Brilliant!

The U8 Sharks game this week was easily the team's best performance ever.  The final score was impressive to be sure but the real beauty of this game was in the team's ability to compose themselves at the half.  The first two periods were played at a very frenetic pace and with the score close all the way to the half-point the team was playing too fast with too much kicking and not enough control of the ball.  I took a moment with them in the bench to remind them that they should ignore the score and just focus on playing the game the way we like to play: cool-headed with good ball control, dribble first, pass second.  In the second half they went out and did just that and the result was a barrage of goals, mostly in one-on-one situations where the Sharks' patient attack had allowed them to get past the opposition defense for clear shots.

Drew had a goal for us early in the game then Sam E. put one in before the half.  In the third quarter the game was a 2-2 tie.  In those early quarters we'd had great play from everyone even if the pace was faster than I like.  That pace was working for us at first, especially with the play of Sam A. who was showing some amazing athleticism and speed.  Coach Mike and I both noted that he seemed to have really reached a new level in terms of his anticipation of the action and his touch on the ball.  He and Drew along with Sam E. were the brunt of our attack early.

In the second half the Sharks started playing with that beautiful calm ball control that just drives other teams crazy.  Again and again Daylon would hold the ball for a few extra ticks, like a point guard looking for an open man, then he'd send a pass down field that would lead either Sam E or Austin right into a shot.  Elizabeth was seeing those passing lanes too and made some beautiful passes up to the strikers.  I talk to both players a lot about trying to use their skills to get around the other team and do some attacking of their own but I think that with both kids they have such a soft touch on the ball and such confidence in their control that they can use their peripheral vision freely and see those obvious passing opportunities.  Most of the time they are sending the ball up field to a target, not just clearing it wildly.

As mentioned, Sam E and Austin were the beneficiaries of some fabulous support from their midfielders and so they got up into the box often enough to score a combined 5 goals in the second half.  Sam E had 3 for a game total of 4.  Austin put in two, one on a rebound.  The other was a blast from 8 yards out that he really hustled to get open for.  Elizabeth had sent a nice ball up the wall for Austin and as he raced along with it toward the opposition's right corner he got tripped up by a defender and took a nasty spill.  (after the game he was showing off his turf-burn to the other kids)  There was nothing malicious there but it might have been called a foul.  The ref saw it otherwise and let play continue.  Now you need to know that up to this point the other Coach had been chirping a bit about the officiating and Mike and I were just a bit annoyed by this since we do try to constantly impress on the Sharks that they must use their skills, not their elbows.  We want them to play as clean as possible while never conceding the ball.  So hearing complaints that the Sharks might be playing too rough is hard to bear.  At any rate, after that fall Austin took and the ref's no-call Mike was a little fired up and he called to Austin to shake it off and go take the ball back.  Austin did just that and as he circled back around for his shot Mike couldn't help but call out "make'm pay!"  Austin delivered...all shoe laces then straight into the net!  Competing hard is its own reward...but winning is a nice bonus.

Zachary and Jackson both did well for us in this game too and were both a big part of our attack and defense.  They both had moments of really wonderful, un-panicked ball control.  Zachary did give me a pull-back or two this game and he did make a couple of nice runs around his opponents.  And more than once his big kick saved us.  Jackson was cool as a cucumber in midfield and repeatedly made nice first touches to settle the ball then look for a pass.  He told me after the game though that he just hadn't had time for a pull-back.  So now he owes me two.

I'm really proud of them this week.  That first half had them moving towards that panicked, frenetic play that uses a lot of energy but isn't particularly effective.  But they pulled it together in the second half and settled into their own beautiful game.  Like I said above, winning is a nice bonus.  But what I like to see is that they are all building the confidence in themselves and each other that will allow them to gladly compete against anyone. Well done Sharks.