United Black Game History
Hershey Tournament - Game report #3 - Finals
June 19th 2011 afternoon
United Black rematch vs. Hainesport Attack -- 5-0 -- Jesse, Czar, Jesse, Moritz, Greg
In the semifinals on the morning of Sunday June 19th, Hainesport Attack beat the Southbury Gladiators, with whom United Black had a penalty kickoff earlier in the morning. Since United Black won that kickoff 3-1, the Gladiators faced #3 seed Hainesport in the semis. Hainesport then earned a place in the tournament finals for our division. This opposing team had pulled their defense together better than when United Black faced them a day earlier, and they had washed off their green hair and face paint. They played the same keeper as before, and Dugan served as United goalie once again.
United Black gave Hainesport a quick battle from the kickoff, with lots of passing and good defense all over the field. Within the first five minutes, Jesse got the ball through Hainesport’s defenders and made a good shot for 1-0 United.
United kept the ball on Hainesport’s territory most of the first half, but when they got it through Braden went on the chase. Braden passed the ball to Dugan on the front line for more battle on Hainesport’s half. With his own great hairdo for the final game, Greg got the ball and made a shot that went wide. After United got the ball back from the goal kick, they controlled the ball with good passing. At 12 minutes in, CZar won the ball and shot it with his left foot into the top left corner of the goal for 2-0.
After another kickoff, Moritz joined the game and got the ball, but Hainesport defended it out for a United corner kick. Later, Braden got the ball to Russell, who passed it to Matias for a good attempt that was saved by Hainesport’s keeper. After the ball bounced around for a few minutes, CDub won it and made a shot that went wide. The game stood at 2-0 United at the half.
The start of the second half saw Luke in goal. In the first five minutes of this half, United once again took control of the ball for a battle in Hainesport territory, with good passing amongst United’s front line. Braden won the wall and passed it over to Jesse, who made a good shot from the right, bringing the game to 3-0.
Back on Hainesport’s half after kickoff, Dugan on the right made a shot which went to the post and then to their keeper. Greg and CDub played defense just past the half line, with Russell playing just up from them, denying Hainesport access to United territory. Braden made a nice cross to Carter, who made a shot to their keeper. CZar came in for Jesse, then controlled the ball off a throw-in by Russell and made a shot that went wide.
After more movement up and down the center half of the field, good passing by United got the ball to Moritz on the left. Moritz battled through Hainesport’s defenses and got in a good shot to much cheering, good for 4-0 United.
Towards the end of the game, Carter subbed in for Luke at the goal but was barely even tried as keeper, as his United teammates kept the ball in Hainesport territory. Braden got the ball again at half, passed it to Dugan on the right, and Dugan passed it over to Greg at striker, who battled it in for a good shot that brought the game to 5-0 United, which is where this tournament, and the last game played together by the original United Black team, ended successfully.
Hershey Tournament - Game #2
June 18th 2011 afternoon
United Black 12
Force 1:
(CZar, Jesse, Jesse, Carter, Matias, CDub, Carter, Dugan, Braden, Carter, Carter, Jesse)
Having won their morning game, United Black was fired up in the sun at Shenk Field in Hershey. United played five up front, two back again this game, with Dugan in goal for the first half. The boys broke away in the first two minutes of the game, with Russell winning the ball and passing it to Matias, who passed it to CZar for a good shot that quickly made the game 1-0 for United.
Force turned the ball around, they had a couple of quick players, their #2 went up United's left side for a shot that went out, no problem for Dugan. After some back and forth, United moved the ball back into Force territory and Luke took a shot that went just wide. Their goal kick went to Greg who booted the ball back up for more pressure on the Force. Jesse got the ball but was fouled in the box -- his penalty kick went in the right side of the goal for 2-0 United.
After some good runs by both teams, Moritz got the ball after being subbed into the front line. Moritz ran the ball up and passed it to Jesse who made a good shot for 3-0 United. After a bit of battle, a good run up by Luke was stopped by their defenders, and the ball went back to CDub at midfield. CDub got the ball back up to Braden, who took a big shot that went high. After more play, Braden won the ball and passed it over to Carter on the left, who found his way to a shot from the left for Carter's first of four goals of the game -- 4-0 United.
Russell won the ball quickly after Force's kickoff and made a nice cross to Matias, who shot it in for a fast 5-0 United. Perhaps United should have put the brakes on at this point, as the first half was not yet finished. More good play saw Moritz battling up the right side and Braden taking a corner kick. Later, Braden got the ball to Russell who made a good pass to Moritz for a good but unsuccessful shot. Towards the end of the first half, Greg got the ball up to CDub playing on the front line at this point. CDub made a hard shot -- the goalie got his hand on it but the ball slipped past him for 6-0 United at the half.
