Summary:
Result: 0-8
Full team except Ko who had an allergic reaction just prior to game time which prevented him from playing.
Please take part in the discussion by posting your thoughts and concerns in the comment section below, thanks!
Anton's thoughts:
I was encouraged by the way we played in the second half and I think that we can learn a lot by thinking about how the other team played; how they passed, took shots, stayed open for passes and in position and marked us well each time we had an opportunity to score. Somebody mentioned that this is not their first year together and, as I said last week, that makes such a huge difference. Even with those factors in their favor, however, we still had several great advances that almost resulted in goals.
It will be really fun to see the team develop over the next couple of months because we'll get to see these teams again and we'll be able to measure our improvements by how well those games go. I'm optimistic that we'll surprise them the next time we play. But in order for us to turn it around next time we all have to focus on what needs to be done. If you get the chance at all during the season watch some professional soccer. Watch a Sounders game or even some clips and pay particular attention to how much space is in between team mates, the technique they use to pass the ball or strike it for a shot and how they defend an attack.
I heard several of the players exclaim at the other team' powerful kicks and long shots. Don't psych yourselves out and start thinking that they can do things that you cannot, I promise you that with the right technique each and every Shark can take a shot from 20 yards out and put it on goal. Furthermore, now that we've all seen it, I'm going to expect that all of you want to be able to do that and will work hard and focus during practices to make it happen.
Everybody on the team (players and parents both) has maintained an excellent attitude through a tough start to the season and that so important and very much appreciated. That outlook makes it much more fun for everybody and before we know it, with that kind of attitude, we'll be enjoying some wins on top of the fun we're having playing this awesome game.
(Coach Gaetano's comments)
ReplyDeleteI second everything Coach Anton has said. The second half was significantly better which means the team took the coaches comments to heart and kept their heads in the game. Great job boys! There is a lot of great individual effort out on the field right now and we'll continue to work on synchronizing that effort so we are playing as a team.
Things we did well:
-Kickoffs: The team performed the kickoffs very well compared to the first game. I think we only gave up possession once on the kick off
-Defense: Good containment and challenging on the defense overall
Things we need to improve on:
-Maintaining positions: This will take time but is also what needs the most work so we will hit this heavy in practice. Once the team starts holding their positions better we will see a lot more opportunities for goals
-Keeping the ball out of the middle on defense: While we won a lot of challenges on defense, we gave the opposing team a lot of second chances by putting the ball back in front of the goal. We'll work hard in practice to correct this.
General comments: I'm very pleased with the 'can do' attitude the players held throughout the entire game. Staying focused when behind is one of the hardest things to do at this level and I'm incredibly proud of the team for playing all the way to the last whistle.