FC77 Rangers 5:4 Symmetry NW

FC77 Rangers 5 - 4 Symmetry NW

(Radigan 20'; Burden 35' and 55'; Muralt 65'; Switzer 70')

It can be a difficult thing going into a match, three-quarters of the way through the season, knowing that many of your players are not going to be able to play. Life happens, of course: Work, nagging injuries, drunken bashes in New Orleans...the usual suspects. Coming off the brutal clash last week with No Subs, Rangers were down to a skeleton crew on Match Day Seven against always competitive, always plucky Symmetry NW. Manager Sean repeatedly did the math and only came up with ten bodies, maybe eleven. As you might suspect, he did not find this awesome. So when Prodigal Son and former player Gary Foubister emailed and said he wanted to come watch 'Gers, Manager Sean gave him the best seat on the pitch...starting striker! As Bono might say, "Get on your boots!"

Starting X + I:

DeBar (Silverman, 15')

Pullen - Calkins - DeBar, fullbacks

Snyder, holding midfielder

Burden - Radigan - Muralt - Ingersoll, midfielders

Foubister - Switzer, strikers

Reserves:

Reserves? We don't need no stinkin' reserves!

The Yellow and Black started out in a 3-4-2 while Silverman hurried to the MES with his boots, with DeBar graciously offering to stand in until the final player arrived. Normally, playing with ten players is a worrisome thing...unless your opponent only has eight and then it isn't so bad...until your short-sided opponent plays a boring long-ball-kick-and-run game, beats your pressing back line, and scores ten minutes into the match...then that kind of sucks. But what doesn't suck is when you then proceed to democratically spread the ball around, take full advantage of your opponent's reduced numbers, and blast the living [bleep!] out of the dodgy keeper. That doesn't suck at all. After settling down, 'Gers went to work on asserting themselves over their tangarine opposition. Foubister snaked left and back-heeled to Ingersoll, who, as is the custom of his people, winged it high and right. No goal, but intent. Symmetry's keeper had a tough time clearing the ball to midfield and so Radigan and Muralt poached the middle, claiming repeated balls before SNW could go back to the ho-hum kick and chase ball with which they found early success. Muralt slid a slicing ball through the heart of the back line and Radigan obliged with an unchecked run, a touch or two to line it up, and then a calm strike past the keeper. With a full side after Silverman's arrival and an even scoreline, 'Gers began to reclaim possession and tempo, unpanicked and relatively unbothered. Snyder dished left to Ingersoll who made a run into the box, hoping the beaten right back would charge in on him for a penalty. The back instead gave up and Rangers left winger found himself precariously close to the six yard box. A shot would have been appropriate, but I couldn't hit water if I fell out of a boat, so the chippy cross back across the entire box seemed like a wasted opportunity...until Burden swooped into the eighteen and, as is the custom of his people, one-touched(? Sure!) the pass high over the mixer and gracefully loped it over the keeper. Thirty-five minutes down, Yellow and Black up 2-1. Symmetry battled back and forced Silverman to make a stunning save to his right, pawing a sure goal over the crossbar. Pullen, Calkins, and DeBar all worked hard to clear the resulting corner kick out and Snyder shepherded the ball back out to the right. 'Gers played more possession and made Symmetry's keeper scramble a bit more than he would have preferred, but when match official Pete blew the first 45 to a close, spirits were high and there was a sense in the crisp morning air that more goals were to come.

More goals, indeed! Unfortunately, it was Symmetry who claimed the first goal of the second half off circumstances that elude me. Probably kick and chase. Snore. So what is the best response to a morale lifting equalizer? A morale crushing go-ahead goal, say, sixty seconds later. Taking the kick-off, Ingersoll got free on the Symmetry right, once again found himself inside their box, and once again could have shot without too much guilt. Once again, however, he (wisely) opted to not shoot and his left footed 45 degree back-pass was too acute for Muralt, who was breaking toward the penalty spot...however, once again Burden swept in and once again his first touch on the ball was a gem, slotting past the keeper near side. The joke at half-time was that Burden is the only player Ingersoll can consistently find a pass to and Burden can't score unless he gets the ball from Ingersoll. (All three of Ron's goals this season were assisted from his left wing counterpart!)

Ranger wingers: Bringing people together since 2007.

Now up 3-2 as the hour mark loomed nigh, it started to feel like the train was leaving the station for Symmetry. Muralt got his own name on the score line with (I think-I may be making this up) a reciprocal feed off Radigan that broke him loose through the middle. I recall it was very much like Radigan's first goal, with a slicing pass, a collection, and a slotted shot past the bewildered keeper. How very...symmetrical...but then they had to get all long ball again and run and kick and chase and run and kick and chase and somehow they put another one in the net. It's so unbalanced...so...unsymmetrical. Whatever. A studs up challenge on Snyder near midfielder earned Symmetry a caution and resulting free kick once again wreaked havoc amongst the Orangemen. A point blank shot from (?) landed squarely in the keeper's hands...and then fumbled out. Switzer deftly swooped in and claimed the put-back, earning a true poacher's goal and a critical fifth for 'Gers. 5-3 and comfortable going but Symmetry has a way of hanging around and an unlucky deflection about twenty yards out careened back over our defenders and caught Silverman off-balance, making the score 5-4. It wasn't really a graceful goal and damn near impossible to defend, just unlucky. The lsat eighteen minutes were spirited. Symmetry had a full eleven by now and tried to press for another equalizer, but Calkins, DeBar, Snyder and Pullen scrambled to keep the box clear and wisely put it out of touch when SNW started asking questions. DeBar made several late clearances on the right to keep the flank secure and 'Gers wisely kept players back when attacking opportunities presented themselves to not get suckered on a counter-attack. An 89th minute break found Ingersoll again just inside the box, but remembering what they do in pro matches--and that he can't score--he opted to take the ball to the corner flag...mostly because he's never done that before and it looks all cool and tactical. He won a throw-in for his efforts and killed ten seconds off the clock, then 'Gers got a corner and took some more time to set up the delivery.

With no one coming in for the short corner--it was mindfully being watched, anyway--Ingersoll decided that another thing he'd never done before was try to shoot from the corner flag. This seemed like a good idea because a long cross might invite a counter and catch the Yellow and Black high, so figuring he had nothing left to lose except more time off the clock, Ingersoll bent it from the NW flag and back toward the goal...and damn it if it almost didn't go in! The keeper was alert to the curving delivery and punched it over for another corner, milking precious seconds. Symmetry tried one more time to kick and chase, DeBar and Calkins kicked it away as they were chased, and three shrill blasts of the whistle gave Rangers three more points and another week in second place of the Rose City table.

All in all, it was a typical FC77-Symmetry match: A close match, Burden finding the net (he scored on his debut against this side several years ago), multiple Ranger goalkeepers, and a tough win.

Match notes...Attendance was two people, both for Symmetry...Umm, that's about it...

Next Match:

FC77 Rangers v. Dawgs (return leg)

Sunday, 1 November, 2009

Montessori Earth School

10:00 AM KO