Symmetry 1 : 1 FC77 Rangers

Symmetry 1 - 1 FC77 Rangers

(Muralt 50')

The GPSD 2011 Winter (Pre-)Season concluded with a 1-1 tie between FC77 Rangers and familiar divisional opponent Symmetry on a wet but not overtly awful morning at Dick Baker Stadium, Gladstone High School. With raining falling before and immediately after the Match Day Five contest--but generally not during the hour we played--and both sides starting with only ten players, the teams finished the season with five points each and tied for third place in the O-30 First Division. Hey, at least we weren't last!

Starting X:

Payne, goalkeeper

Brian from Wolfhounds - Snyder - Brian Gaffney, fullbacks

Burden - Harris - Muralt - Ingersoll, midfielders

Dean Jones - King, strikers

Reserves:

Calkins, Calkins' Beard...The Veritable "Twelfth Man"

Not Available:

Bauman, Gullung, Pullen, Schutte, Silverman, Youssef

Due to the Shamrock Run, work travel obligations, recuperation from male medical procedures, and other life obligations reducing the roster to well under the necessary eleven, Ingersoll was required to bring on "guest players" Brian Gaffney and Den Jones. Both Gaffney and Jones are FC77 stalwarts from multiple teams, notably FC77 Hibernian and Newcastle. Their presence on the pitch was greatly welcomed as they both put in full shifts and definitely helped to keep the match from being another undermanned runaway...but that is the last reference I will ever make to the Sunday night massacre from last week. Brian from Wolfhounds also offered to stick around and play a second match and his efforts at the back right side were also appreciated as he did very well to neutralize the outside striker and keep control of the ball it was pinged back and forth in our end. Thanks, gentlemen!

Payne took over the keeper's gloves for the match, an impressive feat since he is still recovering from broken ribs. Despite the injury, Payne made several bold rushes off his line to intercept the inevitable long ball O-30 players send on bouncy turf pitches. Another scrapped together back line did a fine job keeping him from getting too busy, with Symmetry's only score coming from another dreaded corner kick play approximately twenty minutes into the first half.

Calkins and Calkins' Beard slid into the back line around the fifteenth minute, pushing Snyder up to his more familiar roll as holding midfielder. This enabled Jim to do what he does best every match, and that would be executing textbook-perfect slide tackles on breakaway strikers. Bearing the fruits of his labors (i.e., a nice bloody raspberry on the knees from one such challenge) as his scabby red badge of courage, he helped lock down the rear guard for most of the match and frustrated several menacing attacks, especially by that one guy who looked like Edgar Davids without the goggles.

Most of the match seemed to center around the middle of the pitch, with almost 85% of possession within 20 yards each side of the center line. Muralt and Harris commandeered the center of the squad and they had several good series of shorter passes and distribution to the wings. The typical Rangers style of "ball from middle, to wings, and then crossed back inside" started to reappear and 'Gers held a lot of possession and threatening attacks in the first twenty minutes...making Symmetry's goal against the run of play. Burden and Ingersoll both had a couple of good runs and many crosses into the mixer, but the goal was either too small or too far away for it to find net.

The Yellow and Black's equalizer came in the second half. Gaffney collected a loose ball, took it wide to the touchline, and arced a pass forward to Ingersoll. The skipper collected it on the line, turned upfield, and made a run down the sideline. Spotting Jones and King surging forward, he flared the ball across the center to Jones, who skillfully took control and made for the box. He was clattered over from behind just inside the "D" and earned 'Gers a free kick from a dangerous position. Muralt knew what to do next. After the wall was pushed back the requisite ten yards, he squared himself up and sniped a curling ball over the right side of the wall and just inside the far post of the net, beating the outstretched keeper. The final ten minutes was frantic as 'Gers looked for a winner, with King coming close off another dish from Ingersoll and Burden hitting a bouncing shot from the top corner of the box, but regrettably, victory was not to be had on the day.

Rangers first official winter season ever ended with a 1-2-2 record, some good goals, and an appetite for more football in the very near future...which is good, because the real spring season starts the first or second weekend in April. Some new faces were added the roster, we learned we never want to play Kells FC again (EVER!), and no long-term injuries were reported during the last five weeks, so there you go...

Match notes: Junior Rangers for the match were Ethan Snyder and Ashley Payne...Youssef came out to support the squad after having just run the Shamrock Run...Attendance for the day was estimated at ten, with that number increasing to a whopping thirty...of which most of those people were players for the O-50 match waiting to get on the pitch...Matt Muralt won the unofficial "Golden Boot" for the winter with his two goals...