Its become very clear that the lads are not the best travellers in the world, having spent the whole season so far on the road to away games, never being on time and never getting a chance to warm up ( apart from the sweltering heat inside the bus) we simply have not taken the kind of hard tackling , great talk and good practices from our training ground to the opposition at any point this season. My latest learning curve was an attempt to please everybody by starting with a new goalkeeper against the top team in the division, we started brightly but failed to create any real chances inside our opponents half, with out midfield still struggling to realize they must defend too we soon went the very obligatory and accustomed one nil down, which was quickly followed by the even more accustomed and more obligatory 2nd and 3rd goal within minutes of each other.
Having reached the half way mark i decided to switch around a few players as it was clear to see the full backs from practice never made it on the bus so i put my old guard back in to show some clarity , My midfield got a slight roasting for not working back hard enough and i promised them swift and harsh changes from the bench of six substitutes waiting in the wings.
They did not whimper from this and soon as we began the second half we created much more promising openings getting behind their fullbacks and in between their centre half's but all to no avail !
Alarm bells rang as the all to familiar 4th goal went in the net with the easiest of shots so far this season, so at 4-0 down i took of flair and guile and replaced it with tenacity and excitement which proved to be a good move as we worked a great one two in the centre and ended up with a 3 on 1 situation which culminated in Luis scoring a simple tap in after Diego rounded the goalkeeper. 4-1 and a small glimmer perhaps? By now the huge field was beginning to open up far to easy for my lads and they started to retreat back in their shells, my tallest but slowest center half was beaten off the ball far too easily by easily the smallest player on the pitch like swatting a fly, goals 5&6 went flying past our defenders and even when instructed to close their no.13 down we stood and watched as he strolled past every player and only his tames finishes spared us from more of the same.
Final Score 6-1
Coach's thought - there simply isn't any training manual or coaches course in the world that could translate right now how we are outstanding in practice but simple buckle under the strain of playing outside our own comfort zone, maybe I should design a course about being the away team ? That said we play a team today that have been away all season and they are top of the league!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What a week...
With two games in two days and only one training session this week it was bound to be interesting in many ways and it didn't disappoint. At training we have now split the final full game into defenders against attackers all in the name of team work, team spirit and communication for all, a regime that seems to working very well as shouts of "MY BALL, LEAVE IT, IVE GOT IT and GET UP ! " rang out for all the neighbourhood to hear, very positive if not hard on the ears..very happy going into the first of two games against the bottom two teams.
Game one V Rishel (away) . haven't failed to score one goal i put the pressure firmly on them insisting whole sale changes would be taken if we didn't score several goals today against a team that leaked goals more than us, this should, could & would end up a record scoring game with both teams defenses lacking good judgement and it went according to the script, albeit not the one i wrote. very poor goalkeeping, yes again and lack of basic talking mixed with kicking thin air and turning our back saw us concede four before the dreaded half time blow dryer speech from yours truly. My infamous " next goal wins the game " line was over abused during our 5 minutes break, meanwhile my opposite number across the field was basking in the glory of a possibly 3 points and wasn't even with his team at half time?
We did it , we scored the next goal and now only needed to keep possession and stop big roger from getting the ball, in stepped Gage to mastermind our comeback by basically running around like a headless chicken and playing the long ball, which worked as we pulled it back to 4-2 within 5 minutes of the restart by charging down every long long ball and putting their back line under pressure.
At 4-3 we pushed our very own big roger into midfield as we never looked like winning one header, roger put his heart and head into every high ball and we kept them pinned in their own half for long spells, with five minutes to go Raul and Gio combined with panache at the edge of the box, Gio was on goal and neatly tucked away a tidy goal that his work effort fully deserved , 4-4! With the bit firmly between their teeth my boys finally starting showing glimpses of genuine skill and with virtually the last kick of the game Gio turned on a sixpence and curled the ball toward the top bar, and that was where it went, off the post and over, the ref blew the whistle. final score 4-4
Game two V Skinner (away) If the drama from the previous game wasn't enough then what happened next is a mirror image in a horrific way. I teach my kids to respect their opposition and treat every team as their equal, i put Laurence in goal for the first half and he didn't disappoint, clean catches, rolling the ball out short to the full backs, nice long goal kicks ,finally a light at the end of goalkeeping hell!.
