Phoenix Wrap-Up 2010

The SLSG Metro Under 16 and 18 teams travelled to Phoenix from December 2nd though December 6th to participate in the US Development Academy Winter Showcase. With players coming off high school, having just two league games and a handful of training sessions under their belt, it was a going to be a difficult task as our draw had us competing with teams that are perennially top contenders in their respective conferences.

SLSG Metro ’94 Academy
Coming into the weekend, there were a lot of unanswered question regarding the inexperience, youth and depth of the backline as injuries had made 2 of the more experienced defenders unavailable for the weekend. The first match versus Oakwood SC out of Connecticut started with a high intensity as players were asked to press high up the field and be direct early. The team was successfully in winning the ball in the attacking half of the field, but did not use the ball very well upon winning it, playing without composure. A very soft goal was conceded in the 27th minute, which started from an Oakwood goal-kick and after several poor defending moments ended up with the ball in the back of the SLSG Metro net. The SLSG Metro chance of the game came from a restart in the 36th minute, when a free header from 5 yards was put over the goal. The second half saw an improvement in play, however, neither team were able to create many clear-cut chances and the game ended 0-1.

Match #2 pitted SLSG Metro against Charlotte who was a very different team than Oakwood. While Oakwood was very possession oriented, Charlotte was direct, very athletic at the back and had a very strong, pacey front-runner up top. In what would become a theme of the weekend, another soft goal was conceded in the 8th minute when a relatively routine shot was poorly handled. 10 minutes later, Charlotte found the back of the net again after poor marking on a restart from a wide position. “At times throughout the weekend, we showed the ability to player very well in the attacking half of the field, but were plagued by soft goals which put us in situations where we ere always fighting to come from behind,” commented head coach Blake Decker. The esponse at the start of the second half was very good and 9 minutes into the 2nd half reserve Tyler Swanner was played behind the Charlotte back line, but his shot from 15 yards was stopped by the goalkeeper. 3 minutes later, a penalty was rewarded and subsequently converted by Faik Hajderovic to cut the lead in half. In the 21st minute, after service from the left back, the ensuing touch from an SLSG Metro front-runner saw the ball ring off the post. Clearly having the momentum a felt goal seemed to be coming, however, inexperience was once again exposed when our right back played a ball from the half line backwards and out of bounds about 20 yards from our endline. The ensuing restart saw a service to the back post saw a free header for the third Charolette goal. Down 3-1 with less than 20 minutes left, the team were in a situation where they had to chase the game and, as a result, Charlotte would tally two more goals in the closing 10 minutes of the game.

Having failed to get results in the first two matches, the team was resolved to secure a result in the final match of the weekend. This would be hard to do as PDA is a perennial power-house in their conference and one of the top rated clubs in the United States. Both teams started well with opportunities at both ends. Faik Hajderovic and Tyler Swanner both got in behind the PDA back line only to be denied by the goalkeeper. Eli Brower made a good reaction save getting down to his left on a shot from 14 yards out. Midway through the 1st half, PDA found a goal from a quick counter after a series of SLSG Metro corner kicks. The team went into halftime down 0-1. 2 minutes into the second half, substitute Alex Renilla was fouled extremely hard from behind. This foul changed the complexion of the game as the match became more physical and after a series of fouls and yellow cards for both teams over the next 15 minutes, a red-card was issued to Brandon Hall just 20 minutes after he had entered the match. A goal down, a man down and having just lost one of its’ fresher players, the team conceded a second goal and the chances at salvaging a point looked grim; however, the players on the field continued to battle and were lifted by the hard play and leadership of several players; most notably Brendan Kissel in midfield, Daniel Brennan in goal, and Faik Hajderovic up front. With 8 minutes left the team earned a corner kick and after a driven service by Tyler Swanner to the near post and a hard run which froze the goalkeeper, the ball found its’ way into the back of the net. Now at 1-2, SLSG Metro was the more energized team. In stoppage time, Connor Carnduff collected a ball in about 15 yards from the half-line, then made a 35 yard run with the ball done the left channel and as the PDA back line shifted towards him he played the ball to his right for Tyler Swanner who had made a well-timed run out of midfield. Swanner’s shot was slightly deflected by the goalkeeper, but Faik Hajderovic collected it at the far post and playing the ball through several recovering defenders found the back of the net to secure the result at 2-2. According to captain Daniel Brennan, “The resolve and character we showed was fantastic. We demonstrated that we are willing to work and fight for each other. The final match of the weekend showed what we can do when we come together as individuals to work towards a common goal.”

On the teams performance during this first phase of the season, Decker commented, “Clearly, we have some work to do on the training ground to tighten up some individual and team defending issues, but our quality going forward improved with each match we played and the competitive mentality the boys demonstrated throughout the weekend are both very positive signs for what this group of players will be able to achieve.”

SLSG Metro ’92 Academy
Match # 1 saw the boys facing off against Oakwood SC from Connecticut. Things started slow as it took awhile for the team to get into a rhythm of play. About the midway point of the 1st half Brian Bement was rewarded for a well timed run into the 18 off of the break and calmly finished to put SLSG Metro up 1-0 at halftime. Second half saw the play settle down and some good defensive pressure by Drew Schall lead to a second opportunity for Bement who once again calmly finished to make it 2-0. The remainder of the match was controlled by SLSG Metro as they improved their overall record to 2-1 on the young season.
After a day off to complete SPARQ Testing and rest tired legs from the travel out west the team kicked off vs. Charlotte Soccer Academy. A lapse in the defending on a restart gave Charlotte a 1-0 lead at halftime. “We have been sloppy on our defensive responsibilities this season on restarts and giving up that late goal in the 1st half made us chase the game too much to begin the 2nd half. Part of it is simply getting better at our defending responsibilities during those moments and the other part is guys stepping up making plays and understanding how important defensive restarts are at this level.” said Jeremy Alumbaugh Head Coach of the U18 team. 2nd half saw SLSG Metro get a goal back by Travis Hoguet after being down 3-0 for a final result of 3-1 in favor of Charlotte.

The final match against PDA from New Jersey was an important one. The difference between going home with another result under their belt of going home with a loss is a big one. Good defensive pressure by Bement again lead to a chance that Vince Cicciarelli put away for an early 1-0 lead for SLSG Metro. PDA was able to equalize before half and the match was all even at the break. 2nd half saw both teams showing signs of fatigue on the final day of play and neither side could display much of a rhythm. Vince Ciccarelli found the tying goal on a nice feed from CJ Cerna with under 15 minutes to play and the match finished 2-2. “After our first 5 games with little time to train we are 2-2-1, which isn’t bad. We now have time to regroup, work hard get better and see where we can go with it all.” said Sam Fink. The SLSG Metro U18 Academy team is now off until March 26-27 when they travel to Milwaukee and Chicago.