the first ten minutes as the teams settled into a rhythm. Pedro and Pepe were controlling the midfield and alternated working the ball through to Cody, Kevin, and Antonio. It was about 20 minutes in when the Hooligans won a corner kick on the West side of the field. Gary was in goal for the Stormers and he was looking directly into the setting sun when Kevin Conway's curving corner kick whizzed by his ear and landed in the side netting for the first goal. The Stormers pressed hard for about 10 minutes and forced some defense from us until Eric Little picked up a clearance and took on a Stormer on the right side of the attacking third, got around him and centered a great ball to Jim who nodded his header past Gary for a second goal. It looked like an attacking play that we might have rehearsed..it looked so good. The half soon ended and the Stormers had a strategy session to see what to do about the ten of us.

SECOND HALF
For some reason we seemed to be content to pass to each other in a strange effective way. Us Hooligans usually do not do this so this was a really strange experience for us. We actually found each other and played simple passes to each other on the ground. Imagine our surprise when this simple plan resulted in us keeping possession of the ball, even as the Stormers increased their pressure on the ball. It was miraculous and revolutionary for us!
We kept the Stormers in their own half somehow and continued to take shots from a variety of players. Cody was peppering shots from the left, Kevin continued to work combinations with Pedro and Pepe to get in behind the defense, while Antonio worked the right side effectively. Finally we broke them down to score a third when Kevin fed Pedro and he shot at close range which Gary blocked straight back to him and he finished the second time.

Stormers had their share of chances with Anthony Kontos testing our keeper with a nicely placed chip when he caught him out of position. Chuy leaped up at the last minute and deflected the ball out for a corner. Stormers continued to break us down and create chances, with Wade and Jorge working hard to get in behind the defense. But the Hooligans kept flushing the ball out and away. Stormers wouldn't find the net on this day. With about 15 minutes left we were awarded a direct free kick just outside the box when Kevin was fouled. I stepped up and took the shot while the Stormers were building their wall and bent it around toward the near post. I thought Gary wasn't looking as he shouted to his wall, but he leaped over and got a hand on it, although it wasn't enough and he was only able to parry the ball into the nearpost side netting. Some defenders complained, but the ref did what they were supposed to by allowing the attacking team a quick restart. There are a few myths about restarts that resurfaced for a brief moment...but the goal rightly stood as valid.
Defenders will argue that they can ask for ten yards when it is not even their kick! Refs are instructed to punish defenders who walk up and stand in front of the ball, as well as players who encroach and try to block kicks, with a minimum of a yellow card! The best thing to do as a defender is move back and defend.

In the end, Hooligans stuck it out and held the Stormers. Like last week, I feel our success was partly because we were focused on playing and not on reffing. If you think about it, arguing with the ref is a complete waste of time (I AM aware of the irony of me telling you this, as I have wasted many minutes out there!). In all my 38 years of playing and dissenting, I have not once changed the refs mind to reverse their decision! Referees give us all information in their calls that tell us how they saw the play, how the game is likely to be called based on their comfort level with the contact on challenges, and basically are giving us information with which we have an obligation to use. If we used this information, we would alter our game slightly; maybe avoid offsides by giving a few steps cushion instead of a milimeter, maybe challenging balls in the air with our hands in, maybe accepting the call and showing some respect and acceptance of a difficult job...to name a few. I guess after 38 years, I finally figured this out...Well done!

Wild Bunch Edges Hooligans 4-3

I might say up front that the comments that follow are influenced by a number of pints at Humbrews after the game....which is generally just as fun as playing.

I don't really know what happened in the first 30 minutes of the game because I was late....

But, shortly after I subbed in the Wild Bunch scored, so I guess you could say I had an "immediate impact." Anyhow, I don't remember who scored...But they orange men took the lead.I can't remember if they scored again before the half, but who cares. Eventually they led by two and sometime in the second half we scored to make it 2-1.

Our keeper "Chuy" turned away at least five good chances that most third graders would have finished easily so we were naturally grateful. We tied it up with a goal from Kevin Conway who was a threat the entire game.

Wild Bunch kept countering and added two more to provide a cushion of a lead. With 10 minutes left, Kevin got behind the orange jerseys and sent a long ball to the far post which I somehow placed into the net with not much of an angle....

Most of the game the Wild Bunch spent reffing, so really they could have beaten us with a wider margin if they had stayed focused on their role as players and NOT as refs. We enjoyed their distraction and created many chances in the second half while they were busy reffing and obtaining yellow cards. However, we did not finish a host of chances, so we deservedly lost.



Stormers "Rain Down" On Dirty Dogs 1-0

It was interesting to see Bobby McGuire and Joe Dacus in tears at Hum Brews after the match. Joe seemed to think he had somehow cursed the 'Dogs while Bobby speculated on the "hockey-like" substitutions that seemed to bolster the ranks of the Stormers at times. Despite their emotional state, it was clear that scandal and losing had affected the men in yellow and it was taking its toll on them. It should be an interesting match-up with the Wild Bunch when they meet the Dirty Dogs next week. It could be the end of their attempt to retain the prestigious "Old Fart's
Cup Trophy." Stay tuned!