FC77 Rangers 1:2 No Subs

FC77 Rangers 1 - 2 No Subs

(Youssef 35')

Match Day Two reunited long-time rivals FC77 Rangers and No Subs to the turf pitch at Dick Baker Stadium, Gladstone High School for the early morning kick-off in the GPSD O-30 First Division. Both sides came off hard-fought draws in their respective openers ('Gers 2-2 Controlled Chaos and No Subs drawing 0-0 with Symmetry) to form the middle of the table and each were looking to improve on their previous result in order to keep up with league leader Kell's FC, a dominant 5-0 winner last week over Wolfhounds FC. In the end, however, the difference between a single point and nothing at all was reduced to a matter of inches. D'oh!

Starting XI: (Hooray! Enough players!)

Silverman, Goalkeeper

Pullen - Calkins - Payne, fullbacks

Switzer, holding midfielder

Burden - Harris - Muralt - Ingersoll, midfielders

King, deep striker

Youssef, high striker

Reserves: None (Boo! No subs--er, I mean, no reserves!)

Unavailable: Bauman, Gullung, Schutte, Snyder

Another dry, crisp, not unreasonably cold morning greeted the sides. 'Gers lined up in their preferred black strip--because it is slimming--while No Subs donned their newer maroons. Familiar referee Josh ("Lil' Vin Diesel") presided over the preceedings and got both sides underway at exactly 10:00 a.m. 'Gers got the first menacing look on goal with King blasting a shot past No Subs keeper Ricardo from inside the box, but his strike went just outside the post. No Subs countered with a run of their own that seemed to be offsides, but the sixteen year old linesboy kept his flag down and allowed the striker to dribble around Silverman, who had slid out to deny him, and shoot from about eight yards out...and miss. Wide left by less than 12".

Harris and Muralt battled fiercely for the central midfield as both teams preferred a long ball attack on the bouncy turf. Switzer, playing deeper than usual as a makeshift holding midfielder, worked well with Calkins to stop up short runs and allow the harder kicks to roll back to Silverman. Another Yellow and Black found King swing left to run onto Ingersoll's pass, hold up, and crack another shot at Ricardo. The keeper bumbled the collection and their central back rushed in to punt it away. It appeared the half would end scoreless until around the 25th minute mark when a No Subs corner kick routine was (in all fairness) nicely executed, with a delayed central runner finding his header into the upper right corner. Another was it or wasn't it? offsides no-call threatened to put the visitors up by two in just three minutes, but Calkins scrambled back just in time and kicked the ball past the far post to keep it a 0-1 match.

Determined to keep pressure on certain members of their suspect back line, 'Gers found their equalizer just five minutes into the second half. After King was fouled just inside the near sideline, maybe twenty-five yards out, Ingersoll dropped the free kick into the mixer around the penalty spot. After clattering off some heads in the box, the ball was cleared out to Pullen, who had pushed forward on the far side. He sent a beauty of a ball over the scrum and onto the forward rushing Youssef, who trapped it with his body and fired from inside the six. Hopelessly beaten, Ricardo could do nothing as 'Ger's striker smashed it to the right. 1-1 with plenty of time to find a go-ahead goal.

That go-ahead goal seemed to come just ten minutes later, when (Muralt?) loped a ball over back line and found Ingersoll hur-hobbling forward with as much urgency as his bum hamstring could muster. Ingersoll collected just left of the penalty spot and got the slightest chip on it before Ricardo could close the distance. With No Subs' back line screaming for offsides, the ball bounced casually back toward the goal.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, each consecutive bounce getting lower and slower...until on the last bounce it tinked off the inside of the far post and rolled mockingly slow back across the goal line. King and Youssef hurled forward to throw themselves on top of it, but the center back who had been protesting the least and realized the play was still live hurled himself into the goal as the ball continued its slow motion roll toward the netting...only to be violently expelled by a panicked kick from the No Subs defender. Youssef, King, Burden, and Muralt all screamed at the linesboy who was, in all fairness, on the line even with the post and theoretically in a position to see it, but a goal was not to be given.

No Subs continued to go long ball and found a break with ten minutes to play when a rush and a push and the ball that was theirs found the feet of an isolated striker. Silverman valiantly tried to wipe him out, but he was able to dish to the right. Unopposed, he almost put it over the bar, but still found net for the game winner. 'Gers bravely fought on and a late corner offered one final chance to equalize. Ingersoll roared for everyone to come forward [Editor's note: Next time we are down by one late in the game and have a corner kick, we should pull Silverman forward, too. Losing by two gets you as many points as losing by one and it would so cool for him to score.] Burden's corner streaked along the end line, bounced off a No Subs defender, might have bounced off the keeper or the post, and was haphazardly cleared through a mass of players to the top of the box. Eventually it rolled out to Payne, still forward to support the set play, and he dropped another pass into the mixer where several shots blasted off, well, everybody until eventually it was cleared out for good. Time soon ran out, leaving the good guys on the short end of the scoreline...by about less than the width of a goal line.

All in all, it was still a spirited performance. New player Dan Harris worked very well in the central midfield on his debut and props to Switzer for playing holding midfielder as is not the custom of his people. Next week against Wolfhounds FC, we should have a full complement to play--including people at their regular positions--and I am optimistic that our fortunes may turn around for the better.

Match notes...Attendance was estimated at 12, including Roy Payne's daughter as unofficial Junior Ranger and a bunch of random people running around the track...King, Muralt, and Youssef are currently tied for the Golden Boot, if that was an award we actually gave out...Team picture day was postponed because there was not eleven players to take a picture. It has been duly rescheduled for next week and will be taken if I have to Photoshop Muppets in to make a full strength squad...

Next Match:

Wolfhounds FC v FC77 Rangers

Sunday, 27 February, 2011

Dick Baker Stadium, Gladstone High School

11:00 a.m. KO - BE THERE BY 10:30!