FC77 Rangers 7:3 Dawgs

FC77 Rangers 7 - 3 Dawgs

Radigan 1', 4', 24'; Bennouri 12', 34'; Muralt 16'; Snyder 60'

Starting XI:

Silverman, goalkeeper

Pullen - Bauman - Calkins, fullbacks

Snyder, holding midfielder

Burden - Radigan - Muralt - Ingersoll, midfielders

Switzer - Bennouri, strikers

Reserves: Seaton, DeBar, Vogel, King, McConnachie, Fahrbach

Match Day One of the Fall 2009 season started with an explosive bang for the Yellow and Black as 'Gers took full advantage of an undermanned squad--one could say, "Dawgy Style", but that would be crass and beneath us--and finished the day with maximum goal differential, a barrage of goals, and high hopes for the season.

Radigan got FC77 on the score board immediately, thundering home a near side header inside the post about fifty seconds after kick-off. He then doubled up with another goal in the fourth minute, and completed the fastest hat trick in 'Gers history twenty minutes after that with a rocket shot at close range. Nabyl Bennouri added a brace of his own, including a sweetly taken volley shot from inside the eighteen yard box that smashed past the shell-shocked keeper. Muralt finished off a attack in the 16th minute with a well-placed shot of his own. Finally, Snyder completed the scoring in the second half with a well-taken shot of his own that was destined for the goal one way or the either, but was inadvertently helped into the back of the net by a Dawg fullback. Video replays of the sequence showed some nice passing from Ingersoll, Snyder and Muralt before Snyder dodged two frantic slide tackles and slotted off their sweeper for the goal.

Silverman looked solid in goal once again, making a few dramatic saves in each half as the situation warranted and keeping his back line organized. With five reserves--a record of some sorts for us, I'm sure--the 3-1-4-2 formation went through several personnel iterations and gave the squad a good chance to get to know each other and "figure ourselves out". Our passing at times was very pleasing on the eyes, with good distribution to the outsides and back again.

Honestly, Rangers probably had about 40 shots, with at least half of them on goal. With a comfortable 6-0 lead at half, 'Gers took their foot off the gas a little and allowed the Dawgs to play some long ball and make a few successful runs, but even a 7 -3 score line flatters them. The result was never in doubt and, full credit to Dawgs, they were good sports about only having seven at kick-off before eventually accumulating ten players. The match was even-keeled and youngster referee Kyle was not troubled with any controversial or touchy decisions.

With so many positives to take away from the match--lots o' goal, lots o' players, good runs off the ball, and Switzer proving that forwards like to slide tackle as much as the fullbacks--a proper write-up would go on and on and on...much like "The Time Traveler's Wife". If a picture is worth a thousand words, the above embedded slideshow ought to be good for about 32,000 and I'll follow-up with a video montage of the match...set to soccer music...'cause life is better with a soundtrack. Preferably with New Order on it.

Once I figure out how to upload it, of course.

Match notes...Attendance for the opener was robust, with a crowd estimated at 18-20...no cards were shown during the match...Junior Rangers for the day were Kendall Ingersoll, Ethan Snyder, and Rory Snyder...Match photgrapher and videographer was Becki Ingersoll...Physicists are still trying to figure out how Ron King's second half shot--which clinked against the inside face of the left crossbar, somehow rolled across the entire length of the goal line, and then tinked off the right upright, did not go in...James McConnachie put in several notable shifts as a stopper and did very well for himself...He also took a hard goal kick to the head from about eleven yards out and almost put it back in the net...

Next Match:

FC77 Rangers v. KMA

Sunday, 20 September 2009 - 10:00 AM (f**k!) KO

Montessori Earth School