Luke played keeper for the second half, with Jesse and Greg on defense and Matias, Dugan, CZar and CDub, plus Carter up front. In the first five minutes of the second half Force got a breakaway this time, for a good shot on Luke that made the game 6-1, the only goal scored against United this day.
The second half saw some good battle between United and Force. Dugan won the ball and passed it to Carter for a good shot that made the game 7-1 United. A battle in the center got the ball back up to Luke who booted it back up to the Black front line so they could keep the pressure on Force's half of the field. Braden won the ball from Force defenders and passed it to Dugan who made a good shot for 8-1 United. After more United pressure that saw little get past Russell defending at the half line, Braden won the ball again and made his own shot for 9-1 United.
After lots of play on both sides of the field, CDub won the ball and passed it to Carter on the left. Carter made a left-footed shot for 10-1 United. The Force did pressure United as well and made some more shots on Luke that were no problem for the United Black goalie. After more good play, Greg got the ball in Force territory and made a shot that got deflected, but Carter was in good position for the rebound and shot it in for 11-1 United.
The end of the half saw some more good play but the Force could not break through United's defenses again. Jesse got the ball once more and ran it through past two Force defenders for a good shot that ended the game at 12-1 United.
Hershey Tournament - Game #1
June 18 2011
Hainesport Attach 0
Arlington United Black 7
(Greg, Jesse, Connor C., Carter, Matias, Greg, Jesse)
This was the boys’ first 8v8 game, so the start of the game saw five United Black boys playing up front, with two defenders and Dugan in goal. The parents felt a little uncertain on the sidelines, having just seen a partner United team lose by one point in the last five minutes of their game before us on the same field, and the fact that the boys of Hainesport Attack were sizable and wearing green hair and makeup. Not to worry, however.
In the first five minutes of the game, Jesse and Greg, playing up front, passed the ball back and forth on a great breakaway into Hainesport territory, challenging their green-faced, black-haired goalie. Greg got right through for a good shot, making the game 1-0.
United Black kept up the pressure on Hainesport’s goal. Russell on the left made good passes, one back to Braden which Braden crossed to Matias for a shot which the defenders sent out for a corner by Russell. Russell got the ball to Matias who passed it to CZar inside the goal box, and United had control of the ball most of the first half. The boys had a guest player for the tournament, Moritz playing #55, the 7-year old brother of Nico on United White (or Blue?). Moritz was ready as soon as he got subbed onto the field. When Luke came in for Russell, he kept up the pressure and tried a cross over to Moritz, which the defenders sent out for another corner by Luke which found Moritz for a shot that went a bit wide.
Even on a goal kick, Hainesport had a tough time getting past CDub playing defense at the half line, and when they did get it past, Dugan had no trouble picking up their shots. Dugan sent the ball back upfield. Luke got the ball to Carter in front who passed to Moritz who sent it over to Jesse on the outside right. Jesse made a shot from the right past the keeper for 2-0.
Towards the end of the first half CDub played offense and got the ball upfield and took a shot that hit the post, but CDub got the rebound for another shot that made the game 3-0 at the half.
Luke played goalie for the 2nd half, with Jesse and CZar on defense and Matias, Carter, Dugan, Greg and Braden up front. United Black dominated play once again. Hainesport had a few shots that were no problem for Luke. Jesse made a good run and got the ball up to Matias who passed up to Carter. Braden got the ball for a shot that the keeper dropped, and Carter got the rebound and shot it in for 4-0 with 15 minutes left in the game.
With Czar and Russell on defense, United Black denied Hainesport much access to United territory. CZar made two headers to keep the ball away. Greg was fouled again on another run, and Matias took and made the penalty shot for 5-0 United. Jesse and CZar kept up the good defense with help midfield by CDub, and even when they got through and made a nice shot Luke had no problem picking it up.
Moritz went up the right side and when the ball went out a green-hair made a throw-in that Russell stopped. Russell fed the ball to Greg, who maneuvered around their defenders for a good shot that made the game 6-0.
CZar subbed into goal for Luke with five minutes left in the game, with Jesse, Carter and Greg up front. Hainesport got in 2-3 shots during these last five minutes which CZar caught or pushed away. Jesse took an off-sides kick and got it up to Carter who passed it to Greg for another shot, which went high. Jesse got the ball off the goal kick and ran it through for one last shot, making the game 7-0 at the end.
