FC77 Rangers 1 - 6 Green Dragons
(Muralt 90'+1')
Hic Sunt Dracones
Here is a little known fact to introduce this match summary: Medieval cartographers and mapmakers, when trying to delineate dangerous or unexplored areas on their map or globe, would often include the phrase "Hic sunt dracones" to warn future travelers of the peril ahead. Translated from Latin, this means "Here be dragons". Often, this warning would include a graphic representation of a dragon or foul sea serpent to further illustrate the dangers in this region, first found on the Lenox Globe (circa 1503-1507). Given this historical (and totally true, because I found it on Wikipedia!) precedent, all future Google maps of the Montessori Earth School must now include the following:
Rangers played a solid first half, a decent first ten minutes of the second half, and a good ten minutes to close the match...unfortunately, new club Green Dragons (a former open division team, it should be noted) totally dominated from minute 55 through minute 80 and the result, sadly, was a resounding defeat for the Yellow and Black. I wonder how medieval cartographers would write "son of a bitch" on their maps?
Starting XI:
Vogel, goalkeeper
Fahrbach - Bauman - Pullen - Seaton, fullbacks
Ingersoll - Radigan - Muralt - Burden, midfielders
Foubister - King, forwards
Reserves: Calkins (keeper) and McConnachie
With just a single substitute available at kick-off due to traffic, Vogel graciously offered to fill in between the posts until Calkins arrived. Full credit to the opposition: They were pretty good. They moved well off the ball, they passed decently, they stayed wide and made lots of good runs. Plus--and I know Vogel had some "words" with one of their players towards the end of the first half, and I respect that--they seemed like pretty decent guys. It would be a lot easier to trash them if they were jerks and cheats and Italian, but they weren't. Sorry. Feel free to post your own comments if you feel differently, but I just don't have it in me.
The first forty-five minutes were pretty evenly played, with the only difference (and the only score) coming around minute ten on a Dragon shot that was well taken from the top corner of the box and netted in the far upper corner. I don't even know if Manuel Almunia--starting goalkeeper for Arsenal--could have made the save...van der Sar probably, but not Almunia. [Hi, James!] That was the sum of the differences between 'Gers and Dragons for almost an hour. Rangers back line scrapped, covered, and swarmed the frequent wing runs the away side made. The opposition did maintain the majority of possession, but we got a few good breakaways on the counter and made sure their back line was alert. One foray into the box caught their keeper out cold as McConnachie rounded him and delivered the ball back into the middle, but was unlucky to find a finish from the runners. Of curious note was the reluctance--er, refusal may be a good word--for the referee to call hand balls. At all. I appreciate the distinction between ball-to-hand and deliberate handling, but one has to wonder about three calls in particular that I recall (one for Dragons, two for us). Maybe an early penalty would have turned momentum, maybe not.
The second half saw 'Gers get a number of good corners that threatened their clean sheet. Again working the counter attack, the home side made three or four jail breaks and put some balls at the goal. Burden had one attempt in particular where he got a pass in their box, dribbled through two defenders, and left-footed it (I think) as another two defenders closed on him. The shot was just wide, unfortunately, but it illustrated our typical "stick-to-it-ness" as we crashed their net and tried to bully a score. Unfortunately, when the Dragons got their second goal around the hour mark, it opened the flood gate for another four. Whatever. Calkins made A LOT of fantastic saves, the defense rallied hard against repeated human wave assaults, and our tenacity was rewarded in added extra time when Muralt preserved the 'Gers streak of not being shut-out since April 30, 2008 when the Azzuri beat us 1-0 in a sixty minute match because they couldn't find their cards. His left side of the box run at the Division Street End was a bit of relief as he walked it in the net.
Please see below for match photographs:
On a completely unrelated note...I miss not playing the Azzuri. I think Rangers need a proper rival and while No Subs is a contender, they just don't elicit the same irrational loathing and vim. Match summaries are so much easier to write when I can really get outraged by a squad. It's harder to do when the opposition is all friendly and wishes you good luck for next week's match.
Well, boys, that's all I got. Next week we play CHA CHA CHA. Yes, their team name is in all caps. They are undefeated thus far and should prove to be an opponent equal to Green Dragons, so bring your "A" game. Umm...that's it.
Match notes...Attendance for the match, excluding early arrivals for the FC77 Bollocks match immediately following, was approximately eight...The pitch was in good shape and the striping at the Powell Street End was very parabolic, but totally visible, which the referee commented favorably upon...Connor Foubister was match photographer for the afternoon...This match summary blows, except for the historical dragon reference and the Almunia comment, which I added to make Mr. McConnachie feel special, especially since I'm washing his left behind fleece even as I type...Wouldn't it be awesome if CHA CHA CHA was really the Azzuri with a new name?
Next Match:
Sunday, May 3 - 12:00 noon KO
Montessori Earth School
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