Went ahead for the first time ever this season after Jamaal made light work of his defender tucking the ball to Gio who swept his second goal in as many games sending the goal keeper the wrong like an old pro.
Within 10 minutes the twins Raul & Diego added two more with superb finishes from tight angles either side of the box, Skinner pulled one back after they had 3 corners in quick succession , half time came at a a good time as my eight subs were driving me bonkers with their persistent crying of put me on coach!
ok, now pay attention to next chapter, after reshuffling a few midfielders to allow for some pace and a bit more steel , my two goal keepers had swapped gloves and decided without discussing it they would have a half each as it was only fair???? Laurence whom had been quite refreshing had disappeared without telling me leaving the nightmare that is Shane with the gloves, leaving the coach, the team and our supporters wondering if i had indeed lost the plot altogether. We began the 2nd half nervously as is expected with the goalkeeper we have and within 5 minutes our backs were slightly feeling the brick wall as they scored a quick goal making it 3-2, big roger feeling confident enough to try a volleyed clearance that he missed leaving their striker one one one with Shane...oh dear.We raised our game and i raised my voice in return as expected which payed dividends as Gio, Ernesto and Diego all combined well and set Luis free to score a simple tap after he rounded their Goalie.
But with every half chance Skinner made Shane made half attempts to make a half attempt and was flapping at every single ball and minutes after he made a good solid block he went to clear a very simple effort ...which went through his legs, 4-3! The boys were not happy that they continued to work hard and create chances and Shane seemed content to literally throw the game away every chance he could get.
Gio pulled away from two markers before rifling our 5th and final goal, We sat back a little and started to defend our goal more and more , but it wasn't to be as Shane punched a simple high ball into his own net ,5-4! Skinner added two goals very late on our defence was caught napping and Shane was rooted to his line like Lindsay Lohan to a free bar at a wedding!
Final Thoughts
It was a long trip home on the bus but I played every kid today as the school instructs me to, I cant blame it all on Shane & Laurence but given the choice I would have preferred Shane to go walkies at halftime and not Laurence. My boss is happy to see each and every kid get a game regardless of what they are capable of - so at least she is happy.
Game one V Rishel (away) . haven't failed to score one goal i put the pressure firmly on them insisting whole sale changes would be taken if we didn't score several goals today against a team that leaked goals more than us, this should, could & would end up a record scoring game with both teams defenses lacking good judgement and it went according to the script, albeit not the one i wrote. very poor goalkeeping, yes again and lack of basic talking mixed with kicking thin air and turning our back saw us concede four before the dreaded half time blow dryer speech from yours truly. My infamous " next goal wins the game " line was over abused during our 5 minutes break, meanwhile my opposite number across the field was basking in the glory of a possibly 3 points and wasn't even with his team at half time?
We did it , we scored the next goal and now only needed to keep possession and stop big roger from getting the ball, in stepped Gage to mastermind our comeback by basically running around like a headless chicken and playing the long ball, which worked as we pulled it back to 4-2 within 5 minutes of the restart by charging down every long long ball and putting their back line under pressure.
At 4-3 we pushed our very own big roger into midfield as we never looked like winning one header, roger put his heart and head into every high ball and we kept them pinned in their own half for long spells, with five minutes to go Raul and Gio combined with panache at the edge of the box, Gio was on goal and neatly tucked away a tidy goal that his work effort fully deserved , 4-4! With the bit firmly between their teeth my boys finally starting showing glimpses of genuine skill and with virtually the last kick of the game Gio turned on a sixpence and curled the ball toward the top bar, and that was where it went, off the post and over, the ref blew the whistle. final score 4-4
Game two V Skinner (away) If the drama from the previous game wasn't enough then what happened next is a mirror image in a horrific way. I teach my kids to respect their opposition and treat every team as their equal, i put Laurence in goal for the first half and he didn't disappoint, clean catches, rolling the ball out short to the full backs, nice long goal kicks ,finally a light at the end of goalkeeping hell!.