Game 5
Sunday, May 15, 2011
FPYC Chaos 1
Arlington United Black 0
The English proverb that “all good things must come to an end” is a good allusion to the various streaks that Arlington United Black were enjoying. They had not lost or tied in their twelve league games, and had scored at least one goal in each of the eighteen games played in league and tournament play. They came into this game after being a little flat in their last outing, and with possibly a little less confidence. The mid-morning weather was warm, overcast, and humid. The facilities were first class with a nice artificial pitch. The pitch combined with the weather made for an unusually fast ball and high bounces on punts from the goalie.
The play started on time, and when the referee blew her whistle United Black was still undecided as to a goalie. The play began and Dugan Messman was in the process of putting on the yellow goalie pinnie, but it was obvious from the start that he was not, in fact, playing goal. Coach TJ had asked the team for a goalie and there was not one volunteer, so he began the game with seven outfield players. The team was immediately forced to defend as a team, and did it quite successfully. Though there were a few harrowing moments where shots went wide, and the backline was forced into quick decisions, the focus on team defense helped spur play on and suck the Chaos into our own defensive end. When United Black got the ball, there was good interplay between the defense and midfield, but working into the final third of the field was difficult. The Chaos has a stout defense and the humidity in the air was making it difficult to breathe and run at full strength. The first set of substitutions brought some relief and Braden Shackelford donned the goalie gloves much to the delight of the spectators. With a goalie, the United Black started to develop their play and exhibit the confidence that comes with being a quality side. The passes started to mesh and progress up the field began to occur. Braden punted a long ball out of goal, up the right sideline to Luke Sedor, who brought the ball further up the field and down to the right flank, the ball popped into the air and Bryce Wilkom brought the ball down inside the goalie box and in one motion toe tapped it downwards past an opponent , he then made a nice touch pass to Connor Salazar for a quick turnaround shot that was surely headed into the side netting at the far post, but the goalie got his fingertips on it at the very last second and pushed it wide of the post for a corner. Minutes later, the same combination showed up in the box for another opportunity, Bryce beat an opponent on the dribble, passed through to the middle from the goal line and the ball rested at Connor’s feet, who took a shot which, which was deflected by a defender and landed straight at Russell Biddle’s feet who shot it into the goalies arms. A good opportunity that made the Chaos realize that the United Black were now into the game. The defensive pairing of Scott Fernandez and Mattias Dieguez on the back line was solid, and in turn Braden made a nice save tipping a good bid by the Chaos over the cross bar. The midfielders were not getting the width needed to stretch the defense, thereby crowding the middle and allowing the already effective Chaos defense to defend with numbers in a smaller space. In the first half the majority of play was in between the two midfields. As an aside, the onlookers sensed that there was a lack of urgency, and that immediate chase was not being adhered to when United Black lost the ball.
The second half started out much the same way as the first half, for the first five to ten minutes there was a lot of play between the two goal boxes with not a whole of serious efforts on goal. Both defenses were stellar and the sense that either an unusually good effort, defensive miscue, or fluke play was going to be the deciding factor. United Black began to move the ball wide and the wingers did a better job of staying wide and opening up space, and it began to pay dividends. United Black began to exert some pressure on the Chaos by playing down the wing and winning a number of corners. Greg Curtin and Jesse Bloome played a short corner that allowed Jesse to slip down the goal line towards goal, but his shot went wide. Greg combined with Russell on another short corner and the resultant pass, though a good thought, was intercepted by the defense and cleared. Another short corner resulted in a turnover, a change in tactics may have needed to be employed at this point by crossing the corner into the box to see what might happen. The Chaos did a good job of keeping the ball outside of the goal area and were able to close down on any Arlington players who had a look at goal.
About ten minutes remained in the game and a somewhat innocuous play down the left flank resulted in the only goal of the game. The Chaos outside midfielder brought the ball down towards the left corner flag and passed back to a teammate who was outside the penalty box. The Chaos player took a bouncing ball and kicked it towards the goal area, it sailed high into the air, bounced once and settled into the back of the net. The goalie was well-positioned, slightly out of the goal mouth to pick off potential passes into the box, and was unfortunate to have the ball drift over him and into the goal. Was it a pass, was it a shot, or was it a hard mis-kick, only the Chaos will truly know the answer. United Black did not hold their heads down and continued to attack, but they did lack energy and did not take the necessary risks (moving everyone forward) to provide a comeback like they had done a week earlier. Scott Fernandez tip-toed down the goal line and shot into the outside netting, and probably with the last best chance of the game, Conor Chmiel received a nice cross that he met well and stung it over the right corner of the goal. In the end, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Next week, another stern test awaits United Black with the Frederick Academy, a team we beat in the last moments of the game the last time they played. Hopefully the boys will come out with a little more verve.
