FC77 Rangers 4 vs. NE Portland Chiropractic 0

(Scorers: King 30', 55', 75', Radigan 45'+1')
May 14, 2008

IT'S GOOD TO BE KING (AND PRETTY SWEET TO BE RADIGAN, TOO)

Quite simply, everything came together exactly like it should.

After four consecutive weeks of heartache and despair, Rangers put together a total football match and played their best game in the last three years, winning 4-0 against NE Portland Chiropractic. Ron King bagged the first 'Gers hat trick since spring 2006. Aaron Radigan added to his season goal count with a clinically dispatched shot that no keeper could have stopped. Steve Berg earned his first clean sheet of the season in fine style, going mano a mano with a lone striker on at least two occasions (maybe three) and robbing them blind. The makeshift back line, thrown together due to the absences of three of our regular defenders, stepped up and played their asses off and the midfield was up and back for the full ninety minutes. Rangers owned the passing game, the fifty-fifty balls in the air, the midfield, and the flanks. Everybody gave 100% and when it was all over, the grins on the sidelines barely told the whole story.

"I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP, MR. DEMILLE."

Gary Foubister set up a digital video camera to record the match (see video highlights below) and the Yellow and Black put on quite a show. We lined up in our usual 4-4-2. Berg minded the sticks, Sean Ingersoll and David Hayden played the outside backs, and Mark Vogel and Jim Snyder commandeered the center. Foubister, Radigan, Matt Muralt and Ron Burden took up the midfield positions and James McConnachie and King played up front. Super subs Dario Lemos, Bullie Sibanda, and Dan Calkins--outfitted prior to match time with new Puma boots courtesy of the local Fred Meyer--gave the squad good depth and needed reserves in the warm 72 degree evening air. NE PDX Chiropractic, to their credit, showed up on time, had all of their player cards and roster, and were ready to play at 7:00 p.m. at the Montessori Earth School.

Game on! PDX kicked off to start but 'Gers soon reclaimed possession and kept good pressure on the Division End goal mouth. We played a solid mix of short passes, control, wing runs and some "kick and run" to keep the orange side on the defensive. Despite the lion's share of play and some promising early signs of intent, the game was scoreless for two-thirds of the first half. On occasion, PDX would counter against the run of play but the fullbacks, playing high and tight on Snyder's direction, generally caught the strikers and forced them out to the side lines. Around the twenty-fifth minute or so the referee flagged Berg for improper handling of a back pass around the penalty spot and hearts raced as the squad rushed back to reform a hasty wall. PDX--cheeky monkeys!--opted to take the quick kick on the indirect and the resulting shot would have been good for three in the NFL but counted for nothing in real football. Having escaped unscathed, Rangers regrouped and punished the visitors in quick fashion. Burden was finding success repeatedly along the left wing, making long throws and killer crosses into the box since the start of the match. At approximately minute 25 he made another cross from his corner position and, whizzing the ball past the sweeper, found King camped on the six. A trap with the right and a smash on the left saw the keeper breached and the home side elated. Radigan ended the half with an expertly executed left footer to the inside side netting; I believe he was fed from Foubister off the right on a through run, but I could be incorrect. [Editor's note: As with all match summaries, some details may not be exactly correct, but humor me. I'm Irish.]

STOP ME IF YOU THINK THAT YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

Being up with two goals in the bank at half-time was a familiar position for 'Gers but astute scholars of our game will know that doesn't always ensure success. (Hey, Soccer Gods! I'm talking to you!) Determined not to let history repeat itself, the home side continued to focus on the positives at the break. "Look at them," someone said. "They are looking tired. Keep running and subbing." Effective subbing had helped to give us the lead and would continue to our advantage in the second half. EVERYBODY on the pitch ran for every ball and scrapped for every tackle. Lemos in particular seemed to be literally everywhere, not limited by his left back role. If the average footballer runs 8600 meters or so per game, Dario must have topped 10,000. Burden, Muralt, Sibanda and Vogel worked well to control the center. McConnachie, Foubister and Ingersoll had success turning their wings and getting outside shots and feeds to the middle. Defensively, Calkins and Hayden were solid; Dan chased down the occasional offsides trap refugee and David cleared several PDX passes out of danger. Also of note (since everybody is getting mad props in this summary) was Snyder's expert slide tackle around the seventieth minute. An orange striker broke the middle and Jim ran him down, catching him just inside our box and sweeping the ball out to the far line with a perfect tackle. Any earlier and he would have missed. Any later and he would swept the legs for a penalty.

"I DON'T EVER WANT THIS GAME TO END!"

Rangers kept steady pressure on from the second half kick-off. An early cross to the middle found Ingersoll go up and over his marker (not bad for the shortest guy on the squad!) for a rare headed shot that arced over the crossbar. King got his brace ten minutes into the half when Lemos (I think) pressured their midfield, stole it, and delivered it to Burden...who assisted again with a pass to the near post. King ran on to it, stuck his foot out, and the net rippled for a third time. The hat trick was completed fifteen minutes from time off a throw-in when McConnachie spotted King loosely marked in the middle. He launched it over the defender, King obliged the lonely, bouncing ball and gave it a home in the left side of the net. Foubister overheard the visitors ask how much time was remaining.

"Fifteen minutes," the match official answered.

"Jesus, don't you mean five?"

Fifteen minutes later the final whistle blew and 'Gers picked up their first three points of the campaign. The match was fairly even-tempered--although I think PDX did call one of us a "jerk-ass", but whatever--and our single fan, Sarah, was treated to a fine performance. It is hoped that the momentum will carry through to next Wednesday's tough rematch against Bridgetown FC.

Cheers!

Sean-Scott Ingersoll