It is always an interesting debate in sports when an underdog, younger team takes on a more experienced veteran team and plays really solid. The younger team hangs tough and doesn’t give up a score and has a few chances of their own to score. Everyone is feeling pretty good, the kids are competing, they are stepping up, they are rising to the challenge……and then….boom….a last minute goal….maybe even bit of a cheap goal….finds its way into the net. The young upstarts lose. Bummer. Ouch. Hurts a bit.
But how do we interpret the loss.
-Is it a big time gut punch that takes the team back a bit
-Is it a sign of growth for a young team that proves to everyone they can compete at the highest level
-Is it just another game and no big deal and just move on to the next one.
Maybe it’s all of these. I do know it was a heck of a game played at a very high level between the two best teams in the Big Rivers Conference. After Memorials first game of the year against Green Bay Preble I blogged about those darn three minutes where the game got away from the Abes. A 1-1 game slipped away in just 3 minutes when the defense lost just a small amount of focus. I could write the same story about last nights game. In this case, it was only 2 minutes from an exciting 0-0 game when the ball crossed the line. I did not see the goal live, had to leave at halftime, but I did see the highlights on the evening News. I must say, for a hard-fought, physical game with plenty of suspense,….it was a really wimpy goal. Hudson fans I am sure thought the goal was awesome. As a player or coach, you take it and get out-of-town with the win. But really, it was kind of a scuffer, no real power, did not make great contact….it just kind of whimpered across the goal line, the ball likely feeling embarrassed it was the game winning goal scored in the 88th minute of a really well played game. Ugh.
Game Observations
-Hudson is pretty good. They are solid all over the field. Big, fast, physical and very skilled. Their midfield is impressive, especially Kolton Prater. Maybe, no probably, the best player I have seen so far in the Big Rivers. He really puts you under pressure. He creates a lot of chances. He was really good on his free kicks tonight. I think the free kicks were Hudson’s best opportunities all night from my view of the first half and hearing about the second half. Their defense is physical and aggressive. Their forwards are fast and skilled. No time to rest or take a break against these guys. If you relax for one moment….they make you pay…and that’s exactly what happened late. One small moment and bam….wimpy goal.
-The first half Hudson looked the better team, controlled possession a bit better, 60-65% I am guessing, but never really put the defense into bother. The free kicks were a different story. Their set plays were problematic for the Abes. Well organized with dangerous balls into the box and headers flying.
-It was really physical. Dean was swallowing his whistle early and letting them play. This game was not for the faint of heart. Bumping, grabbing, tripping, stepping hard, slide tackles, a little frustration tossed in, a few coaches yelling for calls. It had a bit of everything. Memorial v Hudson is the premier game in the league and you could just feel it in the air. Both teams were amped up and ready. Great battles all over the field!
-Memorial relied mainly on the counter in the first half, but maybe 20-25 minutes into the game started to find their way a bit. Possession improved and they had some dangerous play from width. A few great opportunities on crosses as well as a few dangerous layoffs in the box. The young defense managed the pressure and it was 0-0 at the half.
-From reading the L-T Sports recap (link below) from Spencer Flaten, it sure sounds like Memorial came out with a much improved performance in the second half. Possession and dangerous play improved. After trailing in shots 9-3 in the first half, Memorial out shot Hudson 5-4 in the second half. One problem…no shots on goal based on the Box Score showing zero saves for Hudson. Memorial must find a way to test the Hudson GK next time out. Set plays were again a factor as Hudson forced two good saves from Hanson to keep the game knotted at 0-0.
http://www.leadertelegram.com/Sports/2018/09/12/div-class-libPageBodyLinebreak-Photo-finish-div.html
-And then those darn two minutes.
-And a shot just high from Brenner….and a header on the last play from Zumwalt that was just not meant to be on this night.
-Felt like a tie was the fair result. Not the kiss your brother or sister (yuck) kind of a tie…but a well deserved, kiss the cutest girl or boy in school kind of tie. But as they say, sports is not fair and sometimes your effort is not rewarded and sometimes the ball just somehow finds a way across the goal in the 88th minute, and Hudson scores a wimpy goal and the Abes take a tough loss.
But hey, I am an optimist, I am going for the team is growing and getting better angle on the game. And guess what…next time we play them we have two secret weapons. That might just be the difference to get us over the top and square the season series.
Lets look at a few highlights from the game.
We have discussed the Hudson set plays/free kicks. They were the best part of Hudson’s offense. Here are a couple of examples. There were more of these in the second half I hear. Way to go Tyler….I am amazed at his cat-like reflexes and ability to get airborne and horizontal so fast. Wow!
Here are a few of our first half chances. An example of the physical play as well.
Carlos…great spot, great chance, just slightly mishits the header . You can tell he wanted it. I think a header goal is close for him.
Looking forward to getting a few players out there for the Abes to see how the rotations change. I hope we see Rosenberger out wide in space to take advantage of his skills. Sulzer in midfield can be dangerous and also shut down attacks. Larson on the back line might be just what they need to maintain 90 minutes of focus on defense. I am excited after watching them play Hudson. We get one more shot at them. I predicted a 1 goal win for Hudson, so I had that right, but now I am thinking we flip that in the second game. Go Abes! Trust the Process!