Well, now I have gone and done it. I am having so much fun on the blog, I figured it was time to make it look a little more official. A difficult task I know, I mean it’s just a little hometown blog run by little ole me, about local soccer news, but what the heck! Nobody needs to know it’s a one man show….although I did just tell everyone that. Note to self….don’t write everything you are thinking!!
It feels a little more real when you have a logo. Not sure why, but now I definitely need to keep this going, just out of respect for the logo. Kind of like when athletes tap their team emblem or team name after a big play or a big win. It’s not about them, it’s the name on the jersey!
West Wisconsin Soccer Talk Logo…A Bold New Look
Pretty fancy I know. I was inspired by the tradition of soccer logos on shields, coupled with the influence of it being a local Wisconsin blog. I am a member of Big Blue Nation (graduated from Kentucky) but fully respect the Wisco Red. So why not combine them. Plus it looks patriotic with that combo. The lion head is pretty obvious, although I spell it a little different, but you get it…right? So there you have it, a new look and a new logo for West Wisconsin Soccer Talk. I kind of like it and hope you do as well.
Working on a post on UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League in the next few days. Check back soon! Was just too excited about the new logo to wait for the next post to share it with you. Dumb I know, but kind of proud of it.
So, if we are to develop top quality soccer players in Eau Claire, we need to focus on player development. We do not have numbers on our side, we just don’t. Eau Claire has approx. 65,000 and when we add in the surrounding communities we get to maybe 100,000. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro market has approx. 3.8M people. When it comes to resources, available player pool, etc. we can’t compete with that, so, we focus on player development.
Futsal
So what is Futsal and how can we use the game to develop our players.
Futsal, (literally “mini-football”), is a form of soccer played on a hard court or smooth surface (field turf) that is smaller than a normal soccer pitch and mainly played indoors. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a surface controlled by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller, harder ball. The surface, ball, and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity, and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
I heard about Futsal years ago when I was coaching and started bringing players to the Stillwater Dome over the winter of 2010. We had a quality group of 8th graders who were looking to prepare themselves for the high school game. They were also looking for another level of skill and competition to push their development forward. It worked. The game is fast, fun and forces you to improve your foot skills.
Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center. We do have some options here in Eau Claire and Eau Claire United and the Sports Center have done a nice job developing winter leagues for local players to build their game. The field turf and hard court are fast surfaces that force players to adapt, play quick and develop good feet. The chance to play over the winter is huge for development, so we have a great resource with the indoor sports center. So what is the difference in playing Futsal and playing in the indoor leagues at the Sports Center. Basically it is the field size, ball and structure of the sports center fields with walls. Walls make a difference. Not the good kind. Players tend to get lazy when there are walls. Players tend to use the walls to pass off to beat a defender. Your pass does not need to be as accurate when there are walls, the ball always stays in play, there are no penalties for a poor pass or sloppy touch. The ball used is also a big difference. Futsal uses a smaller, harder, heavier ball. The concept is the ball stays on the ground and does not bounce as much. It promotes passing and quick play. The standard ball tends to bounce around and players are forced to get the ball back on the ground in order to play quick. 5v5 is also a great concept. 4 players on the field mean a ton of touches for every player. The only other difference is the competition. The Futsal games in the Cities provide an opportunity to test yourself against the best players in that area, clubs like Woodbury, St. Croix and others all have teams participate. No walls replicates the full game much better and really forces the players to focus on touch and passing to feet. Both Futsal and Indoor Sports Center provide great winter options. Definitely play at a minimum in the local indoor leagues to build your game. If you are able and can find 6-7 interested players, I would definitely encourage your team to check out Futsal.
U15 Girls. A group of players from the U15G team has joined the Stillwater Dome Futsal league the past two years. I have the pleasure of coaching the girls for ECU and recently had an opportunity to watch them play one of their Futsal games. They have a group of 8 players and generally have 6-7 at each game. I love their concept for rotation as well. The team plays a 1-3 formation. One defender with 3 midfielders across the front. About every two minutes or so, they rotate. The player coming into the game goes into the defensive spot. The defender goes to right mid, right mid goes to center mid, center mid goes to left mid, and the left mid comes out of the game. Phew…did you follow that….that was interesting to write and maybe hard to follow. The concept is simple…force the players to play every position to build their game. It is noticeable when a player gets “out of position”. Defenders are uncomfortable playing up top on offense. Forwards are uncomfortable playing back on defense as the lone defender. But in this case, being uncomfortable is a good thing. It forces growth and development. Games are 25 minute halves so lots of touches, passes and game play. I also love there is no coaching. The girls coach themselves. The parent “coaches” are just there to make sure they rotate properly. Great to see the girls learning the game and pushing each other. The game is the best teacher. In all the videos you will see below, not one coach yelling to make a pass. It is all about the girls working it out and understanding the flow of the game. Love it!
I had the chance to take some video of the game and wanted to share some of the highlights. One thing to point out is that as these players move into high school, the game gets faster. Learning to play quick is good. Learning to play 1 and 2 touch soccer is critical for success at the next level. As well, ball movement is critical. The ball moves faster than players, so if you can move the ball quickly, it is hard to defend and usually leads to a successful outcome.
Let’s take a look. Sorry about the video quality….it is dark in the dome! And a bit chilly! On to some highlights.
I dropped this goal in because it shows off something I love in soccer. You can really get rewarded for hustle and hard work. As this play develops, MJ could have dropped back and not chased down the ball. That would be the easy thing to do. The hard thing was to press and close down the defender, not once….but twice. The little pressure she puts on the other player forces the turnover and leads to a goal by Greta. Nice trap, touch and shot by Greta. But ultimately, the play is made by MJ.
Ball movement. This is the lesson to really learn as you develop as a soccer player. One v One is fun and required, but for team success, learn to play fast, 1-2 touch soccer and get everyone involved. I went back and looked at all these plays a few times and in every case, all 4 players on the field touched the ball. The ball is moving and switching sides and that is hard to defend and almost always leads to a shot.
Here is a great example with a shot at the end by Nevaeh. Only one player touches it twice, Addison, and that was a nice turn and layoff by her. Good soccer!
Here is another good example. The ball is settled by the defender, nice trap Addy, and then played forward. After that, it is all one touch soccer. The ball is moving constantly and leads to a great shot by Molly. Great work ladies! Again, also notice, every player on the field touches the ball. Really good stuff.
So I dropped this one in for another great example of ball movement. We coach that if the ball can’t go forward, then just drop it and start over. MJ makes a nice wide pass to Molly who does a great job of dropping a pass to the defender Greta, who swings it opposite to Shelby for a powerful shot on goal. Nice save or that was going in! As well, if you listen closely, you will hear a player shouting, “Shoot”. Pretty sure that is Molly. She is the “coach” on the field. Love it when I hear her calling out plays, positions, encouragement, etc. You don’t want to disappoint her either, she is a bulldog out there.
Here is the last example. This turned out to be a really good game and was tied late in the second half. ECU kept pressing and playing good soccer and then came up with the game winner. It really is just a culmination of all the things we have been discussing. Every player touches the ball. There are 5 passes before the shot. The ball starts on the far left and the shot is taken from the far right. They actually score two on this one, Greta’s shot crosses but was not called a goal, Addy, follows it up and jams it in for the game winner. Great work by the whole team.
So there you have it. A fun night of soccer and some excellent play as well. Turns out the team we played was all high school girls and mostly sophomores with a few juniors. We thought they looked bigger than our girls (mostly 8th graders). In Futsal, skill and quality of play are important. Maybe on a full size field, 11 v 11, the older girls win, but on a smaller field, with Futsal rules, ECU was the better side with better skill and team play. Fun night and great to see all the girls developing their games.
So what do you do after playing hard and having some fun on the soccer pitch. Of course, only one option….ICE CREAM at Culver’s. What a group. What wonderful players. Awesome kids and great families. A joy to coach. I can’t wait till they get to play High School soccer. It’s going to be fun!
