Match Reports Season 2008
Division 1 Firsts / Reserves | Division 3 Firsts / Reserves
S.A.A.S.L. Round Four Saturday 3rd May 08
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DIV 1 FIRSTS 4 v 5 WANDERERS
Goals: Stenta (3), Siklich (1)
Lineup: Andrawos, Ciano, Barolo, Zanin, Kari (Condon), George, DeIeso (Siklich), Sawicki, Stenta, Rossi (Galipo), Ripa
Question – How many goals does it take to win a soccer match?
Answer – Just One!
As the B’s showed us again, with their fourth straight win of a so far undefeated season, one goal is enough to win you a soccer game. It is amazing to think that the A grade is still winless this season despite scoring nine goals in four matches. But this is the reality after another embarrassing loss at the hands of the Wanderers on Saturday.
For the Wolves, a better start couldn’t have been scripted. Our opponents grossly underestimated us and we took full advantage of this lack of respect and jumped out of the blocks. Iggies dominated the first half hour of the match and played some of the best free flowing, quick passing and tight marking soccer seen so far this year. The result of this great start was a surprising, but not undeserved 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. All three goals would be finished by Stenta, however, it was the fantastic lead up work by all and sundry that needs to take credit for the first half goals.
It was the likes of Ripa and Rossi up front, holding onto the ball under enormous pressure before laying off to the oncoming midfielders that created the space for the goals to be scored. It was the slick passing and movement of midfielders George, DeIeso, Kari and Sawicki that provided the service to the strikers that underpinned our forward movement. And above all, it was the solid and disciplined defence, marshalled extremely well by Ciano, in his first A-grade start of the year, which allowed us to dominate and continually pressure our opponents in the frenetic opening passages.
The half was not without its drama either, with Iggies custodian, Andrawos, nearly collapsing in goals as a result of his low blood sugar level. The diabetic had to be helped from the field and fed soft drink just to allow him to play on, which he did admirably. Going into the half three goals to the good, Iggies dared to dream that the upset they had been craving, that they’d talked about prior to kick off, was actually not a dream at all, but a reality. As we all know though, only two halves make a whole. And, as good as our first half was, the lack of quality, spirit and fight showed in the second was inexcusable. In short, it was one of the most insipid halves of soccer seen by a group of players wearing the Wolves colours.
Coach Romano had warned as all about what was coming. Our highly fancied opponents had been embarrassed in the first half and would be out for revenge. We did not heed his warnings though. The majority of the second half was played in our defensive half, with only the odd counter-attack forward. The match had turned into what appeared to be a bunch of school boys playing against seasoned, match hardened men. We were physically intimidated and dominated in a second half that saw our opponents sweep us aside without so much as a whimper from the Wolves.
At 3-1 up, we showed a little bit of the back bone needed when Sawicki, after some good lead up work by Kari, Rossi and Ripa, battled tirelessly to keep the ball in play before supplying an inch perfect cross to Siklich. The super-sub outjumped his opponent in the box and steered his header past the keeper and make it 4-1. But this resistance was to be short lived as we allowed our opponents to completely dominate us for the rest of the match. For the second match in a row, a soft penalty was given away, and amazingly at 4-2 down, it was the Wanderers who appeared to be in control and the more likely to win. Wave after wave of forward thrusts were meet meekly by the Wolves who defended poorly as a whole team and could not muster up anything to stand up and fight.
Apart from Ciano, we were devoid of leaders on the park. The unstoppable Stenta of the first half had disappeared and was hardly sighted in the second, whilst our skipper Kari was unable to continue due to illness. This left our young side rudderless and we folded quicker than a deck of cards under the relentless pressure of our opponents. This result does not bode well for future physical encounters against tough, hard at it, even dirty opposition. We need to be able to match the hardness thrown at us and give it back twice as much, rather than allow ourselves to get pushed around the park. This was Coach Romano’s parting message at the game’s end and it is one well worth heeding heading into what now is a crucial match against Gleeson next week. Whilst we are only four games into the season, survival in division one will not be easy if we continue to lose games in the manner that we did this week. It’s true that it only takes one goal to win a soccer match, however, even four goals will not get you across the line if there is no heart and guts underpinning the performance.
DIV 1 RESERVES 1 V 0 WANDERERS
Goal: Takumi
DIV 3 FIRSTS 2 V 4 McCLAREN DISTRICT
Lineup: Hurt; A. Rossi, Caeran, Lai, G. Bolognese; Kostadinov, J. Kitching, Cosentino, Callaghan; Sourdin (Balestrin 45’), Woods
Goalscorers: Balestrin, Kostadinov
Disappointing is the theme of the report this week. Having won 6-2 the previous week, the team was broken up by injuries and the unavailability of a number of players. By pulling out of the side within 3 hours of kickoff, two other players significantly let their club and their team-mates down. With only 12 players named (despite a number of 3Bs staying behind), 3 injuries on the day contributed to the defeat. Further, we can not expect to win ANY points this season if we continue to defend in the kamikaze manner in which we did.
We had entered this game confident that we could muster our first league points of the season and climb out of the relegation zone. There is a ‘big 5’ in our league and a ‘bottom 7’ – thus, to avoid the 4 relegation spots we require wins (or points at a minimum) against those ‘bottom 7’ at a bare minimum. Conceding 4 goals to another team in that ‘bottom 7’ was unacceptable.
Danzo put his hand up to go back into goal after Emerson retired from OISC in season 2008 to concentrate on year 12 and his school football commitments. In total, only 6 players that played in the Cup win last week were returned.
However, regardless of who was missing and who wasn’t playing, excuses can NOT be made for the lacklustre starts at the beginning of both halves. We were 2-0 down after 7 minutes, and we were 4-0 down after 3 minutes of the second half. All 4 goals were a result of defensive errors or mixups. Unfortunately, our team isn’t built like the glorious Tottenham, who can afford to concede 4 but still manage to score 5 or 6 (check out their goal difference this season). We are playing a lot more like Derby County, making poor decisions and not keeping our shape or discipline.
Not much will be said about that game that has already been said. We found our feet briefly for 20 minutes and took the ascendancy, with Balestrin at the heart of most of our moves. He scored a well-placed free-kick into the bottom corner, and provided the shot-cum-cross which allowed Kostadinov to slide in late on the right to give us some hope.
However, it was too little too late. An away trip to Vipers FC who are flying high at the moment will significantly test the structure and the concentration of the team. We have conceded a goal in every first half we have played in this season, trial game or official (except one, where they scored 5 mins after half time). This needs to stop.
DIV 3 RESERVES 2 V 3 McCLAREN DISTRICT
Goals: Balestrin, Greene