Game 4
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Vienna Raptors Black 3
Arlington United Black 4
(Connor Salazar, Bryce Wilkom, Dugan Messman, Connor Salazar)
At the halfway stage of the season United Black remains undefeated, but they are fortunate not to have lost this game against a determined and talented Vienna squad. The weather on this Mother’s Day was beautiful, in the low-70s with a slight breeze. The field had a horrible strip of dirt and clumps of grass down the middle that made the play a little bit uneven in that area. United Black felt confident going into the game, and again gained an early advantage only to see it slip away until late in the second half. The game started on time and it was evident early on that Vienna were a quality team, they had size, could dribble, and were handy at passing. United Black struck for a goal in the first 5 minutes of the game on a nice combination play between Jesse Bloome and Connor Salazar. Jesse collected the ball near the left side of midfield and noticed Connor breaking unabated towards goal and passed a perfectly weighted ball that allowed Connor to make a first touch move to dribble past a defender and put him through on goal, and as has been the case all season, he was able to put the ball past the goalie for an early lead. Vienna fought back and was able to move the ball effectively through to threatening positions in the Arlington goal area, but Dugan Messman was there to scoop up any balls and did a good job of distributing with his punts. United Black remained on the attack and forced a Raptors goal kick, a somewhat innocuous play in soccer but it turned into a goal for 2-0 lead. The goalie took the kick which deflected off a Raptors player and landed right at Bryce Wilkom’s feet, he settled the ball and before the defense could collapse on him, shot the ball past the keeper for a two goal lead. The age old adage in soccer that the two goal lead is the hardest to hold would prove true, at this very moment the game changed in every respect. Vienna began to work harder and United Black rested on their lead, the Raptors began to win the tackles and Arlington was lethargic in midfield and would lose their shape and defensive responsibilities. The outside midfielders were not getting back to play defense and allowed the Raptors to pile on the pressure and gain an advantage against the Arlington back line. Too many times the Raptors were allowed to dribble down to the Arlington end with four attackers against two United Black defenders. The midfielders were failing to do their job of supporting the defenders and instead were expecting the defenders to make a play and kick the ball out to them for a rush down on offense, they were up by two and were getting a little bit greedy. Time and again, United Black was standing around watching and letting the Raptors dictate play, and as was expected and deserved, the Raptors scored two goals before half-time to tie the game. Arlington Black went into the half-time break with some things to think about as they were not playing the type of game they are accustomed to – passing, supporting, hustle, and working together as a team. Vienna was providing a stern test and should be excited about what they accomplished in the first half.
The second half started in the same manner that the first ended. Again, the midfielders work rate was slow and the team was being dazzled by the menacing attack of the Raptors. About ten minutes in the Raptors struck for a goal to take a deserving lead 3-2. The nervousness on the supporter sideline was in all likelihood matched by the frustration and confusion on the player bench. Whatever moxie the team had needed to be summoned now and Greg Curtin, Braden Shackelford, and Dugan Messman were the midfield tandem that began to create the change in attitude. When United Black went down by a goal it was as if a switch had been turned on, they became more aggressive, they hunted down the ball, they played as if they wanted to win. Greg and Braden began to win balls in the midfield, Russell Biddle was chasing down the ball in the defensive end, and the wizard of acute angle shots was out there to strike again. Dugan chased down a ball on the left flank and was hungry to score, he settled the ball took two touches and had a go at the net. As was the case last week, he scored inside the near post from an acute angle, which went below the goalie and into the net for the tying score. This provided renewed confidence for the United Black squad. Vienna did not give up the fight, they hit the post on a shot, had a direct kick from outside the box that sailed just over the crossbar, had a few threatening corner kicks, and were continuing with their forays into the Arlington end. But at this point, you could feel that Lady Luck was with United Black and mixed with some skillful passes, the sense that United Black could win was in the air. Bryce Wilkom worked well down the sideline, and on numerous occasions beat people down the wing and crossed dangerous balls into the middle for chances on goal. Conor Chmiel worked hard in the midfield and consistently pressured the ball and made good decisions when he won it. Matias Dieguez was stellar in defense and was effective at clearing the ball from danger. There was a goalkeeping change near the middle of the 2nd half that was