The Blue Monk-Rangers rivalry is always a highlight in the club's fixture schedule. I daresay it is a derby match of some sort. Many of our squad are friends with their team and play in the same indoor soccer league (if not on the same team) with them. The matches are generally pretty close and well-contested without getting too surly--good, hard-played recreational football. Rangers managed a 2-1 win last Spring on the season opener and so it was with some optimism that the yellow and black took to the pitch at the Montessori Earth School. Clear autumn skies and another good crowd of family, FC77 PBR players from the previous match, and the occasional neighbor came out to watch.
Referee Mohammed Al-Abbas started the match promptly at 4:00 and the two sides, as expected, matched up fairly evenly. Fullback Mike Pullen once again orchestrated the back line and kept the early Monk shots from being too threatening. Rangers put together a few probing stabs from the right and center, keeping the away team keeper on his toes. Monk opened the scoring around the twenty minute mark with a drop shot from the center that fell kindly for their striker, but 'Gers recovered their shape and managed to deal with the rest of the attacks until the half-time whistle. Matt Muralt, switching to a striker role from his usual center midfield position, dribbled the ball straight down the throat of the Blue Monk defense, fended off a pair of charges, and sent a hard shot just right of the goal. Spurred by the play, Rangers continued to scrap for possession and control. Aaron Radigan had a notable battle with a Monk left midfielder that saw the two of them go to ground, recover, shoulder charge each other (and repeat!) along the near touchline with Radigan ultimately winning the ball. Dan Holstein and Muralt also coordinated on a fine free kick just outside the box that whipped and dipped, making the keeper leap to parry out the shot. Down by a goal at halftime, the sideline consensus was that the team had an equalizer coming...
...and the team was correct. Jim Snyder, finding some open space and freedom to run along the right side, took a through pass and corralled it down the touchline, beat the left back, and served up a beautiful, floating cross to the far post. Sean Ingersoll hobbled/gimped his way to to get on the end of it and headed it back off the end line to James McConnachie, poised mid-goal at the six yard box, who finished the attack with a predator's header into the net. I suppose as the writer of this match summary (and active participant in the play) I should maintain some sort of journalistic neutrality, but I have to say, it was BLEEPIN' AWESOME! The assembled crowd roared their support, especially the "FC77 PBRmy" as I shall dub them. Play continued with enthusiasm for the rest of the match and included more set play class from Holstein and Muralt on another well-taken free kick and a late match short corner that Ingersoll sent high, wide and not too handsomely over the crossbar. Playing with fewer than anticipated players due to a rash of last minute injury reports, 'Gers did well to keep the tempo up and the tackles clean.
Unfortunately, Monk scored three more times. Whatever. Our goal was way cooler.
Special Ranger props goes out to all of our fans, notably, the Vogel girls ("Go Yellow Team!"), the entire Radigan family, the Ingersoll girls, and the members of the Muralt family who came to watch. An extra special shout-out goes to Toby Holstein, who selflessly set up the corner flags and helped with the nets. Toby, when you turn 30 in like, 17 or 18 years, you totally have a starting position on the squad. If I neglected to mention any family spectators--my apologies. The 1400 mg of ibuprofen I have to take to play occasionally messes with my head.
Sean Ingersoll
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