Hey Soccer Fans!. It has been a few days and wanted to reconnect with you. No more Memorial soccer . Ugh! I am almost over that loss. Almost. Starting to get excited for the High School Girls season just around the corner, that will be fun to chronicle as well. I have some plans for a few fun posts in the near future. Thanksgiving week will allow some time to hit you with a few extra posts!
World Cup
So, let’s talk some World Cup News. I will start with a recap of a post I wrote on October 10th, the last World Cup qualifying game for the US team (USMNT). It was a tough night.
Weird Night Continues. Just finished catching updates on the US Men’s National Team in their effort to qualify for the World Cup. They were playing the last team in the 6-team group, Trinidad and Tobago, who had not won a game in like three years, no seriously, they were not good. Should be an easy win. Plus, a win or tie would allow them to advance. They are in a great position. They lose 2-1 and one of the goals is an own goal. Shocking! But still a chance to advance. If Mexico beats Honduras and they are favored as the top team in the group, we advance. A late goal by Honduras beats Mexico 3-2. Stunning! But still a chance. If Costa Rica beats Panama and they are favored, then the US will advance. A late goal by Panama beats Costa Rica 2-1. Devastating! I can’t believe I am writing this, the US Men’s National Team does NOT qualify for the World Cup. For a soccer fan who just started a soccer blog, this is depressing. However bad I felt after the Memorial game, this is worse. This really, really sucks.
It still is amazing to think about all the scenarios that played out that night that ended up with the US team OUT of the World Cup Tournament. The most important tournament in Soccer. Since then there have been two developments that have made me feel slightly better about the US team missing out on qualifying.
Italy Knocked Out of the World Cup 2018
Let that sink in for a moment. Italy is not in the World Cup. I have been scanning articles about their loss to Sweden and here are a few quick takes from reading.
National shame….Apocalypse…a historic gaffe…you get the picture. Italy is a soccer crazed nation. Imagine rolling up all the NFL fans, NBA fans, MLB fans into one big group. That’s soccer in Italy. If you think Wisconsin is crazy about their Badgers and Packers, double that for the National Soccer team in Italy. I mean imagine if Green Bay was knocked out of the NFL league for suffering a string of losses to the Cleveland Browns and for a year they could not even compete for the Super Bowl title. Just imagine that, it would send shock waves thru the fan base and the entire football community. That’s what happened! Italy, one of the cornerstones of World Football, out of the World Cup.
Lets share a bit of Italy World Cup history. Italy is one of the most successful national teams in World Cup history. They have won the World Cup 4 times…1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006. They have participated in 18 of the 21 tournaments, the second most frequent along with Germany and have reached the finals 6 times, along with a third and fourth place finish. The choose not to participate in 1930, did not qualify in 1958 and now did not qualify for 2018. Wow! After Brazil with 5 world Cup wins, Italy is tied with Germany with 4 world Cup titles. One of the Top 3 most famous National Teams is out of the World Cup. I still don’t believe it. It certainly takes some of the sting out of the US loss. If I start to get bummed about the US, I just quickly think about how the Italian fans feel and then, I don’t feel so bad. It really is shocking.
Netherlands Knocked out of the World Cup.
Not quite as shocking, but still pretty amazing. Netherlands has finished 2nd THREE times in the World Cup as well as a third place and a fourth place finish. Some of the best footballers in the world come out of the Dutch system of play. They revolutionized soccer training in the 70’s when the finished 2nd in 1974 and 1978. Ajax Football club and their best player Johan Cruyff led the charge, he even has a nifty little foot skill named after him. Everyone started to train like the Dutch. And now….no world Cup.
US History at the World Cup
So what about the US team. Let’s take a look. In the very first World Cup (1930) the US team won two games and lost their third to finish in third place. Their best finish ever and the best finish of any country outside of South America or Europe. 16 teams were part of that first World Cup. In what is called the “Miracle on Grass”, the US team stunned the soccer world with a 1-0 defeat of the top team in the world at that time, England, in the 1950 World Cup. It is considered the greatest win ever by a US Men’s team.
It was 40 years until their next tournament, qualifying for the 1990 World Cup on the last day of qualification with a defeat of Trinidad and Tobago (they got their revenge on us this year). 1954 marked a stretch of 9 straight tournaments missed over a span of 40 years. Ouch.
1990 marked a string of 7 straight appearances in the World Cup for the US team. Our best stretch ever. The top finishes include an 8th place finish in 2002 (Quarterfinals) and reaching the Round of 16 Knock Out stage in 1994, 2010 and 2014. In total the USMNT has participated in 10 tournaments in World Cup history.
USWNT History
So, this is a completely different story. I will have more to say on this as we approach the 2019 women’s World Cup, but suffice it to say our Women’s Team is the dominant force in World Cup soccer. We are the Brazil of the Women’s game. There have been 7 Women’s World cups (first in 1991). The US Record is quite impressive. We have won the tournament 3 times (1991, 1999, 2015), finished second (2011) and third place 3 times (1995, 2003, 2007). They have never finished lower than third in the 7 tournaments. Wow! Come on boys! The girls are killing it!
Future Posts
Planning on another Memorial Season Wrap Up: Volume 3 with an update on post season awards; 8 of our Memorial boys were recognized as part of their All Conference Teams. I am waiting on the full teams to drop a post. As well a post of next years team and who will step up and fill the void of a solid senior class.
Planning a little write-up on Futsal. If you have not experienced Futsal, i think you will enjoy the post. A fun, fast paced game that is critical for player development.
Planning a post on the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in the coming months as well.
That’s it for now. Keep checking us out and I will keep the posts coming.
I know you have been waiting for it, you thought to yourself…when will he post on the Top Goals of the season. I mean the articles are okay, sometimes a little funny, usually a little too long to read, but really….we just check the blog for the videos.
You ask and I deliver. Top Goals of the Year….based on a survey of 1….ME! I kind of did a reverse order on these so you will likely remember the first few and then we move back in time over the season. So what constitutes a Top Goal. Well, my criteria were pretty simple. If if was a really cool goal it got points. Second, if it was a really important goal it got points. Sometimes those two come together and you get a really cool goal and a really important goal. You decide…check it out
Memorial v Arrowhead. Longville assist on Martinez Goal. I know, I know, why put you thru the pain of remembering this game. But for me, this was the epic point of the season. This is where I try to go when I think of the season. We were ahead 2-1 in the State Semi-Finals. Okay..let’s talk about the goal. This is classic Longville. He really is the architect of this one. His pace, energy and tenacity are what make him a great player. He presses the defender and gets control of the ball in the corner and then just keeps working. Could have given up on this multiple times. But just keeps after it. Then the sweet find on the back post. You can see Martinez just waiting it out, likely he just knew Jack would find a way. The cross and the sweet side foot volley into the roof of the net. Well done Matt! 2-1 Abes. 2-1 Abes. It was a big goal.
Memorial v Preble. Martinez goal takes us to State. Sometimes it just takes one. One big goal in a big game. Sometimes you just need CAPTAIN CLUTCH to rescue to team. Late in the Preble game, tied 0-0 and time running out. We have just saved a goal on the other end with Owen clearing a ball off the line. We earn a corner kick. Cooper just misses a header. It looks like Longville heads it on goal. The keeper makes the save but can’t secure the ball. It heads back out onto the field. You can see Matt making a late back side run and the ball just sits up perfectly for the run. Looks like a one time volley and he strikes it well. Headed for goal except one problem. Simon Larson is in the goal having just missed on a volley as well. The ball is whizzing in and actually glances off his back side as it is goes into the net. That would have been a bummer if he had blocked it, but Memorial was due. It was time. Big goal for Matt. 1-0 Memorial. Great story from Matt in the news and paper about how Kimamo (Asst. Coach) told him to hang back just a few yards in anticipation of a late run and the ball finding its way to the back side. How did he know that? That’s good coaching! Matt makes his second appearance on the top goals list.