important, Braden Shackelford went into net and saved a couple of Raptors shots, but the most important play came when he ran from the goal crease to bust up a Raptors pass, his clearance went up to the midfield where Greg Curtin gathered the ball. Greg broke up the wing and dribbled by a defender, ran step for step with another defender and continued down the wing. Meanwhile, Connor Salazar hustled through the middle of the field to get into scoring position, and in a moment of brilliance Greg sent a picture perfect cross just beyond the reach of his defender and a smidge past Connor’s defender, the goalie rushed out into no-man’s land leaving the goal wide open. Connor did a good job getting his foot onto the ball and when he met it the ball went high into the air, and it felt like it was suspended for a moment, but would it come down in time to land in the net? Only just, it shaved the side of the crossbar on its way down and landed just inside the goal line for a 4-3 lead. The Raptors continued to supply the pressure and United Black responded with disciplined fury to any and all challenges. The final whistle blew and United Black were lucky to have escaped with three points this afternoon. The boys found their game in the last 15 minutes and were able to use their technical ability, hard work, and good passing to change the outcome. If there was a lesson to be learned it was that this game is not all about fancy footwork and skillful passing, a team that works hard and is disciplined will more often than not beat a team that is wearing their fancy pants – United Black displayed that work ethic in only just enough time to secure a win and keep their winning streak alive.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Great Falls 00 Galaxy 1
Arlington United Black 6
(Dugan Messman, Greg Curtin, Bryce Wilkom, Luke Sedor, Jesse Bloome, Connor Salazar)
A three week layoff precipitated by Spring Break and a game cancelled by weather added to the anticipation felt by the United Black players and parents. The boys had practiced hard and were ready to show their skills on this slightly overcast day that had seen a few drizzles. The field was in good shape but had a bit of slickness to it, which provided all the more reason to shoot from distance. The game started out with good possession by both sides, testing each other for weaknesses and opportunities. Conor Chmiel and Braden Shackelford were stout on defense early and ready for the Great Falls attackers. United Black started to gain a little bit of an edge with excellent passing, making the ball do the work and forcing Great Falls to run more than they had anticipated. There had been no real opportunities for the first seven or eight minutes until Dugan Messman collected a ball near the right side of midfield took a couple of dribbles and saw the goalie off his line and not well positioned, he took a long shot from the right side about 20 yards out that skipped by the goalie and right inside the near post. A wonderful shot and a great way to get the team kick started, yet again United Black had struck first. Great Falls showed some individual skill, athleticism, and were quite a physically imposing team, but they did have trouble linking together passes. United Black’s overall defense was strong and the midfielders were able to recognize when they needed to be in attack and when they should be back defending. Great Falls took what they believed to be a simple throw in to their back line, yet Greg Curtin showed his speed and got to the ball first, directed past the intended recipient and was quickly in on goal by himself, he did a good job of slotting the ball underneath the goalie to put the team up 2-0 at the midpoint of the first half. Not content being up by two goals, and with Great Falls threatening goal on a couple of occasions, the combination of Carter Jones and Matias Dieguez on the offensive side of the ball kept the pressure on the Galaxy. They were both menacing the Galaxy with runs into the box, genuine hustle to gain possession, and hard work to force the other team into turnovers. As a whole, United Black did an excellent job of pressuring the ball all over the field in the first half and won the majority of the 50-50 balls. The pressure forced the Galaxy to work hard just to get out of their own end, which the majority of the time was accomplished by the goal keeper using his hammer of a foot to punt the ball down to the other side of the field. When the goalie did punt it, Conor Chmiel did a particularly good job of not letting the ball bounce and directing it back up the field, a critical skill when the goalie is able to get the ball so far downfield. Russell Biddle worked tirelessly in tackling, gaining possession of the ball, and finding teammates with passes. For all his efforts, he endured a foul in the midfield circle. At that point, Coach TJ instructed the goalie, Bryce Wilkom, to come out of goal and have a try at goal – it was an indirect kick and Russell touched the ball to Bryce who took two touches and sent a cracking shot from 30 yards out, past the defender and over the goalie’s head for a 3-0 half time lead. It was a nice effort for our second goal from distance. It must be said that there were far more opportunities that were snuffed out by the excellent work of the Galaxy goalie who faced a lot of action.