Went ahead for the first time ever this season after Jamaal made light work of his defender tucking the ball to Gio who swept his second goal in as many games sending the goal keeper the wrong like an old pro.
Within 10 minutes the twins Raul & Diego added two more with superb finishes from tight angles either side of the box, Skinner pulled one back after they had 3 corners in quick succession , half time came at a a good time as my eight subs were driving me bonkers with their persistent crying of put me on coach!
ok, now pay attention to next chapter, after reshuffling a few midfielders to allow for some pace and a bit more steel , my two goal keepers had swapped gloves and decided without discussing it they would have a half each as it was only fair???? Laurence whom had been quite refreshing had disappeared without telling me leaving the nightmare that is Shane with the gloves, leaving the coach, the team and our supporters wondering if i had indeed lost the plot altogether. We began the 2nd half nervously as is expected with the goalkeeper we have and within 5 minutes our backs were slightly feeling the brick wall as they scored a quick goal making it 3-2, big roger feeling confident enough to try a volleyed clearance that he missed leaving their striker one one one with Shane...oh dear.We raised our game and i raised my voice in return as expected which payed dividends as Gio, Ernesto and Diego all combined well and set Luis free to score a simple tap after he rounded their Goalie.
But with every half chance Skinner made Shane made half attempts to make a half attempt and was flapping at every single ball and minutes after he made a good solid block he went to clear a very simple effort ...which went through his legs, 4-3! The boys were not happy that they continued to work hard and create chances and Shane seemed content to literally throw the game away every chance he could get.
Gio pulled away from two markers before rifling our 5th and final goal, We sat back a little and started to defend our goal more and more , but it wasn't to be as Shane punched a simple high ball into his own net ,5-4! Skinner added two goals very late on our defence was caught napping and Shane was rooted to his line like Lindsay Lohan to a free bar at a wedding!
Final Thoughts
It was a long trip home on the bus but I played every kid today as the school instructs me to, I cant blame it all on Shane & Laurence but given the choice I would have preferred Shane to go walkies at halftime and not Laurence. My boss is happy to see each and every kid get a game regardless of what they are capable of - so at least she is happy.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The bitterest pill...
So we finally kicked of in earnest today following our 1-0 win by default last week due to Fairmount failing to put together a team in time. So with a few extra hours on the training pitch under our belts the feeling on the big yellow luxury bus was of confidence , good times and a successful season ahead of us ?.....
With new summer signing Gage just shy of match fitness ( but not shy with the ladies from both schools) due to a paper cut he picked up whilst fumbling for his medical clearance, Lawrence on the missing list and Roger looking tall and composed my defensive trio will have to wait another day to tighten the old back door, but Roger showed today that he has the centre half position very firmly in his hands, a great performance with both his feet , head and his leadership of Noah & Alex was great to see, both full backs played very well today and hustled like Larry Flint on speed- good job lads, great focus through out the game.
In midfield Raul & Diego at times toyed with the opposition , played some great passes, showed some good vision and executed glimpses of their trickery , Jamal & Ernesto being two of the smallest built lads threw themselves in to every challenge as if it was their very last game on earth - great work boys.
Mean while up front Gio & Julio didnt really create much energy together despite many clear chances to play each other in with a simple pass they took their time and found themselves over run with ankle biting defenders, chance after chance went begging. we worked hard, created more chances than our opponents and all our efforts on goal kept their keeper on his toes.
Final thought - We got beaten today by one simple thing, our very simple goal keeper whom twice was looking the wrong way when they scored, call it focus, call it daydreaming, Im calling it just unfair on the other 14 lads who really didnt deserve to be on the end of a 7-0 beating, but we didnt score either so plenty to think about( especially a new goalkeeper).
With new summer signing Gage just shy of match fitness ( but not shy with the ladies from both schools) due to a paper cut he picked up whilst fumbling for his medical clearance, Lawrence on the missing list and Roger looking tall and composed my defensive trio will have to wait another day to tighten the old back door, but Roger showed today that he has the centre half position very firmly in his hands, a great performance with both his feet , head and his leadership of Noah & Alex was great to see, both full backs played very well today and hustled like Larry Flint on speed- good job lads, great focus through out the game.
