EPL

Chelsea V. Manchester City: 2-3

Ivanovich & Co. Appear Little Changed

With his straight red card sending-off, Ivanovich (one of my least favorite players, I must fully disclose) contributed disproportionately to Chelsea's demise in the FA's Charity Shield match, a one-game meeting the week prior to EPL league play which matches up the FA Cup winner and the EPL champion.  There was, in addition to Ivanovich's studs-up infraction, very little that was charitable about the match.  A fistful of cards decorated the game, and Chelsea appeared petulant in their defending - though City put in their share of foolish/cynical challenges.

To let bygones be bygones, we might ascribe the reckless nature of the game to early season rustiness - but we certainly saw goals that bespoke mid-season accuracy!

The main storyline coming out of the match must be that Robert Di Matteo has effected less change than hoped over the off-season.  Once up 1-0 through Torres (more signs of life...) despite being pushed to the brink by the potent City attack, it looked like a classic 2011-12, second half of the season Chelsea performance; get beaten in every category save the one that matters!  But, a defense that could bend under City's attacks had to break once Ivanovich was sent off.  Despite a consolation goal, the 3-2 result was a safe one for City, and that Tevez scored a laser of a shot from the 18 ought to send chills down some spines in Old Trafford - recall Sir Alex mocking City, and Tevez last season.  Toure Yaya hitting a impressive shot as well from a higher position on the field will give opposing managers some things to think about as well...an offense that was impossible to stop last season appears to be even hotter to the touch this season.  Sleepless nights are ahead!

So, what will Chelsea give us this year?  Bend but don't break, or does Di Matteo have some grander plans in order?  It seems reasonable to think that the Chelsea brass and fans will demand more than the highly defensive (negative?) approach used last season.  Man City, for their part, have thrown the gauntlet down (though not so emphatically as to quash all discussion) and remain in championship form, evidently ready to repel all comers.

USA GOLD
Sweet Revenge

The US 4-4-2 (4-4-1-1?) against the Japanese 4-4-2.  Formations
mattered less than execution in this game- and maybe luck!

Thursday's women's gold medal game was a taught affair, despite a 7th minute goal by Carli Lloyd.  Some notes from the game:

Amy Leipelbet is the weak link.  Team USA (men's and women's) continues to struggle to find backs who can get it done at the top level.  Japan was wise, and so often a hair's breadth from successful, in their attention on the right side of the US defense.  Nearly every attack of any note was originated on Liepelbet's side.  Granted, she did enough to not give away the game, but it was touch and go the entire 90 minutes.

Rachel Buehler struggled as well, looking nervous and uncertain with the ball at her feet.  It was a blue collar performance, with

LMSC Opening Post

Quick Boys And Springboks Open 2012-13

A few training sessions in to the new season, and things are beginning to settle in nicely.

Key points have been to introduce the expectations for the players, mainly in terms of their conduct at training, and to establish a degree of comfort around the training ground for the players.  Uncertainty does not bring out the best in a kid, so the goal is mainly to be very clear about what is expected in terms of effort and behavior, what is meant by certain language, and the general pattern of training sessions.

Games V. Training

Fatigue, Effort And Skill
Why The Game Still Looks Good When The Players Are Tired

Coming off July's highly successful ID camp at Colgate one sequence of events has remained in the forefront of my mind.  In my quest to bring some degree of reason to the results-oriented approach to youth soccer, something stuck out at camp that lends some further weight to that argument.  The selection of the "all-star" groups was heavily lopsided.  Upon reflection, the schedule is a huge factor:  The campers checked in on Monday at midday.  They trained that afternoon, and began playing games after dinner.  All day Tuesday & Wednesday (including 6.30 AM "futures" matches...7 v. 7 all-star games, basically), then a final match Thursday AM wrapped the week up.

OSSC Strides

4 OSSC Boys Impress 

At Northeast Elite ID Camp At Colgate

Thoughts For Players Seeking To Play College Soccer

Camp info here.

Ryan Tudi, Elijah Morris, Dan Keck and Sam Caton jumped in the deep end of the college recruiting pool, and proved their quality (as well as highlighting the results of considerable efforts put forth over the past several years) among a very talented group of ambitious college soccer hopefuls.  The three day overnight camp at Colgate featured several groups of players; the Hobart College and Colgate University "Futures," or players who will be attending those two institutions this fall.  Then there were the previously-identified 2013 grads the coaches have been recruiting for some time prior to camp.  Then the general population, campers who sought the attention of the coaches in attendance.  For perspective's sake, the college players working the camp as counselors also served as competition for several games against a wide mix of both futures and general campers/all-stars.  These matches gave the campers a very good first-hand glimpse of what the top DIII and DI levels look like, and the coaches an excellent reference point when evaluating the players they were interested in.

