Everybody on this squad knows the history between our two teams and the seven years of defeat, controversy, and frustration we have endured at the hands (and boots) of the Italians. If this was the Olympics, the saga would be reviewed in a grainy, back-and-white video montage set to a lonely piano tune with images of us, heads down, walking in slow motion off the pitch. Perhaps it would be narrated by the late Jim McKay or Bob Costas. The last scene, however, would not be a “Spielbergian” close-up of a muddy ball in the rain or one of us hunched over on the touch line with an empty expression on our face...
...it would be a glorious full color, real-time shot of the ball smashing into the net for the third time as the Yellow and Black erupt into frenzied cheers! Somebody start playing Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” for the soundtrack! We just kicked the Azzuri’s ass!
SUPER MARIO HASN’T BEEN BARRELED OVER THIS BADLY SINCE “DONKEY KONG”!
In the dramatic build-up to the June 4th replay with the Azzuri at the Montessori Earth School, manager Sean Ingersoll’s weekly email match reminder was succinct and simple:
“I want to win this match more than any other I have ever played. Be there.”
The Rangers showed up, all right, and responded with another epic performance. We out shot, out passed, out tackled and out mocked the Blues from whistle to whistle. When all things were finally made equal—each side fielding their own players and the match lasting for a full ninety minutes—‘Gers stepped up and gave the manager the victory he craved for so long.
FC77 supporters knew the magnitude of the match and a 300% increase in attendance from last week (do the math) gave additional voice to the cause. The 7:06 kick-off found Rangers sitting in their 4-4-2 with five reserves on deck. Berg, Snyder, Bauman, Calkins, Fahrbach, Foubister, Radigan, Muralt, Burden, King and McConnachie started and Lemos, Ntini, Sibanda, Vogel, and Ingersoll comprised the reinforcements. Our substitution mechanics have been slowly improving—thanks to everybody on the squad who offered suggestions, including the Inverse Gaussian Hazard Model and the two spreadsheets—and the familiarity/fluidity from last week seemed to continue as play started with good possession and distribution. Some early offsides calls against the visitors elicited the anticipated dramatic response, much to our amusement, but our defense stamped their authority on the match with some truly monster tackles and let it be known that nothing was going to be given in our house. Calkins worked hard to get inside the head of the primary Azzuri striker and rarely allowed him space to work. Radigan, Bauman, Muralt and Lemos all made frequent and punishing challenges; Aaron had a hang time on one tackle that lasted a good two seconds before he slammed into the ball and sent the midfielder flat to the grass. Even Ingersoll, sliding into the left back position, dropped the opposition’s number twenty with a hammer blow to the feet, courtesy of his new prototype Nike Mercurial Talaria4 boots he sported for the first time. (Thanks Brian!) When the striker protested to the referee, our entire back line got in his face and viciously ridiculed him.
I’ve never been so proud to be a manager. [Sniff!]
NOW THAT’S AMORE!
The on-field communication was good. With very little to do in the first half, Berg orchestrated the backline shape on several free kick defensive walls (“Four person wall! Left two steps! NOW!”) and still managed to make a dramatic stop or two as the occasion required. With Fahrbach, Snyder, and Vogel managing the wings and clearing traffic and the midfield dropping back to assist on defense, it was up to the offense to break the deadlock and come the 58th minute, they did. Ntini’s first half strike clattered down off the crossbar and bounced out of the six yard box but his effort around the hour mark was silky smooth. Dribbling around three defenders and slashing across the top of the box to the center of the field, Ntini unleashed a curling blast to the right side that the keeper got his fingers on but couldn’t deflect. Twelve minutes later he repeated by cutting through the Azzuri back line and isolating the keeper one on one. A quick move to the right gave him a clear look at goal and he killed the play off with a short strike inside the posts.
Then things got a little interesting. The Blues pulled one back a few minutes later with a crossing shot to the upper right corner and pressed the attack, keeping possession and sending ‘Gers into some frantic clearances. After we regained our shape, Burden, Sibanda and Foubister started working their respective wings and gave Rangers more movement along the outside. McConnachie ran onto a long hero ball and took it almost fifty yards to their goal, only to have the shot get blocked at the last moment (I think). King clinched the victory in the 84th minute when he broke free of his marker and blasted a low shot to the left back corner of the goal. 3-1 looks pretty comfortable in print, but our squad rarely makes things easy for ourselves, and the last six minutes was a tense, contentious defense siege that saw the Azzuri win four or five corners, seize upon our clearances, and put Berg under constant pressure. They bagged their second goal deep, deep into added time off a near side corner kick. Fahrbach and the rest of the sideline screamed for time and finally, at 8:43 p.m. PST, the referee gave the final three blasts of his whistle.
Rangers 3. Azzuri 2. Quello è come rotoliamo, bambino!
Special thanks to Connor Foubister for acting as our Junior Ranger on this historic night.
BUT…BUT…WHERE IS THE THIRD HEADLINE?!
Oh, it’s there, gentle reader. You just have to be bold and look for it. Cheers!
Sean-Scott Ingersoll
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