Memorial v Hudson. Longville with TWO Really Big Goals. Big games need really big players. We have none bigger than Jack Longville. So the Hudson game was epic. The game is 0-0 and heading into 80th minute and time is running out. Are we destined for OT. Are we destined for a PK shootout. Memorial kept working to find the goal and finally it arrived. Peloquin does an amazing job holding the ball and looking for an opportunity. He then drops it deep to Orser who swings it over to Joe Free who delivers an amazing cross into a very dangerous spot. Longville anticipates the cross and surges past defenders to deliver a clutch glancing header into the back corner of the net. One of his top goals of the year. But Hudson responds. OT. Red Card. Man Down. Trouble. But remember, with Longville you just need one magical moment and of course, Jack finds it. A turnover deep into the zone is pounced on, a turn, a dribble, a little sweet kiss off the defenders foot and the Bam! Longville powers one past the Hudson GK. Not his prettiest goal of the year, not the most graceful, but man, a huge goal. 2-1 Abes. On to the Sectionals. 2 huge goals.
Memorial v North. Brenner with the header of the Year. Matt Martinez continues his appearance in our top goals review but this time as an assist man. Here is a great run out wide, a burst of speed and a perfectly placed cross right at the 6. Mitch Brenner comes flying in an executes a really nice diving header. That’s not easy folks to get the timing just right. Well done Mitch…a 3-0 lead in the game and his 7th goal of the year. Mitch has the opportunity to fill the space left by Longville next year. I expect a bunch of highlight goals from him next year. If he can combine his talent and continue to build on his work ethic on the pitch, he could be special.
Memorial v North. Cooper Lyons Header Goal. So you have to give me a little leeway here. I mean, you just knew I was going to drop in one of Cooper’s goal this year. I looked at his volley goal against River Falls, but decided on this one. I was pretty confident when the year started that Cooper would get a header goal off a corner this year. His has the size, he has good technique, so it was just a matter of time. He made me wait. I was on a header watch all year and he had 4 or 5 really good attempts. This one was special. He really thumped this one. A perfect cross, he raises up at the perfect time and he delivers a powerful header into the back of the net. Thanks Cooper, a great memory for me!
Memorial v Bay Port. Longville-Orser Give and Go Goal. I so when I saw it live I knew it would be in consideration for the goal of the year. As you watch, you will need to wait on this a bit…be patient…hang on..and there…what a fun goal. Technically, I think it is the best goal of the year. It has so many little quality moments if you watch it multiple times. Longville on the hold up play…nutmeg…steal…tackle by Rosenberger…back onto Jack’s feet…great surging dribble…a pass into the box for Orser…a left foot one-touch layoff on a great give and go back to Longville…a quality finish into the side net. Wow. You might want to play that one over a few times to catch it all. What a goal! What an assist by Orser! I told you he was the best passer on the team…more proof. Probably the most under appreciated player on the team. Orser was really the engine that made us go. His play in the middle of the field both defensively and transition to offense was amazing. Not flashy…except on this play…just a great player.
Memorial v Hudson. Joe Free cross to Longville. This was the early season goal of the year. It really showed Memorial was going to be dangerous. On this one, Joe Free wins a ball and surges forward into the right-wing. He shows off some really nice dribbling skills, makes a little shimmy shake move to clear some space and spots Longville. He then delivers a wonderful cross into the box. Longville spots the ball early, fights thru defenders and deliver an amazing glancing header into the net. This was the preview of another goal on the list, in the second Hudson game. Pretty amazing these two teamed up for the same type goal against the same team. Glad they did!
So there yo have it. A season review of the Top Goals. Some great goals…some great memories…some great players. It was an epic season and so cool to reflect on it and have some great videos for review. Hope you enjoyed the little walk thru the season. I had fun writing it. As well, if you are tech savvy….or just ask your kids…you can subscribe to my You Tube channel. It is just listed as Scott Lyons. There are about 100 videos up and about 80 of them are videos of Memorial goals.
So, not sure you noticed on my Season Preview: Volume 1, but I added a new feature. I found a way to do polls on the blog. My first attempt was a little challenging. Could not get the poll to work right. After one vote, the voting ended. That’s dumb I know. So, deleted that plug-in and switched to a new one. Check this out sand drop in your vote. Curious what you think.
Update: So–I am trying to step up my game and add a little more fun to the site. I have added a poll to this latest post where you can vote for your favorite Memorial game this year, well at least from the 6 I have selected. Check it out and drop in your vote! Curious what everyone thinks. A few tough ones to pick from. What say you?
So, it has been a week. I guess it is really over, no more High School Soccer season for Memorial boys. I am not sure the 7 stages a person goes thru after a tough moment in their life…but I think I went thru a few of them. Sadness. Yes, I was bummed. Anger. well, a little bit…crazy dang refs and some bogus calls. Denial. Absolutely…it can’t be over, it just can’t. Acceptance. Well, I guess a little. So what now, no more game day blogs and videos of the goals and getting hyped for the next game. Well, maybe the next stage in this journey is PRIDE. Proud of the boys and proud of the effort and all they accomplished. Proud of Cooper and the player and teammate he became. Proud of the coaching staff for molding the team into a championship contender. Proud of the program for making it to state. Proud to have captured some of it in the blog. I think the season was a start for my blogging career, so if you are up for it, stick with me, I have a lot more to say.
The good news, Girls High School Soccer is right around the corner! Go Abes. I think I can keep writing a post or two each week this winter and keep everyone primed with a few soccer updates. I feel some Chelsea news coming soon! Thanks for checking out the blog when you have a chance.
So, Season Preview Volume 1. Lets do this.
Season Stats
Memorial Season Record: 20-3-2
Total Goals Scored: 84. That is 3.36 goals per game. Pretty impressive.
Goals Allowed: 19. That is .76 goals per game allowed. Even more impressive.
Shutouts: 15. Really impressive.
State Tournament Appearances: 10th trip to State. That’s #8 in Division Programs all time. Not Bad
State Semi-Final Appearances: 4th time Memorial has made the Semi-Final round.
Goals Scored in 2017 Season
Jack Longville 39 15 Multi-Goal games including 6 games with 3 goals and 2 games with 4 goals. Wow.
Mitch Brenner 7
Will Orser 7
Luke Rosenberger 6
Matt Martinez 5
Jacob Peloquin 5
Cooper Lyons 4 Not bad for a holding midfielder. Had to throw that in.
Owen Jolley 3 And a ton of assists. More on that in a future post.
Simon Larson 2
Zach Haig 2
Will Hayes 2
Bryce Burlingame 1
Carlos Verduzco 1
13 players with at least 1 goals is solid distribution. Obviously, we relied on Longville to lead us and score goals and he responded, almost half the goals this year he scored. I think he got over 40 last year. Back to back years with that kind of production will not likely be seen at Memorial for a few years. But there is more than one way to win soccer games. There are plenty of scoring threats next year with Brenner, Rosenberger and Peloquin leading the way. Look for more balanced scoring, but maybe no less success.
Top Games of the Year
Here is my list for top games of the year.
Memorial 2 – Middleton 1. Our first big test of the season. After winning our first 7 and then suffering a strange tie against Rice Lake we headed to Madison for a tough 2 game weekend. We got humbled a bit and had our first loss against Oregon. By the way, Oregon made it to the State Finals in Div. 2 and if not for facing possibly the best Wisconsin High School team ever, Whitefish Bay, would have won state. No shame in that loss it turns out. Team didn’t play well. A little sluggish. And a few unfortunate goals against. How would they respond. Well, they responded like the champions they became. A hard-fought 2-1 win on a late PK and goal by Longville. It was the first sign we might be a special team.
