First Match of the Tourney

Game 9: 3-6
28 September vs. Kickapoo at Kickapoo in first match of tourney (3-3 2 OT's), lost in shootout, 3-0)

EKL Standings





We began the Kickapoo tourney by taking one step forward and two steps backwards. Of all the unusual situations we have been in this year, we were still able to find one we had not quite experienced yet.

For much of this match we played 8 on 11, yes, 8 on 11. We, somehow, kept the match knotted at 3 through most of the second half and through both overtimes. That is remarkable, really; that is a big positive, a step forward.

We, however, had gotten an early red card in the first half for dissent, and more dissent—a step backward. 

Kickapoo had earned a PK countering our early corner on a handball in the box. A few minutes later Kickapoo hit a long diagonal over our back line to create  a one-on-one with our keeper to make it 2-0 them. 

We fought back to even the score a few minutes past the midway point of the half. 

And, we got out of that first half, yes, down a man, yet still tied at 2.

We had a plan for the second half. We would approach it playing a 4-4-1, with a diamond midfield, and our intent would be  not to try to build anything, but just to play long to the wings, hoping every once in awhile to get, perhaps, a deadball opportunity.

Sure enough we did, and Befort struck a great ball at the keeper from about 20 out that came back out for a Kitts’ finish; we had grabbed the lead, a man down.

We, however, could not get to kickoff before losing a second player to a red card.  One of our players directed a few "no-no' words at one of their players, a bigger step backward. 

We held them scoreless until we had about 24 minutes left, when the Chief goalie took a back-pass and lifted it to our front third. Our weak head-clear allowed them to chip the ball over our backline for a nifty header that squared into a pretty easy finish. 

About four minutes later we ended up in a breakaway situation where Parker came out feet first to try to stop the 1-on-1. He got some ball but lots of leg, and now we had to finish the match 3 players down.

We did. 

The PK shootout was not close as their keeper saved three shots out of three as we dropped to 3-6. But that was quite an effort playing 3 men down.

STATS:

First Half:

STA: Shots: 7 (3) Corners: 3 (Ragan, Reb, Bobby)

22:44 Ragan: (Welsh bends the corner for a Laws' headball down to the back post for the touch-in.)

14:52 Welsh PK (Laws finds Janeway on throw-in for the head-flick to Liam's feet for his push to goal where he is tripped)

Kick: Shots: 4 (2) Corners: 0

38:23 Zane Coast PK (We get countered off our corner (build), getting a handball in the box)

24:14 Zane Coast (We fail to head, mis-settling the goalie punt, creating a nice through ball that splits our cent backs—Rondo againl)

Second Half and both OT's

STA: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 0

34:47 Kitts (Befort drills the deadball low and off the keeper)

Kick: Shots: 2 (1) Corners: 2

28:00 #7 (goalie lifts the dropped ball up field all the way into our back third for a weak header by us that gets chipped forward for a nice header through for an easy tap-in)

MOM: Befort




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