In midfield Raul & Diego at times toyed with the opposition , played some great passes, showed some good vision and executed glimpses of their trickery , Jamal & Ernesto being two of the smallest built lads threw themselves in to every challenge as if it was their very last game on earth - great work boys.
Mean while up front Gio & Julio didnt really create much energy together despite many clear chances to play each other in with a simple pass they took their time and found themselves over run with ankle biting defenders, chance after chance went begging. we worked hard, created more chances than our opponents and all our efforts on goal kept their keeper on his toes.
Final thought - We got beaten today by one simple thing, our very simple goal keeper whom twice was looking the wrong way when they scored, call it focus, call it daydreaming, Im calling it just unfair on the other 14 lads who really didnt deserve to be on the end of a 7-0 beating, but we didnt score either so plenty to think about( especially a new goalkeeper).
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Moore the merrier...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
2010 Fixtures list
Here is a list of our league games for the Denver Metro Northwest division & please note that due to our magnificent 50,000 all seater stadium having some major irrigation faults we are on the road for the whole season.
Audere est facere.
| 31st aug | Tuesday | Fairmont | 1-0 win |
| 8th sept | Wednesday | Lake | 6-0 loss |
| 15th sept | Wednesday | Rishel | 4-4 |
| 16th sept | Thursday | Skinner | 6-5 loss |
| 24th sept | Friday | Randolph | 6-1 loss |
| 27th sept | Monday | Morey | 3.45pm |
| 30th sept | Thursday | Cole | 3.45pm |
Audere est facere.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
1st and lasting impressions from today.
I eagerly await Fridays session where i get to meet the remainder of my team before next weeks curtain raising game against Fairmont.
Audere est Facere.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Fixtures list & new training complex ?
....1st non play off seeding game is on 30th august , which gives me 8 days to get to grips with the lads and work out who is good , who needs work and who should stick with the chess club!
I Hope to have a decent size squad with some steel, some balls and some enthusiasm at least , I have also started putting my notes together on some games for training that i picked up from colleagues on the D license course earlier this year.
Our new training complex, or school yard as its known is ready for a grand opening today so on my way to the coaches meeting I shall cruise by and see how it turned out.
I Hope to have a decent size squad with some steel, some balls and some enthusiasm at least , I have also started putting my notes together on some games for training that i picked up from colleagues on the D license course earlier this year.
Our new training complex, or school yard as its known is ready for a grand opening today so on my way to the coaches meeting I shall cruise by and see how it turned out.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
2010 girls record
Last seasons record with the Ladies of Dora Moore was as follows:
Played 10, Won 5 , Lost 5 , Scored 25, Conceded 20 (finished 4th out of 10)
Play off game V DCIS lost 9-1.
In our first game we scored more goals than they managed the whole of the previous season and managed to reach the play off for the first time in school history.
After just 3 games we lost our keeper due to her being caught kissing her boyfriend during break time!
I had 15 girls in my team , 6 with the name Maria. top scorer was Galen with 9 goals, just one short of my prediction for her. My captain Brandy made the division state team and was the only player to receive a yellow card throughout the season.
After just 3 games we lost our keeper due to her being caught kissing her boyfriend during break time!
I had 15 girls in my team , 6 with the name Maria. top scorer was Galen with 9 goals, just one short of my prediction for her. My captain Brandy made the division state team and was the only player to receive a yellow card throughout the season.
Audere Est Facere.
First Impressions
A few dates of importance have already been penciled in My diary , August 19th at 4 pm I will meet with My fellow coaches to collect our Jubilani match ball for the 2010 season , this meeting will also give Me the chance to voice My anger of the touchline ban I narrowly escaped for over coaching in an unsporting manner (we was losing 7-1 with 5 to go for Christ sake) and also to get back my own socks from the coach at park hill school. It starts with F and ends in off and isn't a Russian surname :)
A week later I will take to the field with my men, play a simple game , take notes and then let the year of coaching exams that have kept me away from my family do their work and let the results speak for themselves.
Audere Est Facere
A week later I will take to the field with my men, play a simple game , take notes and then let the year of coaching exams that have kept me away from my family do their work and let the results speak for themselves.
Audere Est Facere
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