Yesterday at work, I played with the Wannabees yet again, to pass the time. I was in net, and it was ridiculous. The gym that my company uses gets incredibly humid in the summer, and yesterday, the humidity was at its finest. I slipped and slid, and at one point performed the splits quite well. Near the end of the game, I carried the ball up and shot when nobody closed me down, picking the bottom corner somewhat unintentionally. 2-2 was the final.
In the last game with Team G, I played a total of nine minutes thanks to a 4-man rotation for midfielders, and still scored. The ball popped out of a kerfuffle in the corner, and again, I wasn't closed down, so I rifled it to the far top corner from about 8 yards out.
Strangely enough, this was not two minutes after half time, immediately following half the team and one of my teammate's dads collectively chewing me out for passing too much, being dirty, not shaving, and not scoring.
I really didn't see the problem, I shaved about five days ago. Regardless, my beard lost us the game 6-4, in spite of not being scored on while I was on, and scoring one myself.
Now, for the Hurricanes competitive game tonight, we played our new 3-2-3-2 formation.
Surprisingly, it works well. I think some of the positions that people are played or not played in can be worked on, but for the most part, we have it right. I really would like to get into an attacking position, I think it could do us some good. I also know just the man to fill in the defensive spot I vacate, and that would be my compatriot Matt. Easily enough, our coach has him playing on the wing, and that would be my kind of position.
In the game itself, I made a couple mistakes that led to goals, but I also saved my team's asses a few times as well with some well timed slide tackles and some good shielding to give us goal kicks. At one point, I shielded a ball for about 8 yards while it trickled (and I do mean trickled) over the by-line. Thankfully, I didn't get my calves kicked in.
As the game went on, I grew more comfortable on the ball, eventually utilizing one of my new-found strengths, long passing, to great effect. I imagine it'd get even better if I didn't have to put full strength onto most balls, too. I completed 3/5 or some nice amount like that, which makes it surprisingly effective, considering the normal risk involved.
As pictures of the new turf on the field I played on tonight are scarce on the internet, it should suffice it to say that is has been the most fantastic surface I have ever played on. There were a couple strange bumps, but for the most part, it was blissful. One thing that took a bit of getting used to was the bounce on the ball, though, which was a little more severe than usual.
Refer to the "plastic pitches" of the 1980s for more info; I'm sure this one wasn't off. That still doesn't make it a bad pitch, it is by far the best I've ever played on. One thing I noticed, though, was the back pain at the end of the game for no apparent reason other than the stress the turf put on my muscles.
We lost 5-3 after giving up 3 leads. Before you ask, I have no idea why we stuck with three in the back after any three of those goals.
One tidbit I'd like to share before I check in for the night has to do with the U of W soccer team I intend on trying out for. If you refer to the last post, there is a link with the vaguest of details of the venture. In two years, the team intends on joining the CIS league, but for now, will enjoy the first year (but probably more) of its life in the MCAC league.
Last year's winner of the MCAC league was Providence College, which is apparently just outside Winnipeg. Now, I don't have much to base this on, but aside from a 18-2 win over Steinbach Bible College last season, a college that offers the course "Biblical Poetry II: Wisdom Literature" should not be taken seriously.
You know what? Forget tact, I'm going to just have a field day:
I'm almost done.†
* - The Relig-o-meter is a patented device for reading into the levels of faith in a given space.
† - I have been working on this post for two and a quarter hours. It is 5:17 AM right now. Goodnight.
In the last game with Team G, I played a total of nine minutes thanks to a 4-man rotation for midfielders, and still scored. The ball popped out of a kerfuffle in the corner, and again, I wasn't closed down, so I rifled it to the far top corner from about 8 yards out.
Strangely enough, this was not two minutes after half time, immediately following half the team and one of my teammate's dads collectively chewing me out for passing too much, being dirty, not shaving, and not scoring.
I really didn't see the problem, I shaved about five days ago. Regardless, my beard lost us the game 6-4, in spite of not being scored on while I was on, and scoring one myself.
Now, for the Hurricanes competitive game tonight, we played our new 3-2-3-2 formation.
Surprisingly, it works well. I think some of the positions that people are played or not played in can be worked on, but for the most part, we have it right. I really would like to get into an attacking position, I think it could do us some good. I also know just the man to fill in the defensive spot I vacate, and that would be my compatriot Matt. Easily enough, our coach has him playing on the wing, and that would be my kind of position.
In the game itself, I made a couple mistakes that led to goals, but I also saved my team's asses a few times as well with some well timed slide tackles and some good shielding to give us goal kicks. At one point, I shielded a ball for about 8 yards while it trickled (and I do mean trickled) over the by-line. Thankfully, I didn't get my calves kicked in.
As the game went on, I grew more comfortable on the ball, eventually utilizing one of my new-found strengths, long passing, to great effect. I imagine it'd get even better if I didn't have to put full strength onto most balls, too. I completed 3/5 or some nice amount like that, which makes it surprisingly effective, considering the normal risk involved.
As pictures of the new turf on the field I played on tonight are scarce on the internet, it should suffice it to say that is has been the most fantastic surface I have ever played on. There were a couple strange bumps, but for the most part, it was blissful. One thing that took a bit of getting used to was the bounce on the ball, though, which was a little more severe than usual.
Refer to the "plastic pitches" of the 1980s for more info; I'm sure this one wasn't off. That still doesn't make it a bad pitch, it is by far the best I've ever played on. One thing I noticed, though, was the back pain at the end of the game for no apparent reason other than the stress the turf put on my muscles.
We lost 5-3 after giving up 3 leads. Before you ask, I have no idea why we stuck with three in the back after any three of those goals.
One tidbit I'd like to share before I check in for the night has to do with the U of W soccer team I intend on trying out for. If you refer to the last post, there is a link with the vaguest of details of the venture. In two years, the team intends on joining the CIS league, but for now, will enjoy the first year (but probably more) of its life in the MCAC league.
Last year's winner of the MCAC league was Providence College, which is apparently just outside Winnipeg. Now, I don't have much to base this on, but aside from a 18-2 win over Steinbach Bible College last season, a college that offers the course "Biblical Poetry II: Wisdom Literature" should not be taken seriously.
You know what? Forget tact, I'm going to just have a field day:
- We have to watch out for the aforementioned Steinbach Bible College, they intend on making the course "Integrating Faith and Sport" a mandatory course for their athletes. I suppose Providence College has nine times the faith of SBC, then. Hopefully integration evens the playing field.
- The "Canadian Mennonite University" also has a team, as does a French College in our city. That makes a four team league, with the relig-o-meter* reading a whopping 75%. I didn't even know it could withstand a reading that high. I also didn't know that two of those colleges existed.
- Providence College has an enrollment of ~425 students, including a heap of seminary students. Factor in the gender split, and that leaves ~210 males in the college. Essentially, one-tenth of that is on the soccer team.
- The course "Biblical Poetry II: Wisdom Literature" can be taken online. It begs the question; other than those suckered into the cinematic-sounding title, who would do that?
- Have you ever seen an amazing, deeply religious soccer player? Soccer is a religion in and of itself, and it's impossible to have two.
I'm almost done.†
* - The Relig-o-meter is a patented device for reading into the levels of faith in a given space.
† - I have been working on this post for two and a quarter hours. It is 5:17 AM right now. Goodnight.
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