What could be better than a Friday night GNC soccer game under the lights while you fill the seats for your fans to cheer on. The game started out great, we weathered the kick off and their possession of swinging the ball across the back line. The boys had great patience early on waiting for Lakeland to make a mistake shitting down passing lanes and defending with all 11. We quickly force and error and we possessed the ball for a good 6 minutes. The middle third was controlled by us but when we would attack in the offensive third we could not seem to find the feet or mount attack. After our first time attacking Lakeland’s and they countered we seem to change the style of play. As a result Lakeland gained momentum and in the 24 minute Lakeland’s middle fielder chipped a ball to the conference top scorer inside the 18 and one touch and finding an easy low corner shot for the first goal of the game. At half time we made adjustments and demanded that the forwards make crossing.runs and demand the ball. We are not getting enough corners and producing enough offense. About 6 minutes into the second half. A Pines and Lakeland player were jousting for position and the center ref gave them both a yellow, and our Pines player kept rolling his mouth and they carded him putting us down a player and forcing him out for Saturdays game. Right after this skirmish I grabbed Mason Jahnke and said now is the time to mentally checked in and was subbed in and made a run across field angled run moving west to east towards the north goal. He cut on the defender gaining a step on him and found himself in the 18 and the defender took him out drawing a PK. Cody Vojta pounded it in to tie the game. We gained momentum for much of the half despite being down a player putting Lakeland on defense much of the half. We just couldn’t seem to find any real threat of scoring. Like most games this season, we play awesome but let off the gas a bit. Lakeland gained possession in the 69 minute and we gave their midfield a bit too much space and he found the foot of their star player who made a number of cut moves and 4 impatient defenders stabbed at the ball pulling players out of position and getting a great shot off and Mylo made a great save, but an unmarked defender cleaned up the garbage. When you stab and are impatient defensively you become unorganized and you leave a player unmarked for easy goals. Pines responded and put pressure on Lakeland again and again, but they would boot the ball and run the clock down and like many before we fell short.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
