Match Reports

Sat. May 31: Explosion Blue 3  Loudoun 94 Red 0
The Blues come into the final 3 games of the season needing points from each game to be promoted. Early pressure and a rock-hard playing surface resulted in an early goal for Arlington when a harmless ball into the area from Corrie bounced high in front of the Loudoun keeper and floated into the net. From there the Blues took control with Angie adding a half-field breakaway goal early in the second half and Anna M. adding the third near the end of the game. Loudoun tested the Arlington keeper a few times but were not able to get back into the match. Next weekend will prove absolutely crucial for the Blues; the season ends with 2 games against the top 2 teams.

Memorial Day Weekend: The Virginian tournament
Last year the girls made a surprising run to the final in their group, so expectations ran high for the 2008 edition. The first day started promisingly, with wins over a Wyckoff NJ team and the SYC hosts clinching a semifinal berth on Sunday. The Blues faced a very solid CSC Heat squad on Sunday morning and kept things close most of the way but a perfectly-placed free kick by CSC sealed the win 1-0. The loss meant that the Blues would square off against the 1st place team from the other side of the bracket, the PWSI Courage, who also happen to be ODSL division rivals. The match was played at a frantic pace and both teams gave it 100%. In the end an early second half goal from PWSI was the difference, and they went through to the final. The Blues then had Monday off, which in the long run might have been a good thing as they still face 3 tough division games, including a rematch with PWSI.

Sun. May 18: Explosion Blue 2  BAC Storm 1
Unbelievably a second straight day without rain. However, gray skies and the forecast of thunderstorms did not bode well. Arlington again started off quickly with Angie scoring first, creating a nice goal out of nothing. The Blues had many opportunities in the first half but could not find the net for the all-important second goal. BAC equalized near halftime following a sloppy goalmouth scramble. The second half was an even, tense affair, with both sides moving the ball well but not able to penetrate the other team’s back line. Then lightning struck (figuratively anyway) as Anna put in a fine strike from 25 yards out. The final 7 minutes saw BAC push everyone forward to try and claim the equalizer but it didn’t come. The end couldn’t come quickly enough for the Blues, who needed to end the day with a win, and also because the inevitable rain had begun to come down...

Sat. May 17: Explosion Blue 1  Frederick Royals 3
Finally, a bright sunny game day! The Blue started out fast and netted an early goal when Angie broke through the Frederick defense and put a shot past the keeper. Anna nearly doubled the early lead moments later on a long shot but the Royals goalie was able to pluck it out of the air. That save woke up the Frederick side, and from there they began to take control of the game. The equalizer came just before halftime, then just after the restart they went ahead. The pace of the Frederick wings kept Arlington on their heels the rest of the game. A late 3rd goal sealed the outcome for the visitors, though the Blues never really looked like they would be able to level the match.

Sun. May 11: Rained out. Again.
That makes the score 4-3 in favor of rainouts. It will be a busy May and June with doubleheader weekends the rest of the season, in addition to the Memorial Day weekend tournament.

Sun. May 4: Explosion Blue 2  BRYC Blue Angels 0
The Blues picked up right where they left off against Annandale, taking control of the match early with good ball movement on the outside. The first goal finally came near the halfway mark when Anna’s cross from deep in the corner landed right at Bridget’s feet and was calmly tucked into the back of the net. There was no second-half letup from the Blues; after surviving a potentially dangerous goal mouth scramble, they quickly counterattacked down the right side, where Anna found Angie at the near post following a nice cutback move. Angie buried the shot and put the game away. After 3 games the girls are undefeated but face a real test in their next match: the high-flying PWSI Courage White, who won last season’s matchup by the convincing score of 3-0. If the Courage win, they would go to 5-0 on the season and have the inside track to 1st place; a win by the Blues would make the title run very interesting indeed.

Sat. April 26: Explosion Blue 4  Annandale Xpress 1
The girls were highly motivated to do well against  Rachel’s former team, and they put the pressure on right from the start. Several shots went high or wide until Anna placed one high in the corner of the net to get the Blues rolling. They added 3 more in quick succession by Logan, Veronica, and Angie to kill the game off before the halftime whistle. Annandale kept fighting despite the long odds and produced a nice goal on a breakaway midway through the second half, but it was not enough.

Sun. April 13: Explosion Blue 1  SYC Spirit 1
A new league for both teams this season who played to a scoreless draw in last season’s matchup in WAGS. Would a fresh start in ODSL produce similar results? In a word, yes. The Explosion started fast, with forwards Angie and Julia getting free right up the center of the SYC defense, but excellent goalkeeping by SYC kept the game scoreless early. Then, with perhaps the goal of the season, Angie expertly nodded in Anna’s corner kick from the near post. Not to be outdone, the Spirit put the pressure on and evened the score just at the stroke of halftime on their own corner kick, this one to the far post. The second half was not nearly as frantic as the first, each team settled in and held the ball a little better. Both goalies were tested but not beaten, and a 1-1 draw was the result.

Match Reports (fall 2007)

Continue...