Nordic Recap III

U10s V. Clifton Park
Eventual Champs Fall To OSSC...A Fascinating Game

Of the four games the U10s played, only one was truly in question.  The first game was an 8-0 stomping at the hands of the Capital Soccer Club...ouch.  But the second match the boys rallied to win a 2-0 match on tired legs.  Looking at the two opponents, our guys were more technical and more athletic/stronger/faster/etc. than the second group, less so than the first group.  The third game was the interesting one.  Because I was covering the U12s immediately beforehand at Dorset Park down I-89, I got to the 10s match shortly before half-time.  When I arrived, the team was tied 0-0, and survived with that score until half time.  That's a pretty rare occurrence, to see two U10 teams fail to score in a half.

In the second period, things got interesting.  The OSSC boys were on the back foot a little, but were able to conjure up some attacks regularly, enough to keep the CP team honest.  It was on one of these forays that Dima defended beautifully at midfield, on the left sideline.  Mark Lydford had busted a move from the top of the team to the back, and as Dima forced the ball loose, Mark picked it up and advanced it.  Now, I can't recall who else got involved...I want to say Andrew and Erik were there.  But the bottom line is, as our team attacked, the Erik was kicked as he dished it to Andrew, who scored.  The problem was, the whistle had gone prior to the ball arriving at Andrew's feet, and so the goal should have been disallowed, and the free kick taken (which would have been from outside the area).  Not a bad situation for us (Erik did smash a wonderful free kick home in the following game!) but the fact that the goal was the only one of the game shows how unlikely goals were in this match.

The ref was a high school kid, and clearly wished he had swallowed the whistle.  Truly, it would have been the right call to have allowed the play to continue after the foul (in the current interpretation of the laws, the officials are given a 2 or 3 second grace period to see if the advantage has remained with the attacker after a foul...if it has not, the official may bring the play back to the spot of the foul and award a free kick.  As always, if the play rewards the attacker with a quality chance on goal, a card can be issued after the play without a free kick being given.  Soccer's flexibility in application of the laws remains a standard not met by other sports.)  In the end, even though he had whistled, he indicated that the goal would stand.  The right thing in the bigger sense, but technically incorrect.

Clifton Park were not impressed, but I have to say, their restraint (the coaches) surprised me, given the amount of menacing instruction being handed down from the touchline to the players.  I fully braced for a physical assault on the ref!  We hung on to win 1-0, and the game was truly notable for these reasons:

1. The Clifton Park team was, on the whole, bigger and faster.  At U10, this typically spells doom for the smaller/younger/slower opponent!
2. They had won the previous two games, and were clearly expecting to roll us over on their way to a championship.  They were in fact good enough to win the tournament, going 3-0-1 on the weekend.  That they beat a team that thrashed us by 8 or so on Saturday is of great interest to me.  I very much would have liked to see CP's game against Synergy.
3. They did not sub on the same pattern as we do; randomly by position and without regard for how talented a boy is.  We hurt our chances of winning against teams who do not follow suit.
4. The game was incredibly low scoring.  Our other three games: 8-0 (L); 2-0 (W); 5-2 (L).  Parker had a lock-down first half in goal (probably the longest anyone has played in goal in a game this year for us!) but unlike every opponent we played, we still don't have a specified GK on the team.
5. The advantage we had, if any, was in our technical ability.  Our relatively uniform skill level more than matched theirs.  Despite being bigger or faster, their players did not have the same skill.  One suspects the boys who are "less talented" are probably encouraged to pass...
6. My assessment, without prejudice, as I walked to the field, was that the other team appeared to be superior, and that we'd take another lump.  That's not being negative, it's just that U10s tend to beat the teams they should, and lose to the teams they should lose to, mainly based on physical advantage. Though we do see age differences having an effect, combined with technical ability; a 9 year-11 month old kid has had many more touches on a ball than a just-turned-9-year-old.

While it would be unreasonable to draw any conclusion broadly from this game, it is one of those tiny moments of clarity which pop up from time to time.  Technical skill leveled the playing field, if only for 40 minutes...a little luck in an uncertain referee's decision, too.  Good things to chew over...A fun and memorable result for the boys.

Final standings, we beat the number 1 team (Clifton Park), and the last place team (Capital).  Lost to number 2 and number 4.  Finished in third out of five.  Shockingly, our kids are, evidently, average 10 year olds!  Makes me chuckle that it worked out that way.  

Apprentice Coaches (Nordic II)

Apprentice Coaches.  Perhaps Not.

If I had accomplished nothing else, the apprentice coaching program would have on its own made my OSSC years rewarding.  While I cannot take credit for the idea itself, the boys and college players who became involved under my regime on the boys' side of the club created an environment that was challenging, energizing and simply fun.  Having spent eight-plus hours in the car this past weekend with Neil Parry (former OSSC player, currently helping with U11 & U13 girls, Junior this fall at Duquesne in Pittsburgh, PA), Travis Regner (current U19, helping with the U10's - also with last year's U12 team -heading to TCCC this fall) and Andrew Debraggio (current U19, helping with the U12s - also with last year's U12 team - heading to Georgetown in Washington, D.C. this fall) I thought this would be a good time to reflect a little bit.