The second half started out much like the first, United Black used a lot of passing, dribbling, and tactical awareness to create opportunities on goal. Arlington’s first goal of the second half came on a wonderful play that started with Braden Shackelford making a strong tackle in midfield, having his head up to see what is in front of him, he switched fields by making a great pass out to the right flank to Luke Sedor, who collected the ball and did a dispy-do to keep the ball away from the defender and headed towards goal, the defender kept position and Luke was able to beat him to the outside with speed and strength. He ventured in on goal and shot the ball through the goalies wickets for a 4-0 lead. Scott Fernandez had a nice stint in the midfield, and used smart play to create scoring opportunities. He is not afraid to take on defenders and used good field vision in this game to pass the ball into dangerous areas – he is especially adept at playing through balls to get the outside midfielder to swoop in from the left or right for an opportunity on goal. One of the nicest individual efforts of the day was produced by Jesse Bloome, who was in good position in defensive midfield and went in and won a tackle, the ball was rolling out of bounds and was halfway over the line when Jesse used his speed to keep the ball in and keep it moving forward towards goal. By now he was 30 yards downfield and facing a defender, he outran him and moved in on goal. He powered a shot that produced a nice reflex save from the goalie, with the rebound coming right back to him, he used a quick reaction to place the ball into the left corner side netting, United Black were now up 5-0. Great Falls eventually found the net on a botched play by the United Black defense and goalie, a little more communication would have helped the situation, but Great Falls were probably deserving of a goal in this game. The final goal of the game came on a little bit of a jail break by Arlington Black, Connor Salazar collected the ball near the midfield circle and ran straight up the middle towards goal, he had a couple of options to pass, but smartly kept the ball as the most viable option ended up in an offside position, Connor deked the defender and was in on goal and, as cool as a cucumber, kicked the ball into the ole’ onion bag. The final score 6-1, another win for United Black. United Black continues to improve and understand that working together allows them to defend as a team and create opportunities on the offensive side. Their skill and composure on the ball continues to improve and when you combine these attributes it easy to see why they are unbeaten in league play since their inception. There are still hard tests down the road, but the boys are confident and should be looking forward to those challenge.
*********************
Game 2
Sunday, April 10, 2011
SYC Lions Green 0
Arlington United Black 5
(Connor Salazar, Mattias Dieguez, Connor Salazar, Connor Salazar, Luke Sedor)
The first away game of the season started on an overcast day - though today’s promise of sunshine was never apparent during the game, United Black’s abilities shone through in a 5-0 win. The pitch was a bit rough and bumpy, but it did not inhibit United Black’s creative abilities. Right from the starting whistle United Black were on the attack. They began the game with creative midfield play with the ball being passed about with fluidity and after a few minutes United Black were into the Springfield goal area with a nice through ball to Connor Salazar, who was able to corral the ball and beat the goalie with a quick shot for the first goal of the game. A good start to the game gave Arlington some confidence and set Springfield back on their heels. Springfield had a few runs into the Arlington end and were able to put a few passes together, but with what was probably the theme all day, they were not able to get that final pass through to an attacker on goal. United Black began another foray into the Springfield goal area and a good passing combination between Arlington players and an opportunity on net found Mattias Diequez unguarded, and in perfect position, to slot the ball in at the far post from five yards out. Arlington were now up two to nil. Springfield came back with some renewed vigor and had success building from their outside backs to midfield, but again the Arlington defense was able to provide coverage and clear the ball from danger on the advancing Lions. Springfield had a five minute stretch where they tested Dugan Messman in goal, but Dugan was able to cage the ball or provide enough cover to force the attacker away. Springfield had a number of corner kicks in the first half and the player taking the kicks was able to deliver the ball into dangerous areas, but on each occasion Dugan was able to read the ball’s path and make the save. For Arlington’s next goal, Greg Curtin fed Bryce Wilkom with a nice through ball from the midfield which Bryce ran onto beat the first defender and pushed the ball by the second defender, just as that was happening Connor Salazar, with determined hustle and speed, appeared in the picture ran onto the ball and snuck it by the goalie from eight yards out for the third and final goal of the first half.