Memorial 3 – Green Bay Preble 3 (Round 1). A back and forth affair. Memorial leads early. Preble strikes back for 2 goals to take the lead. Memorial hits late in the first half to tie it up. Memorial scores early in the 2nd half for a 3-2 lead and looks to be hanging on for a tough 1 goal win. Hold the phones, with 15 seconds remaining, Preble earns a controversial throw in and somehow, someway after a long throw into the box, earns a tie. The ball end up in the net. It was a preview of maybe an even better game later in the year. Might be on the list shortly.
Memorial 2 – Park 0. Maybe our most complete victory and the second sign that this team might do some damage in the playoffs. The quality of the play was a sign this team was starting to peak at the right time. Goals by Peloquin and Lyons were a signal we could beat a good team without a goal by Longville. Possession was solid, ball movement was excellent, the midfield controlled the game and the defense and GK shut down any and all threats.
Memorial 2 – DC Everest 1. This game started quite a three game run for the Abes. If you wanted exciting, gut wrenching, hold on tight, chew your fingernails soccer, this game had it all. It was a classic. DC Everest came ready to play. It was a physical battle. It had the added element of a windy day and that impacted play. Longville got the scoring started with an amazing free kick from approx. 25. Up and over and into the net. 1-0 Abes. It had some controversy. Was it a handball, was it incidental and no handball. Well…it was our first stroke of luck…no handball, Owen Jolley makes it 2-0. It had some amazing saves. There was the quick leap and punch it over the top from Tyler Hanson on a wind aided long ball and awkward bounce. And then there was the own Jolley, Ninja, leap into the air and bicycle kick a ball going into the net for a critical save. DC Everest scores late on a free kick to make it 2-1. Now we are hanging on and the two key saves go from good saves to game saving saves. Wow!
Memorial 2 – Hudson 1. Ready for some more drama. Round 1 of the Sectionals delivered. The game was 0-0 for a long time. It was strange. You always felt Memorial was on the verge of scoring the entire first half. A bunch of shots but nothing too dangerous. So we are favored, should win, should have scored but still 0-0 at half. Now we are nervous. Still no score after 55 minutes, 65 minutes, 75 minutes. Come on now, its time to score. Well, who do you think answers the call…of course Longville. A beautiful build up play and multiple passes gets the ball onto the wing for Joe Free who makes a wonderful cross into the box and Longville makes the perfect run and the prefect glancing header into the back corner of the net. 1-0 Abes. Game over right. Wrong. Not two minutes later, a cross and shot by Hudson ties the game 1-1. No way. OT. Now the fun starts. We seem primed for a goal until the unthinkable. Red card. Man down. Just trying to hold on until a PK Shootout. 2nd OT. Maybe we can catch 1 chance…there it is…a turnover in our zone…the ball finds Jack and a touch, a dribble, GOAL. Unbelievable, score the game winner playing a man down in OT. Our good fortune continues.
Memorial 1 – Green Bay Preble 0. The Rematch. Usually sequels are not as good as the original. Happens all the time, well except for Marvel Comics movies, they are always as good or better than the original. It was intense. It was physical. It was a battle. It was cold. 0-0 at the half. Sound familiar. Happened against Hudson. Both teams battling. Memorial looks better, has more possession, has more shots, but the goal will just not come. Key moment #1. Preble has only one real chance, try to counter attack. They find a chance about minute 60 on a long ball down the right flank. A defender is chasing, GK Tyler Hanson comes out, hesitates and then charges hard. The Preble forward decides to chip it over the GK. The ball heads up and over and bounces just before the goal, then bounces up and into the cross-bar and straight down onto the goal line. Is it in, is it on the line? Our Goal Buster Own Jolley to the rescue as he calmly clears the ball off the line . Tragedy avoided. A late goal on a cross and a backside delayed run by Martinez (great advice Kimamo) wins the game. Memorial advances to State.
Man…that was fun to write. I think maybe the acceptance thing is happening. And the PRIDE thing is just getting bigger and bigger. Go Abes. Thanks for the memories!
I have shared some thoughts on the Club Soccer scene in Eau Claire in an earlier post. With two clubs in the Chippewa Valley, Eau Claire United and Chippewa Strikers, we have an opportunity to develop great soccer players. Club Soccer is the natural transition from recreational soccer (AYSO and Park & Rec leagues) and a great bridge to High School soccer. There is much debate at the National level if Club Soccer should be year round and replace High School soccer for the top players if the US is to develop into a world power in soccer. Club Soccer dominates the rest of the world with the worlds best teams having their own Academies to develop talent. Strange, I know, no other country has a focus on high school sports like we do in the US. It will be interesting how Club Soccer continues to develop over the years.
Having coached and had kids participate in Eau Claire United for the past 13 years, I am a big fan. Why club Soccer:
Top Level Coaching. ECU requires licensed coaches thru the US Soccer Federation. All coaches hold at minimum an E License and many of our club coaches hold a National D License. The D license requires 36-40 hours of training as well as already holding an E License (24 hours of training). The focus is on Principles of Play, Laws of the Game, Training Principles, and Player Development. Currently, ECU has coaches in our club who also are Head Coaches or Assistant Coaches at Memorial, Regis, Altoona and North. As well, we have coaches with experience coaching at the college Level at UWEC. For players who are looking to develop, ECU offers the best coaching in the area.
Player Development. ECU focuses on Player Development. Throughout the Summer and Winter, ECU offers training programs designed to improve player skills. As well, ECU sponsors Winter Leagues to continue the player development process. A consistent focus is placed on allowing players to build their skill set and improve their confidence playing the game.
U14 Girls Season Wrap
I had an opportunity to spend some time watching one of the ECU teams this past fall, the U14 Girls team, and wanted to share with everyone their season story. This team is a great example of the power of ECU and the focus on coaching and training. As the coach of the U15 Girls I have always had a small connection to this team. We have shared players over the years as teams have changed and also had guest players from the group in previous years. There has always been a great core of talent for this team. They have solid fundamentals, they have excellent soccer skills and they are a focused group who love soccer. The only thing missing from this group was sustained success. They had flashes of success but never seemed to get rewarded for their effort and talent over the course of the season. Early in the season, we conducted a scrimmage against this team and you could sense that day that this year things felt different. The energy they were playing with, the confidence in their tackles, the crispness of their passing, the communication and shape all felt improved.
Fall League Results. No surprise when I checked out their season and found they had finished in the top spot in their League for the Fall. I don’t have all their results over the years, but I am not sure if they have ever finished first in MYSA East Girls League. Always competitive, but not sure about finishing first. Well done! Here are the league results for Fall 2017.
Eau Claire United 5-0-1
Woodbury 3-3-0
Hastings 2-3-1
Hudson 1-5-0
Tournament Results. As well as league, the team found some success in their Tournament play this fall.
Woodbury Fall Classic. Tournament Champions. 2-0-1 on Pool Play and a big win the the Finals.
ECU 2 Red Cedar 0
ECU 5 Tonka United 3
ECU 1 Force Soccer 1
Finals: ECU 2 TC Storm 0
Way to Go ladies! Back Row. Coach Eze–Tessa Ross–Leah Nelson–Ava Berg–Ava Paulmier–Charley Zacho–Reese Bredl–Kylee Calchera–Lydia Potter–Ella Herman–Nora Berg–Coach Gorres. Middle Row. Abbey Liddell–Sarah Lester–Claire Shinners–Halle Steinmetz. Front Row…right in the center of attention…..of course….Mara Effinger! What a great shot. Congratulations!
Reddan Ice Age Classic. I had the chance to watch portions of all three of their games and the team was very competitive. The competition was excellent and the girls stepped up to the challenge. Soccer can be a funny game. You do not always get rewarded for your play. They suffered a tough loss in Game 1 against a very good team – FC Wisconsin. A questionable offsides goal put them in a hole but they fought back with two goals and were pressing for the tying goal late but just could not find the net. Game 2 against Capital East Soccer they were the better side, had more possession and shots on goal, but just could not find the winning goal and had a tie. Game 3 found them playing the eventual Tournament Champion…Genesco Soccer. They played them really tough, had some chances, but in a rain shortened game, came up on the short end of the score. I was really impressed with their fight and determination. There was not much separation in the quality of the teams, just one of those games. I had a chance to capture some video and a few photos I wanted to share from the Reddan Tournament.
