“All right, guys, this won’t be the biggest match we ever play as a team, but right now it is the most important.”
Four weeks into the spring season, beset by frustration, heartache and suffering almost every conceivable twist of cruel sporting luck, the Ranger’s goal was just to get a win. Locked firmly in the GPSD O-30 Third Division cellar—a tragically familiar place—most everybody on the squad was just happy for a clean slide tackle, a crisp pass, or even a goal…no matter how it went into the net. At 0-4 with only six games to play, the idea of even breaking even was just a fleeting notion. Bridgetown FC and No Subs were clearly dominating the score lines. But then, in the most clichéd of sport narratives, the Yellow and Black began putting the pieces of a complete team together and the results began to change. 0-4 became 1-4, then 1-5 and then…something more. Starting with a stirring vindication against Blue Monk, Rangers went on a three match win streak and slowly clawed their way up the table. The stunning six goal second half that sealed the NE Portland Chiropractic double gave Rangers their best point total ever with a single match remaining.
Oh, what a match it was.
The Rangers-No Subs replay took three evenings, 270 minutes, two venues, and three red cards to finally settle. With No Subs losing two of their last three and the Azzurri at fourteen points in the table, the winner of the ‘Gers-No Subs match would find themselves in second place. The first attempt to replay, in early June, was scrubbed due to an absentee referee. The 2-2 friendly was fairly played and well-received (see match result here). The reschedule at Tualatin High School on June 29th was similarly scrapped due to the lack of a match official, but the partially mixed-squad friendly did see ‘Gers win 4-2 and proved that a loss was not a foregone conclusion. The third replay, hastily set for July 2nd under muggy skies back at the Montessori Earth School, couldn’t have been more dramatic.
At stake was second place in the Rose City Division and a chance to play for the Championship.
Throngs (well, a dozen or so, but that counts as a throng in my book) of FC77 supporters lined the south sideline, including an entire Junior Ranger Corps. Jim Seaton, missing for several weeks with an injury, returned to the line-up for the first time since May and Dario Lemos, back from Argentina, also suited up. The familiar 4-4-2 consisted of Berg in goal; Fahrbach, Calkins, Bauman, and Pullen on the back line; Lemos, Radigan, Muralt, and Snyder commandeered the midfield; and King and Ntini started up front. Ingersoll, Seaton and later, Burden and Sibanda made up the reserves. True to their moniker, No Subs started eleven without substitutes and were only joined by extra players some twenty-five minutes into the match. The manager believed that a pivotal match deserved some sort of pep talk and came up with the opening quote to rally the troops…who promptly and good-naturedly gave him grief for his quasi-“Gipper” speech. (Rest assured, the manager is working on another great pep talk for next week.)
‘Gers took the opening kick-off and threatened early, but a No Subs counter five minutes in saw the shot blast off the crossbar and get the home team’s collective heart beating a little faster. A formal response was coming seven minutes later. A near side corner kick arched long over the mixer and seemed to fizzle out until Fahrbach, racing forward in a very Patrice Evra-esque fashion from his outside fullback position, collected the ball, turned it back inside and delivered a beautiful cross to the opposite post. Radigan punished his loose marker by driving the header into the upper left corner and after twelve minutes, ‘Gers were up a goal. No Subs equalized around the twentieth minute off a (in all fairness expertly struck) volley shot from outside the box, but unfazed, ‘Gers collected themselves and methodically began working the wings. Ntini had a few looks that caused the away team to scramble and Lemos’ point blank shot from inside the six was deflected by a brilliant reflex save from the No Subs goalie. Muralt came off the field around the half-hour mark nursing a calf injury but the midfield adapted and maintained good shape up and back. At the half, tied 1-1, the match was still either side’s to take.
The second half continued the run of play from the first 45 minutes, with ‘Gers working the outsides and No Subs, starting to tire, playing the middle. Bauman, Calkins, Pullen, Seaton and Fahrbach played good safety first defensive ball and reined in any stray runs, but with the exception of a direct kick to grab, Berg had relatively little to do in the second half. Snyder later produced a technically perfect textbook slide tackle directly in front of the supporters and that started the squad’s final rally. Knowing a tie would do them no good, Rangers pushed forward. Lemos was adjudged offsides several times, confirming our attacking intentions. When Ntini dribbled through their back line, cut outside right near the penalty spot, and then shot back to the middle, isolating and beating the keeper, the home side roared with relief and excitement. With fifteen minutes left and up a goal, ‘Gers collapsed back onto defense to answer a quick No Subs attack and then countered. Lemos, finally staying onside, took Ntini’s pass deep in their box and turned his shot to the lower left, putting ‘Gers up 3-1 with eight minutes left. The Argentine’s first FC77 goal couldn’t have come at a better moment and the Supporter’s section again cheered in approval...
...but the cheers turned quickly to surprised gasps as the on-field action turned ugly. Frustrated by his inability to halt Ntini’s dribbling attacks, a No Subs midfielder went in with a cheap, studs up tackle from behind. King retaliated with a shove, harsh words were exchanged, and the referee went to his pocket to produce red for, ultimately, two of the opposition and King, too. With the sides thinned down, both sides finished out the match uneventfully, with ‘Gers throwing in a few more crosses and running the clock out.
A pleased sense of accomplishment greeted the final blast of the whistle. The celebration was restrained and modestly understated. Kendall Ingersoll produced a celebratory box of Krispy Kreme donuts, the squad acknowledged the fans and the Junior Ranger corps with grateful applause and as twilight wrapped the field in shadow, the Yellow and Black took quiet pride in knowing that there was still one final match to play.
After almost everyone had left the pitch, just shy of nine o’clock, Ingersoll finished his final litter sweep of the grounds (hey, being a manager isn’t all glamour, fame and rock star partying, you know). The warm, moist air was turning cool and, as the evening faded to black, a series of red and green flares shrieked up into the sky and exploded over the trees to the southwest. Somewhere on the other side of the fence neighborhood kids were shooting bottle rockets and fireworks into the sky and under a dazzling canopy of sparks and starfire, Ingersoll locked up the Montessori Earth School for the final time.
GPSD Over-30, Third Division Championship Match
FC77 Rangers vs. Bridgetown FC
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
7:00 K.O.
Delta Park Field #8
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