The second half started a little different from the first, and Springfield came out of the half time huddle with more determination, but they were equally matched by the exuberance and spirit of Scott Fernandez, Conor Chmiel, and Carter Jones. Scott, the crafty left-footer, was nearly always in perfect position when he was playing defense and was calm in his distribution out of the back. He also had a good effort on goal midway through the half that went just over the crossbar. Carter and Conor showed true grit and hustle, never giving up on the ball whether it was going out of bounds or was being possessed by a Lion. The disruptive force of these three contributed to the Lions being uncomfortable and constantly looking over their shoulder. The Lions had few opportunities on goal in the second half, yet were unlucky not to get a goal. On a broken play, Bryce Wilkom came out of net to meet an attacker and the 50-50 ball was kicked simultaneously by both players and the ball scooted by, hit the post, and went out for a corner kick – mere inches had saved the shutout. The dribbling and passing combinations by United Black continued into the second half, with this correspondent being mesmerized into missing the fourth goal of the game, another strike by Connor Salazar. Again, United Black was dominating the game and were creating continued scoring opportunities. Jesse Bloome was effective in dribbling and created some offensive opportunities, yet was quick to return to his defensive responsibilities. Dugan Messman is getting better with the ball at his feet, keeping his head up while dribbling, and making the needed pass, more time in the field will no doubt parlay into continued productivity. Braden Shackelford, who put in his usual high level of effort in this game, seems to be a little unlucky. He had a number of opportunities on goal from distance, but a few of them were deflected out of bounds by the Lions for corner kicks, and a few went just wide. Later in the second half two individual efforts provided some exciting plays. First, Russell Biddle made a nice run and beat a defender just outside the goalie box with a nice move that exhibited ever-improving confidence and good ball control, the goalie made a nice save on Russell’s bid (dle). The second effort was a run by Luke Sedor from the midfield, where he has a penchant for making a run for goal at the right time. He beat one defender with ball control, and glided by the second defender before moving in on the goalie in a one-on-one situation. Luke shot the ball at the exact right moment and kept it low and to the corner, it went over the goal line for the fifth goal for United Black and the last goal of the game. Overall it was a well-played game in all respects - strong defense combined with constant hustle and good passing made United Black a difficult team to deal with on this Sunday. It was a deserving win. Acknowledgment to the parents, siblings, and friends who came to support United Black and who continue to show good sportsmanship and support of good plays by both teams.
Game 1
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Chantilly Raptors 2
Arlington United Black 5
(Bryce Wilkom, Jesse Bloome, Braden Shackelford, Luke Sedor, Jesse Bloome)
United Black started the game with the majority of possession for the first 10 minutes or so and did a good job of connecting on passes and dribbling through traffic. They were unable to connect on any solid chances until about the 10 minute mark when Jesse Bloome had an opportunity from just inside the box that went just wide. Chantilly then showed their teeth and on a counterattack found United Black a little short-handed at the back, a good shot from their forward ended up going just wide. Bryce Wilkom opened up the scoring by receiving the ball with his back to the goal about 20 yards out and turned himself and the defender with a quick move, another defender met him in the box, but Bryce was able to take the shot at the opportune moment and beat the goalie with a low, hard shot. Chantilly did not wait long to equalize, a good outlet pass from their centre back went straight to their unmarked forward sitting halfway between the goal box and midfield line. The forward collected the pass and headed up-field toward the goal. A United defender caught up to him, but the forward was able to hold him off, Luke Sedor was in goal and had little chance on stopping a shot that when in the right corner. United still had the preponderance of possession, and continued to create scoring opportunities, and had a wealth of corners. Russell Biddle’s ankle issues seem to be a thing of the past, his hustle and determination on the wing was well received. United Black’s second goal came on a break down the right side that was fed by Greg Curtin to Jesse Bloome, Jesse used the space wisely and was able to beat a defender with speed while venturing to the near post, his shot was spot on and United Black were up 2-1. United Black continued to apply pressure and with a good passing combination were able to get their third goal. Braden Shackelford and Russell Biddle played a one-two passing combo that freed up Braden for a foray to the middle. While it is debatable whether he was passing or shooting, Braden put a dangerous ball to the back post which curled past the goalie and into the side netting for a 3-1 half-time lead. The second half started and Chantilly had renewed vigor, but United Black was able to remain in control and keep possession. After playing goalie in the first half, Luke Sedor started the second half as striker and kept finding himself with the same half chance. Finally Luke was able to corral the ball while streaking through the middle, beat a defender with his speed and hold another off with his size and release a well taken shot for the fourth goal. Dugan Messman played well in goal in the 2nd half and stopped a number of chances, and was especially well positioned to make a save with a Raptor bearing down on him. He rushed out of net to cut down the angle and took the solid shot in the stomach and prevented a sure goal. Chantilly was eventually able to apply enough pressure and get a second goal, but a win was in the cards for United Black on this Sunday. Jesse Bloome was able to cap off the day with his second goal of the day, which put the game out of reach. Overall it was a solid effort by United Black, they used their width better than they had in previous matches, which stretched out the field and forced Chantilly to defend a larger space. Their passing continues to improve. The defense was tested a few times and seems to have trouble recognizing the unmarked man when we are in the offensive third (to prevent breakaways), but the defense and goalie played well and were not afraid to get stuck in for the tackle.
