Cardiac Kids Win Again!

OK, I know it was Valentine's Day, but those weren't the kind of beating hearts one typically associates with February 14!

For the second week running, a goal in the final minute of the game wins the game for the Chaos. This time Kathleen did the honours with a great turn and finish to the bottom-left hand corner of the goal. It sent the Chaos players and parents home happy, or perhaps that was panic as everyone raced-off cars to catch the ferry?

It sure didn't look like we would make the breakthrough as neither the size or condition of the field worked in our favour today. And it's not like I'm being overly-critical or a turf snob - the field was the size of a postage stamp and completely inappropriate for U11 soccer. Nor were the goals regulation size and probably the strangest sized soccer goals I've ever seen. It's easy to say both teams had to play with them, but when only one team is actually getting any shots near goal that point becomes somewhat moot.

Compounding the problem was some early apprehension by our girls in getting to and competing for the ball along with some tenacious tackling and spirit from the Salt Spring team. Their team competed very well and we didn't match their intensity until the second-half. It's not often we get beaten in the tackle, but for the first half anyway it seemed they won most of the 50/50 challenges. They also packed their penalty area so most of our shots found knees and legs and rarely made their way onto goal. Only occasionally did our wide players (in defence or attack) get the ball down and take players on, with Maggie probably the pick of the bunch. Still there was some good passing, including a series of passes in the second-half between Erin, Nina and Jadyn which opened their team up and lead to a fast attack.

The two first half goals were both equally strange and unexpected. Mara's shot/cross seemed to have eyes on the ball as it made it's way through a packed penalty area and nestled in the far corner. And the Salt Spring goal, well, the less said about that one the better as no Chaos player made much of an effort a) to get to the ball and b) block the shot. We've let in a couple of those goals recently and they are very avoidable - if we are paying attention!

Perhaps the girls think their parents are enjoying all this late-game heroics. All I know is my caffeine habit is making a reappearance :-)

Practice as usual next Thursday and then it's Gordon Head next saturday at Lochside. They are a much improved team from our first game so the girls will need t

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o get going much earlier and often than recently.