So, I don’t know all the players…but a nice aggressive dribble into the box by Claire Shinners and I think a nicely taken goal by Lydia Potter, maybe Tesa Ross? Great action. Very unselfish of Claire, the right pass at the right time leads to a goal.
Here is another nice example of ball movement and passing and unselfish play (Kylee Calchera). The ball eventually finds Reese Bredl who calmly takes a touch to the right and buries it upper 90 into the back of the net. Nice goal!
Had to put one in for a player I coached a few years, Mara Effinger. She makes a nice touch to clear some space and just doesn’t get enough power on the shot. I am thinking the shoulder and knock down impacted her shot a little 🙂 Keep shooting kid.
I wanted to drop this one in to just show the fight and tenacity of the girls. It starts with a really energetic and aggressive step by Lydia who fights and wins a ball, heads for the corner of the 18 and almost finds a great goal. But then, when the play could have just ended….it didn’t. The girls continue to press, win balls, make passes, put passes into the box, press again, win balls again and finally a cross in the box. I love it! Keep fighting girls.
I was also really impressed with the coaching and the connection that the coaches have developed with the players. A big part of soccer is confidence. Trusting your coaches and taking what you learn on the practice field and applying it to the game. Sometimes it is just simple things you notice. Like in the quick video below. The focus on the pregame huddle is on TEAM. Sometimes with girls teams you can get some pretty exotic pregame cheers. I kind of like the simplicity of…1.2.3 TEAM.
So this is kind of interesting. Do you ever notice how a couple over time starts to look like each other and act like each other. I suppose that also works for coaches. Eze and Tom have spent a few years together coaching soccer. So not sure if this was planned or not. Do you think they set out their clothes the night before and planned it out? I mean really, who does that! Regardless, there they are in all their glory. Same pants, same shirt, same arms folded…left over right, watch on the left wrist….same look on their face as the watch the second half. Just sayin….kinda freaky!
I included the shot below so I could share a story on the two coaches. Just before this picture….bummed I didn’t get a shot of it…the halftime talk had just ended. The two coaches were walking back to the sidelines. Tom on the left with his left arm wrapped around a player’s shoulder, letting her know it was no big deal she let in a goal before half. Eze on the right side, walking with his right arm around a player’s shoulder, giving her some support for her first half play and encouraging her to keep working hard. The picture below is just at the end of that walk. You can tell the two coaches are committed to the girls. Not just developing skills but building confidence. It was a nice moment. Moments that parents don’t often see from their side of the field.
I also wanted to share the information below. I have a quick little questionnaire I like to ask coaches when doing a piece on their team. A little insight into them.
Why do you love coaching?
Eze -Because of the end result. Watching the players get better and improve their skills.
Tom– I enjoy coaching soccer to not only build skills but to hopefully make a positive influence on youth lives and help them build skills and confidence that they can carry on throughout their lives.
What are your favorite memories coaching?
Eze– So many of them I love them all. Eze has been a successful player rising to the 2nd Division in Mexico, has coached for many years, started a training Academy and coaches High School in Altoona. He is probably right, too many to consider.
Tom– There have been many “favorite” memories but two stand out. The first goes back a few years when I had the opportunity to watch my daughters play in the US Club Soccer National Finals. They made the championship game and finished runner-up. It was an amazing experience. Second, is the memories made with an awesome group of young ladies that Eze and I had the opportunity to coach this past fall. Despite the lack of sustained success as a team in the past, they came together as a team playing for a “couple old, odd guys” and won not only their first league championship but their first tournament championship as well. Their growth in self-confidence and belief in their teammates was an amazing thing to see and be a part of.
Nike or Adidas-What brand to you prefer?
Eze– Classic Eze answer…whichever brand will sponsor me or my teams.
Tom-Tom took the easy way out. He is a Nike and Adidas guy. Nike footwear is tops, but Adidas pants are unbeatable. With Tom you may also see quite a bit of Under Armour as well. No brand loyalty. Not sure what to think of that!
I also want to share Eze’s philosophy on soccer. “Futbol is a sport that discriminates against no one. Futbol is a game that doesn’t require choreography and can be played anyplace, anytime, or anywhere by anybody. All that is required is passion, a ball, some space and a big heart to enjoy the beautiful game of Futbol.”
Sounds like a great Fall season for the U14 Girls. Great players, great parents, awesome coaches and a wonderful experience. Sounds like ECU Club soccer at its best!
So…just had to drop in one more photo. My U15 Girls team just happened to be at the same Reddan Tournament. We played 4 really quality teams and managed to win all 4 games and the Tournament Championship. Plus we provided the fans some excitement as we won the title on PK Shootout. I am pretty sure the heartbeats and nerves were peaked during the shootout…not the players….the parents!! Some really high quality soccer by a great group of girls. Congrats to them as well.
So, I don’t know what I was thinking. I actually watched a good portion of the Division 1 State Title game today. Not sure if I am an idiot, a glutton for punishment or just a soccer fan. I think you might vote idiot and you might be right. I didn’t want to…I tried not to….but I just could not help myself.
If you have not looked and really didn’t want to know…SPOILER ALERT…Marquette 2 Arrowhead 1. Does anyone believe you only get so much good fortune in sports, that at some point your luck just runs out. Does anyone believe in karma…what comes around …goes around. Let’s examine the facts.
Arrowhead takes an early 1-0 lead on Memorial from a long free kick into the box that most observers think was an own goal on Memorial. Memorial generally outplays Arrowhead and gets more shots but can’t overcome three soft fouls and three very fortunate free kick goals by Arrowhead. Arrowhead wins 4-2.
Fast forward to today. Marquette scores its first goal on a long free kick into the box that is headed up and over the Arrowhead GK by an Arrowhead defender. An Own Goal. I am not making this stuff up. It happened today. Arrowhead generally outplays Marquette but can’t overcome the own goal (OG) and a PK from a play in the box in the second half. They showed multiple replays of the penalty and the Marquette forward does get taken out on the play by the Arrowhead GK. The GK did get a touch on the ball just before taking out the Marquette player. Maybe no call, although announcers both felt a good call (I agree). When your luck runs out, things don’t go your way. Penalty called. Marquette scores and goes on to win 2-1. So Arrowhead loses a State title on an OG and a PK. That’s tough and I can relate…I felt the same way Thursday night. It takes good players, a great team AND a little luck sometimes to win a title. Memorials luck ran out Thursday and today…so did Arrowheads.
If you read my playoff preview you’ll remember a little rant on Marquette. Let’s review their tournament history since 2000 when they were added to the WIAA Playoffs when previously they were part of a private school conference and playoff system. Since 2000 there have now been 18 State tournaments. Here is Marquette’s Record.
17 Tournament Appearances
15 Appearances in the State Finals Game
13 State Championships
Let me repeat that….13 State Championships in 17 years. Can you say Dynasty. Can you say unfair system. I knew you could. That makes our loss to Arrowhead even tougher. I think we had a chance to take them down and you can’t say that very often. This year they were beatable. Marquette has now won 4 STRAIGHT STATE TOURNAMENTS. Yes, you read that right. Bad news for the rest of us…they started a large number of players today who were NOT Seniors. Pretty good chance they make it 5 in a row. Not sure what the rest of us can do about it with the private school advantages.
In Division 2. Whitefish Bay won their 3rd straight State Tournament Title. Another dynasty at Division 2. They were actually a much better team than Marquette this year…beat them 3-0….and were ranked in Top 10 in the nation in high school soccer.