PWSI Icebreaker Tournament (March 19 & 20)
Game 1
Saturday, March 19th at 1:45 pm
Arlington United Black 2 (Jesse Bloome, Greg Curtin)
CSC Explosion (Chantilly Soccer Club) 1
United Black dominated possession and had a wealth of opportunities go begging. They hit the post three times and had a number of shots go just wide. The halftime score was 1-0 to United on a Jesse Bloome breakaway goal. The CSC Explosion tied it early in the second half on a scrambled play, with a mis-kick falling to the goalie, whose clearance was deflected into the goal. Otherwise the CSC provided little in the way of offense. United Black used good ball handling skills and deft passing to create more opportunities, finally in the last ten minutes of the game Bryce Wilkom made headway down the right side and crossed to the far post for an unmarked Greg Curtin who easily deposited the goal in the back of the net for the game winner. Even though the genuine thought that the soccer gods were against them, United Black were able to hold on to the lead and stem any opportunities that came against the run of play. It was a well-deserved win.
Game 2
Saturday, March 19th at 4:45 pm
Herndon FC Sports 0
Arlington United Black 8
(Greg Curtin, Jesse Bloome, Conor Chmiel, Own Goal, Bryce Wilkom, Dugan Messman, Bryce Wilkom, Mattias Dieguez)
United Black again looked dominant in the second game this Saturday. Their passing combinations were working well and they scored very early into the match with Greg Curtin connecting from a good distance. Before the half was done the lads had score three more times with Jesse Bloome and Connor Chmiel scoring and an unfortunate own goal by Herndon FC Sports. The opposition had a few early chances, which were met with the goalkeeper coming out of the box to snuff them out, as well as a few corners, but for the most part they had very little in the way of offense in the first half. The second half again saw United Black score four goals. Bryce Wilkom started the scoring in the second half with a powerful shot from the top of the box and added another one later in the period, but in between a nice cross from the right allowed Dugan Messman to calmly tally his first goal since his return from injury. Mattias Dieguez capped off the scoring with a darting run and nice combination of passes and a cool finish. The goalkeeper was little tested in the second half, but Luke Sedor made a nice diving save to keep the shutout intact. The opposition had some runs down the right side, but the defense held firm and did a good job of winning the ball and passing its way out of trouble.
Game 3
Sunday, March 20th at 9:20 am
NVSC Jr Royals Blue 3
Arlington United Black 1 (Jesse Bloome)
The game that would decide who would go to the Championship was a hard fought match by both sides, with the unfortunate result of United Black being on the losing end of the scoreboard. United had better possession of the ball and exhibited good passing combinations while the Royals were steadfast in defense and goalkeeping. United opened the game with confidence and utilized their superior passing skills to move by the Royals midfielders only to find three tough defenders sitting back there waiting to mop up any loose balls. United Black’s opportunities often came with the unlucky result of the shots going directly to the goalie. Continuous rushes up the field and some inattention to their backline caught our boys offside on numerous occasions in the first half. The Royals opened the scoring midway through the first half with a difficult half-effort that caught the goalie a little of guard, took a slight deflection, and sneaked between his legs for a 1-0 lead. A few minutes before the half, the Royals were able to double their lead. In the second half United Black came out with renewed vigor and kept attacking the goal and putting the pressure on. Strong midfield play and skillful passing created a few opportunities, and a nice pass from the back line sent Jesse Bloome on a half-breakway which he was able to convert into the bottom right corner to cut the lead to 1 goal. A few minutes after the goal, United Black maintained pressure and lost their shape a little bit and the Royals were able to break on the counter attack with a smart ball through to the midfield circle where the striker was waiting to collect and break away on goal. There was little the goalie could do and the striker deposited the ball in the back of the net for a 3-1 lead. United continued the pressure and had a number of other opportunities but were unable to get the breaks they needed to get goals. Overall the teams were evenly matched, we may have better skill and passing, but they kept their shape, showed discipline, and had very good defenders. The effort from our boys was never lacking, nor was the passion and encouragement of the parents.
Game 3
