Quick Boys Week 2

Points Dropped Versus A Point Gained

A sharp start to the match with Ukrainians boded well, scoring a good goal inside the first 5 minutes...a counter attack goal the other way in the first half tightened the match up.  In the end, we'll certainly feel that with a lead, a missed PK, and a very good second half, we dropped two points rather than winning one.  But that's football and a hard lesson learned in defending a lead.

The First Half

Both teams defended very well- credit to the Uki side for the job they do as a team, their shape was very good and they pressured the ball nicely.  As both teams valued defending, the game was very compact and narrow.  For our part, in the first period, spectators may have noticed a couple players called toward our bench for a quick word.  Because of the ball pressure, and lack of space in the middle of the game, I was asking the midfielders to find longer passes, even just dumping the ball in behind the Uki back 4 to stretch the game out and pin the opponent a bit deeper.  Two primary obstacles befell us at this point:

Firstly, while the Quick Boys are fine players, we're a little, well, little.  The guys just don't have enough strength to hit 40 or 50 yard balls, especially out of a tight space.  In time, they'll all become strong enough, but at this point, we'll just have to make do!

Secondly, the Uki boys ran very hard at the ball, but not as individuals as most teams do.  They pressured the ball as a group and worked very hard to clog up our passing options.  As a result, the QB's found the game a bit disjointed, and the attacks we did muster up were lone ranger deals; not nearly enough support!



The Second Half

Half time was a simple conversation...and no doubt any spectator in the facility knew what we were trying to do within a minute of the second half kick off.  Using our backs and Henry's terrific ability with his feet, we wanted to possess the ball five (or six if a midfielder could get involved) versus the two front runners.  Even if it meant we lollygagged in our own half a bit, the aim was to tire their forwards and limit their energy on counterattacks, and to slow the match down so that we could find better, shorter passes through the defense.

From my seat, this adjustment was a good one, and certainly a more effective approach than the first half.  While we didn't have the clear-cut chances we enjoyed (and wasted) against Lionville in week 1, we had good pressure consistently on the Uki defense, and their scoring chances were limited.  Still a very even match, to be sure, but I felt good about how the second half played out.

While the Ukrainians clogged the middle well, when we played keep-ball in our back four, they did not press as a group nearly as well as when our midfielders tried to roll the ball around...this was the only exception to their otherwise very good team defending.  The front runners were left to press our back group on their own, and that's a tough task.  Ultimately, it's what they gave us, and while we took it happily enough, didn't convert that mismatch into goals.

The other main adjustment was to use Philip in the back line, swapping him out for Connor Tracy.  Connor's energy and physical commitment had a wearing effect on the wide defenders (as did Alex and Miles' efforts) and Philip's technical ability allowed us to maximize possession in the back- he is that little bit more offensive at this time; Connor's the man in a 1v.1 defensive battle; but since we had the ball more, Philip getting touches there in the back allowed us to take advantage of that space and time.  Connor, Alex and Miles did a great job of rotating on the wings and keeping persistent pressure on the Uki defense.

Lots of credit to the three central guys in the back, Henry, CJC and Shane, for not just a solid defensive performance, but also for showing their cool under pressure and technical ability to be the front line of our attack.  Virtually everything started with them, and they consistently made good decisions with the ball.  Bear in mind that every MLS or EPL, Champs League or whatever pro game you watch, the guys getting the most touches are the center backs and a central midfielder or two...those positions require players who can operate effectively in two directions...the era of the long-ball-only center back or wing back is over.  It's just that most casual participants don't know it.

The Big Talking Point

The pressure we created was rewarded with a PK decision, though Wyatt's attempt was by his own admission, not up to his usual standard.  But such is life for a footballer.

The conversation with Wyatt at training Monday was simple; as upset as he was with himself for missing a PK, every player should have been equally upset with their own performance as everyone contributed to conceding a goal after we took the lead, or in failing to convert other chances we had.  For Wyatt, the spotlight fell on him, but when a player is brave enough to step up to answer the bell, sometimes it doesn't work out.  The rest of the team is just as culpable for the dropping of the two points.

The team got the same message as Wyatt via a more private conversation...truly, it would be a myopic and unfair stance to "blame" a guy in Wyatt's shoes.  Only a dunce of a teammate would think that this was our only chance to win the game, or that he had done *everything* well himself and was therefore blameless!

The General Takeaways

Scoring early is great...
Conceding after taking a lead is a drag...
We have toughness and didn't look like cracking as a taut game wore on...
The boys are bright and clever, and can make significant half time adjustments effectively...
We remain undefeated, and should be very motivated to put together a comprehensive effort next Saturday.

Lastly, the Uki team was a really nice collection of kids, and I want to give them (& Coach Tom) credit for being well organized and pulling for each other, as well as showing good scrappy effort, doing the hard work all day long.  It would be great to play teams like that every week.