In Division 3, it is much easier (sarcasm). There are two teams playing in the State Tournament title game for back to back years…Delavan-Darien is playing Mt. Horeb. One of these two teams has won the last 3 titles at Division 3. So as I say, much easier, two teams split the dynasty here.
I am not sure how Eau Claire high school soccer can compete with the dynasty of Marquette. How do we develop a program where we can have teams compete at this level on a consistent basis. I have some thoughts. It won’t happen overnight. Better youth programs, better club programs, a soccer support system to encourage talent development.
Congratulations to the winners. Hope to join you someday.
It was a great ride, a lot of fun. But I gotta say this is a hard one to write. I was starting to believe. I was starting to think this might be the year. I was starting to feel that we were a team of destiny. So when it ends it hurts a little.
Let me get this out of the way….congratulations to Arrowhead on advancing to the State Finals. The final score was a little bit deceiving (4-2), but a win is a win. Arrowhead is moving on. Memorial’s season ends and I am bummed about it. I wanted one more game. I wanted to be in the finals. As I sit here writing, I think I am mostly bummed because I will never get to watch Cooper play soccer again. His career is over. I really liked watching him play. He was good, he played the right way, he made me proud and I am going to miss it. I am proud of all these boys. I have been a part of Memorial soccer for the past 8 years so I guess I am a little emotional tonight. I’ll get over it. The boys will get over it. We will all remember a great season. We will remember the great games and great goals. We will remember winning The BRC Conference. We will remember the Regional. We will remember the Sectional Championship. We will remember winning 20 games. We will remember Memorial’s 10th trip to state and only 4th appearance in the Semi-finals. We will remember Memorials #2 ranking in the Coaches poll. And for me, I will remember being up 2-1 at halftime at the State Semi-Finals. I want the season to end there. But that’s not how life or soccer works. I will also remember hugging Cooper and telling him I love him and to hang tough. The memory of the loss will fade, but the memories of watching Cooper and the Memorial team will last a lifetime. Well done boys. Hold your heads high.
I have started the last few posts with a photo of Cooper during introductions. Thought this was the better photo for tonight. I think it speaks for itself.
So I have been thinking about the game a lot the past few hours. Let’s give it a shot.
First half
We got a gut punch in the first two minutes. I mean a straight right hand that was a staggering blow. A foul called near midfield on a what seemed to just be a physical soccer play. A free kick from 40-45 yards. No worries right, I mean it is from 45 yards. I have watched hundreds of high school games over the years and have maybe seen a score from this distance once or twice….usually wind aided and something strange. No way this will cause any issues. Kick is away, a pretty good kick…..drifting into the 18….oh no…there is a runner from the back side…but he is marked….but man that ball is headed right toward him. Somehow, someway, the ball deflects off one of the players and goes into the corner of the net. Down 1-0. How is that possible…but I just saw it, so it really did happen.
So how would Memorial respond. It was the first time they were behind in the tournament. I thought they responded like champions. They rallied. They stayed calm, played their game, improved their possession, worked hard and started to really come into the game. Shots started to develop. A few corner kicks looked dangerous. A few direct kicks looked dangerous. They started to penetrate and get some shots. And then this happened.
Luke Rosenberger with a nice goal. A cleared ball quickly comes back to him and he makes a move and he rips a nice shot on goal. A save but the ball comes back into the field and Rosenberger makes a sweet right footed volley for the goal. 1-1. Game On! A pretty even battle for the rest of the half but the Abes keep the pressure on and then strike again.
This was a well-earned and classic Longville. He really was the key to this goal. He pressed, he won a 50/50 ball and never gave up on the play. His hard work and effort are rewarded and as the ball finds his feet again and he is able to get a cross into the box. Martinez makes a great run, sees the opportunity developing and buries one into the top of the net for the 2-1 Memorial lead. Longville could have given up on this play 2-3 times but just never does. I love his work rate. Martinez was right on the edge of offside, but after a few looks I think the no call was correct…just a great finish from a great assist. Maybe it is going to be our night.
Halftime 2-1 Abes.
So what do I write now. The second half was strange. The second half sucked. Memorial played pretty solid, but Arrowhead seemed to lift their game a bit and play with a bit of desperation. They say lightning can’t strike twice in the same place. How many times have you heard that. Hundreds right. So about 10 minutes into the second half a penalty is called on Memorial on what seems to be just a normal soccer play. I would say about 40 yards out. Is this sounding familiar yet. A ball is launched into the air and is heading for the 18, a runner is coming hard from the back side, the defender has him marked so no issues right. But oh man, that ball is heading right to the Arrowhead player….a glancing header and somehow, someway, the ball ends up in the back of the net. No way. Two scores on free kicks from 40-45 yards. I am pretty sure even the Arrowhead coaches, fans and players would agree….that is just strange. I have never seen two in one game, never.
Memorial fights on. They have several good chances to take the lead. A header just wide, a header just over the top, a layoff and blast just over. On one important sequence, Jack has a ball in a dangerous spot in the 18 and as he is winding up to shoot, his plant foot slips on the wet turf, the ball sails high. I think that might have been the one…the one that would have done it. Not tonight. The game stays tight and feels like maybe a OT game. MIdway thru the half, Arrowhead starts to find some rhythm for about 10 minutes and looks dangerous. Memorial loses their possession game during this period. An Arrowhead ball in the corner, a cross and a scoop up and save by GK Hanson….but no, the ball somehow, someway wiggles loose from Hanson….and right into the path of an Arrowhead player. How does that happen. Just strange, 3-2.
Late in the game, see if this sounds familiar…..a penalty is called about 40 yards from goal. On what appears to be an insignificant foul. I won’t put you thru the pain again. Miraculously, a third goal on a free kick from 40 yards. 3 goals on free kicks from 40+ yards. Pretty sure coach Kite did not have that in his game plan of things to worry about. Never seen it before and pretty sure I will never see it again. All three well guarded, good man marking. No explanation really. Lightning strikes three times in the same place. Just strange.
The box score will show 4-2. Likely the shots on goal and corners will be pretty close. It was a closely fought game. Memorial leads at halftime 2-1. But on this night….a night of strange things,…. a night Arrowhead scores three goals on free kicks from 40+…it was not meant to be. If Arrowhead had thumped us it would not feel so bad. if Arrowhead was the better team….it would not feel so bad. I’ll get over it, but it hurts a little bit right now.
Officiating….I prefer not to discuss it. Don’t get the calls and no calls. Just strange.
Thanks again boys for the great season. I think you deserved better, but hey…I am a fan. Thanks Cooper….it was a fun ride. I will continue to be a Memorial fan and I will continue to cheer and hope to bring home that State trophy one day.
Update: Memorial is off to State. We were there to cheer them on and tell them to Have Fun and Play Hard! So…is it me or does it just seem weird to be sending our boys off to a State Soccer Tournament played outside…and it is snowing! Another strange moment but one that just continues to make this a season to remember. Keep it going boys! Bring it Home!
So…if you have not heard…or just want to be reminded: Memorial Is going to State.
Let’s relive this a little. Here is the goal that was the difference in an amazing game.
Man, that still gives me goosebumps. So exciting and still leaves a big smile on my face. Way to go Matt….and Kimamo.
As well, this picture is so cool. When you are a parent, the opportunity to see your child in a moment of pure joy is so cool. This is one of those moments. Not sure the boys will remember what they were thinking, but they will all remember the moment and it will stay with them their entire lives.
Memorial Tournament History
When you hear Coach Kite refer to EC Memorial as one of the best programs in the State, he is basing that on facts, not just a proud coach. Let’s take a look at the top programs in the state based on tournament appearances. 272 Schools play soccer in Wisconsin. School/Wins/Division.
Brookfield East 17 D1/D2
Marquette 17 D1
Neenah 16 D1
Madison West 15 D1
Whitefish Bay 14 D2
Racine Horlick 12 D1
Cedarburg 11 D2
EC Memorial 10 D1 (4 appearances coached by George Oien and 6 coached by David Kite)
Green Bay Preble 9 D1
Hudson 9 D1
Other Schools of interest: McDonnel/Regis(4) D3, Chippewa Falls(2) D1, Rice Lake(4) D3, River Falls(2) D2
Memorial Game Recap in State Tournament
1999 (0-1) No info on game.
2001 (1-1) Beat Wisconsin Rapids in Quarters-2 Goals by Connor O’Meara. Lost to Marquette in Semis. Goal by Chad Hendricks.
2002 (2-1) State Runner Up. 1-0 win over Milton in the quarters-goal by Andy Rapacz assisted by Aaron Czubkowski. With a direct connect to this years team, Aaron’s brother Jacob Peloquin has been a valuable part of the varsity team. You know Jacob wants a state tournament, just so he doesn’t have to hear it from his brother. A 2-0 win over Green Bay Preble-Adam Koger stars with a goal and assist. 4-0 loss to Marquette.
2004 (0-1) 4-2 loss to Middleton in the Quarters. Some players I recognize: Aaron Czubkowski. Patrick McClain in goal and currently on the roster of the MLS Minnesota FC. Eric Wirth, yes that Eric Wirth, current assistant coach for Memorial.
2008 (0-1) 1-0 loss to Homestead.
2009 (0-1) Loss to DePere 0-0 and 4-2 in the Shootout. Some names you may recognize: Elek Lane (GK), Zach Brown, Collin Printz, Max Sebesta, Neil Klingensmith. At least ones I recognize. A few friends of the family.
2010 (1-1) A 1-0 win over Middleton. I was at this game. Wow. Zach Brown scored in the 7th minute. We have only 2 shots on goal and for the rest of the game it is a defensive battle, save after save. Amazing we hung in to win 1-0. A great memory for Memorial soccer. Elek Lane in Goal was a beast.
2012 (0-1) A 4-0 loss to Marquette. I was at this game as well. Worst conditions ever for a soccer game. 36 degrees, rainy and 40 mph winds. Especially tough as my son Austin was playing in this game. Emotional night for the family. You know Cooper Lyons wants to get to a state tournament, just so he doesn’t have to hear it from his brother.
Important Note. D1 goes to 4 teams at State. I could have a rant here. Why 4 teams. Most other sports get 8. What the heck. The boys deserve a chance to go to state. Okay…done with rant. Whew. That feels good. In 2013 Memorial Lost in the Sectional Final (would have been 1st game at State) to Green Bay Preble on deflected direct kick off a shoulder. Maybe our best chance to win state if not for a late season injury to Scotty Nicolai. Huge bummer. Still hurts thinking about it. Great Team!! Preble loses in the final in a shoot out. We got our revenge on Preble this year!
2014 (0-1) 3-1 loss to Marquette. Led by Marcus Wollack and Andy Frank, the Abes keep it interesting. 2-1 at half.
2017. This story still needs to be written. LETS GO ABES! This marks the 4th time that Memorial has made it to the State Semi-Finals. They have made it to the Finals once, in 2002. Time to add to that total.
#2 EC Memorial vs. #3 Arrowhead 7:00 Thursday. Plan to have a little preview of the game tomorrow.
What a night. One for the ages. Epic! Not sure how else to describe it. It was intense, it was nerve-wracking, it was amazing! It was all that rolled up into a great night of soccer as Memorial battled Green Bay Preble for the Sectional Finals and a birth into the Division 1 State Semi-Finals. Memorial outlasted Preble for a well deserved 1-0 victory.
It was also what we all expected. One goal games are now our calling card at Memorial. Gritty, hard-fought, gut wrenching 1-0 victories. These are not for the faint of heart. The last 3 games all decided by 1 goal. The last two games and 200 minutes, Memorial has never had a 2 goal lead. Count in the final 7 minutes of the DC Everest game and we have had 207 minutes of intense, white knuckle soccer. Here is something interesting. Memorial has never trailed in the post season. With all the close games, they have found a way to get a lead and just fight to the end. These boys are coming together and making a statement…we are going to hold the line and keep you from scoring. We are going to find a way to get the W and move on. For the fans, it has been a fun ride. For the players and coaches it has been memorable.
So let’s get into the game. I wanted to start with a nice shot of the boys during the player intros and also a video of their pregame huddle on the field prior to the game. Tonight was a bit different. The team spend a lot of time on the sidelines pregame. The team huddle lasted several minutes while Preble was on the field and ready to go. It was much longer than usual and seemed to indicate the stakes were a bit higher tonight, the focus a bit sharper. The starting 11 then moved to the field and huddled it up again. For another extended period. The fans were anxious, a few yelling to get the game started (Preble fans are not very nice I must say, glad to be rid of them for s season) while the Memorial fans waited patiently. I think the players knew the stakes were high. They would be tested and now was the time to get your mind right.
First Half
So any great match needs a little time to get settled in, for the teams to get in to the flow. This one stated quick. Memorial came out on their front foot and was in the Preble half for the first 5 minutes, getting off a few early shots to test the waters. Preble responded. The pushed into the Memorial end for the next five minutes and earned three quick corners, but were unable to get anything dangerous in to the box. The game was on! The first half was a pretty competitive game, not significant advantage to either team. I would say possession was split pretty evenly. Memorial had a slight advantage of time on the ball, but did not dominate possession. The Memorial plan was to use their passing game to penetrate and look for options up top with Longville, Peloquin and their wing players, especially Haig tonight. Preble focused more on getting the ball into wide spaces and playing balls over the top into space. Memorials back 4 was up to the task and were able to limit the shots on goal and clear out the dangerous balls. The first sign of life for Memorial came about halfway thru the period. A nice string of passes got the ball out wide to Longville who was able to swing the ball across the field to a surging Zach Haig. A nice move to create some space on the right side, a cut back to his left and a solid strike from Haig was goal seeking. A nice leaping deflection by Preble GK John Brasel pushed the ball up into the crossbar an out for a corner. That was a great save and Haig almost got the scoring started. Sorry for no video Zach. Had the play all the way until the shot and then I just lost the last part of the play. It was a nice shot though, and a very good save. Goal Posts will become a common theme tonight. They were very involved all night!
Memorial had a few more good chances, mostly off corner kicks. Jack Longville started to really come into the game midway thru and was dangerous the rest of the way. He got loose on the left and did what Jack does, a little wiggle, a quick move and …BAM! This one was pretty close. I was not at the best angle, but at half asked a few other fans how close and all agreed, the ball was bending into goal. If he had been just a few yards deeper, likely a goal.
Jack was not done. Later in the half he almost coaxes in this corner kick for a goal. Another great save by Brasel. We are knocking , just no answer yet. So the half ends at 0-0.
Second Half
Things got a little more interesting in the second half. It was another half that felt like Memorial was the better team. A little more possession, a few more shots, a few more corners. Never dominant, never comfortable, but you just felt like the goal was coming. Memorial spent more time in the Preble half and it felt like Preble’s plan was to counter attack. They have a ton of speed out wide with their wing players. When they won possession they quickly looked to get the ball outside and swing in some crosses. They had a few dangerous periods in the half on counter attacks. I can remember a few corners that we took that quickly turned into counter strikes by Preble. They could go from defense to offense really fast. Two plays stand out. About 10 minutes into the half their right winger got deep into the corner and whizzed a ball across goal. Two Preble players were in the area and both came sliding into the 6 box. Fortunately, it whipped past both of them without a touch….whew…breathe again!
Then the biggest moment of the game…maybe a little controversy…maybe some good fortune…or maybe just good defense and a little payback for the post that robbed us earlier in the game. Another Preble counter attack down the right side off a long ball played into space. It was decision time for Memorial GK Tyler Hanson. He had not been required to make a lot of saves, but this one was going to be interesting. The ball was pushed forward and Hanson had a decision to make. Come out and play sweeper keeper or hang back and let the defense try to win the battle. He started out…hesitated…and came hard toward the corner of the 18. It was going to be close…would he get there in time to avert the shot. The Preble player (Bennet Sinkler) was being pressed by defender Junker and sensed the oncoming keeper and expertly chipped the ball over the sliding Hanson. The ball is arching up and headed toward goal. How will we keep this one out of the goal. The ball hits just short of the goal and bounces up and hits the cross-bar and comes straight down onto the goal line. As it is bouncing back up, two Preble players go past the ball without a touch and into the goal area and the ball is cleared away by Memorial. Whew, wow, OMG, how did that not go in…anything else you can say I felt and every Memorial fan felt. So who saved it, you ask. Just like the movie Ghostbusters, you need to call somebody when there is danger. For Memorial, we have our own Goal Buster (cute huh…just thought of that one while writing). Who you gonna call, call Owen! That’s right, Owen Jolley. Yes, the same Owen Jolley who made the miraculous Ninja flying bicycle kick save to deny DC Everest is right there to calmly clear the ball off the line. The controversy…did it cross the line…should it have been a goal. So here are the other points of view. The AR was emphatically waiving his arms no goal. Okay, that’s one in our favor. A Memorial student running past my position a moment later comments that the ball was definitely in the goal. Okay, that’s one in Preble’s favor. So who has the definitive answer. Well, why not Owen Jolley. Just happened to bump into him a few hours after the game as he was relaxing with friends. So Owen, what say you? You were the closest to knowing, probably the only one who knows. His reply….the ball never crossed the line. No goal. Now for some kids you may wonder. Am I getting the straight scoop or not. I have had the pleasure of knowing Owen for the past 10 years or so. Had a chance to coach him as well. I can assure you, if Owen says no goal, then no goal. He is about as straight as you can get. He would not have hesitated telling me it crossed the line. So NO GOAL. Now you will likely never convince any Preble player, fan and definitely not the Coach, the ball did not cross. I think he got a yellow at this point for arguing the call. There is a video link of highlights at the bottom of the post. I have watched it a bunch of times, and I tend to now agree with Owen, based on the angle of the ball, I don’t think it crossed either. Live it feels like a goal and we were lucky. But on tape, it looks like no goal. Maybe it hit the line, but remember, it has to cross all the way over the line. And of course, Owen already told me no goal. No that’s the end of that controversy.
What now. At this point in the game, I stopped feeling nervous. I think the drama of the almost Preble goal had a calming effect on me. If it is meant to be a win, then we will find a way. I remember just sitting and shaking my head and laughing a little. So now more drama for Memorial. It is still 0-0 and we have 35 minutes left to play. Time for some Memorial magic. For the rest of the half it was Memorials game to win. They pressed, they moved the ball, they earned corners, and they took their chances. It kind of felt like a set play game as well. Just find a way to bang one into the net.
Orser almost finds a way. Bodies flying everywhere. Denied by another post. Ugh! Keep shooting!
Peloquin almost scores on a glancing header. Don’t know how this did not go in. What a great save. As well, you can hear the anxiety in the fans. A bunch of screaming and cheering. We are getting closer.
And then this happened. The calls were interesting all night. It was a physical game. Lots of clock stoppages, a few yellows (5) and a few late questionable free kicks for Preble that were very confusing. I like a physical game, but not sure about this one. I mean, really, what did the ref see. Pretty clearly gets taken down from behind. Maybe the Preble player gets the ball first before he takes out the player, so I guess maybe okay, but a pretty favorable no call for Preble.
68th minute. Corner kick. Is this the goal. Check it out and then we’ll talk.
Yes! Martinez cleans it up on the backside after a header and great save. Cooper just misses a header. It looks like Longville heads it on goal. The keeper makes the save but can’t secure the ball. It heads back out onto the field. You can see Matt making a late run and the ball just sits up perfectly for the run. Looks like a one time volley and he strikes it well. Headed for goal except one problem. Simon Larson is in the goal having just missed on a volley as well. The ball is whizzing in and actually glances off his back side as it is goes into the net. That would have been a bummer if he blocked it, but Memorial was due. It was time. Big goal for Matt. 1-0 Memorial. Great story from Matt in the news and paper about how Kimamo (Asst. Coach) told him to hang back just a few yards in anticipation of a late run and the ball finding its way to the back side. How did he know that? That’s good coaching!
From there, it was time to try to kill the game.. and get the second goal. Another almost from Orser. Another post. Ugh. Another stab save by the GK . Ugh!
Cooper almost makes it 2-0. Just a bit outside.
No second goal. And now the clock watching starts. 70 minutes…75 minutes…80 minutes. So far, nothing too dangerous. The defense is sitting in and defending. We are clearing balls and burning clock where we can. The last 2 minutes things get interesting again. On two occasions, fouls are called on Memorial in very dangerous spots, Maybe 20-25 yards out. Nerves are back. Thoughts of the first Preble game start to creep into mine and probably every Memorial fan’s head. Flash back to September 23 with Memorial leading Preble 3-2 late in the game. A few questionable calls give Preble a free kick from 30 yards . Their GK comes forward into the box, a scramble takes place, a throw in, and somehow in the last 20 seconds, Preble ties the game 3-3. Flash forward to last night. Last minute of the game, there is a questionable call and the Preble GK comes forward into the box. A free kick from 30. Ball is played into the box, a header across into the box, the Preble GK headers it toward goal….but it goes over the net for a Goal Kick. Whew. Disaster averted. No repeat magic for Preble. Memorial plays it out and hangs on for the win.
SECTIONAL CHAMPS. HEADED TO STATE FOR THE 10TH TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY.
Better Photo coming , but this will hold you for now. Lots of smiles!
A few additional Takeaways from the game.
Sophomore Logan Junker stepped up huge for Memorial. With Burlingame being out of the game there was some concern over the back 4. No need to be concerned. Junker played big all night. He stepped hard, played aggressive, passed well and stayed poised. A big game and a big moment, but not to big for Junker. Well done kid!
Burlingame gets another game. So for me, one of the themes for the night was Bryce needed to play another game. It would just not have been right for him to end his high school career watching from the sidelines. If you watch the celebration video closely, you will notice Bryce near the end of the video (white hoodie) getting a big hug from a few players, including Cooper. Cooper and Bryce go way back and have played side by side for 10 years. I think their way of saying, “we got you bro”. You then see Bryce bend down and get caught up in the emotion. I think a pretty special moment for him and a pretty humbling moment likely. Tough night for Bryce and family and it feels really good he gets one more game….at least!
Martinez with the game winner. If you picked just one player to score a goal, a player who deserves it and a player who is probably the hardest working and nicest kid on the team, you would pick Matt. So cool he scored. What a great kid. I love Matt.
Box Score. Lots of drama and some controversy, but Memorial deserved to win this game. Corner Kicks: Memorial 8, Preble 3. Shots: Memorial 16, Preble 4. Possession was in Memorials favor all night. The only stats in favor of Preble. Saves. Their GK had 7 and kept Preble from getting blown out. Plus they had more yellows in a bit of a testy contest.
State Brackets. Normally, the brackets are predetermined, you automatically are set up. In the old system, we play M<arquette in Semi-Finals. In the new system, adopted just this year, the WIAA reseeds the final four to create the best potential Final. This year the seeding are: Marquette #1, Memorial #2, Arrowhead #3, Madison West #4.
State Semi-Finals. Marquette v. Madison West Thursday 4:30. Memorial v. Arrowhead Thursday 7:00. Yes, the same Arrowhead we played in our very first game this year. A big rematch….again.
If you would like to check out more video… Go to WQOW. Try pasting this into your browser. First 2:00 minutes is soccer updates. Then go to EWEAU, soccer video starts around 2:06 of the video. This one has the controversial save/goal attempt by Preble you, although Owen already cleared all that up. Decide for yourself. Copy and paste into your browser.
