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!

Fall 2010 Fixture List Released

GPSD (after some delay) finally released the Fall 2010 schedule. Every week is Super Sunday this season as 'Gers battle in their most epic campaign ever!

Highlanders...Rogue nation FC...Lagers Legends...FC Hut Old Boys...No Subs...Pizza Mia Griffins...Controlled Chaos...new squad C.C.F.C...all book-ended between home and away matches with the Salem Kickers.

There are no easy matches. This season Rangers play with the Men, not the Boys.

Good thing we have a really big [bleep!]ing banner!

Season ticket packages are still available. Contact Manager Sean for your tickets today!

Fall 2010 - O/30 Second Division Schedule

Game Time	Match	Home	Result	Away	Field
Sun 09/12/10 10:00AM	3202	FC 77 Rangers		Salem Kickers	Montessori
Sun 09/19/10 10:00AM	3206	FC 77 Rangers		C.C.F.C.	Montessori
Sun 09/26/10 02:00PM	3212	FC 77 Rangers		Highlanders	THRC 2
Sun 10/03/10 10:00AM	3218	No Subs		FC 77 Rangers	Montessori
Sun 10/10/10 10:00AM	3224	FC 77 Rangers		Rogue Nation FC	Montessori
Sun 10/17/10 10:00AM	3230	Controlled Chaos		FC 77 Rangers	Montessori
Sun 10/24/10 10:00AM	3235	FC 77 Rangers		FC Hut Old Boys	Montessori
Sun 10/31/10 02:00PM	3239	Lager Legands		FC 77 Rangers	Gladstone HS
Sun 11/07/10 10:00AM	3243	FC 77 Rangers		Pizza Mia Griffins	Montessori
Sun 11/14/10 12:00PM	3247	Salem Kickers		FC 77 Rangers	North River Rd

FC77 Rangers 4:0 No Subs

FC77 Rangers 4 - 0 No Subs

(Burden 15', 65'; King 30'; Sibanda 75')

The Hatfields vs. the McCoys. Batman vs. the Joker.

The Federation vs. the Borg.

Guys who love cute, furry puppies vs. guys who don't love cute, furry puppies.

FC77 Rangers vs. No Subs.

It's just that big.

After seasonal rains and a plethora of recreational football matches reduced the Montessori Earth School into an Everglades-like bog of muck and standing water, sans the alligators and manatees, the long-awaited and much ballyhooed match up of new old rivals FC77 Rangers and No Subs took place at West Sylvan Middle School. A late afternoon kick-off on nearly the longest day of the year ensured plenty of daylight as 'Gers sought to make amends for a string of three consecutive losses to the No Subs dating back to the Spring 2009 inaugural match. With almost 40% of the squad unavailable due to work, vacation, and children's tournament obligations, the Gaffer was a little concerned about fielding a full squad...but the thirteen Rangers who showed up were in a vendetta kind of way and owned the field as though we were playing with all twenty players at once.

Starting XI:

Silverman, goalkeeper

Fahrbach - Calkins - Gaffney, fullbacks

Snyder, holding midfielder

Bennouri - Radigan - Sibanda - Burden, midfielders

Ingersoll - King, strikers

Reserves: Freiwat and Seaton

Feeling pretty yet again in the new black kits, 'Gers lined up in our familiar 3-1-4-2 against a No Subs side that actually had some substitutes. Referee Oscar ("Don't Play the Offsides Trap!") got the proceedings underway promptly at 6:00 p.m. and 'Gers started stringing together a few passes right from the start. Finding success on the wings, FC77 went wide while the opposition started out with several balls up the middle, only to be shut down by the excellent "defensery" of the Gaffney-Calkins-Snyder-Fahrbach (and later Seaton) Axis of Not Evil. King and Ingersoll started getting some good bounces and made the sprints deep into the box, only to miss out on a final killer pass or shot. As play developed and the wingers also got forward in numbers, the crosses started coming in with more regularity. Radigan and Sibanda asserted their authority over the central midfield and both broke up No Subs possession as well as serviced the forward forays, eventually getting closer and popping a few shots of their own. One such surge into the box ended with Radigan being hacked down from behind and with referee Oscar ("Kind of a Crap Shoot When I Blow the Whistle") quick to toot his own horn, 'Gers leading scorer found himself at the charity spot for a penalty kick.

Radigan slotted right and the keeper, to his credit, made a good lunge to parry the shot out around the post. Either on the ensuing corner kick or another one immediately thereafter, Ingersoll served up a juicy slice of set play goodness. The ball loped into the mixer on the opposite side of the penalty spot and dropped to Burden's feet, who showed little hesitation to pull the trigger and fire the ball back through the assembled players and into the net. 1-0 after a quarter hour.

'Gers started finding more possession at both ends of the pitch. My recollection was that Silverman wasn't overly bothered for most of the first half--but do tell me if I'm incorrect--and smartly played No Subs' over hit long balls into his clutches. Gaffney, recovering from injury, showed no signs of being slowed down as he repeatedly turned the corner again and again to deliver long sideline balls to Bennouri...who in turn generated several good runs and link-up plays himself. I believe one such release sent King barreling through their fullbacks and toward the keeper. No Subs' central defender pulled his shirt in an attempt to slow him for a good fifteen yards--it was like watching a dragster chute deploy at the end of a funny car race. King's shot went just wide right and Oscar ("Squirrel!") apparently saw nothing wrong in the act, leading me to believe he and Koman Coulibaly were classmates in Refereeing 101.

King would get his redemption a few minutes later. Scampering onto a left side thrust into the box, the striker found himself pulling free of his markers just outside the six and with only the keeper to beat, fired a sharp angle worm-burner towards the far post that just eluded the diving stickminder. King's shot found nothing but the inside of the side net and doubled up the score, much to the frustration of the opposition.

Freiwat subbed on and also found himself on a hero run as the defense chased after him. Radigan, Sibanda, Ingersoll, and Burden all found looks at the net but the half ended at 2-0 with spirits high.

"One more goal," Gaffney said. "One more goal to crush their spirits!"

Okay. The second half started with a minor kick-off snafu, but soon returned to the familiar pattern of pass-pass-send the striker on his way Route One. Ingersoll quickly found himself the beneficiary of one such beautiful pass and bolted into the box. The woodwork loomed large and the handsome manager planted for a lethal deathblow when--KABOOM!--he was savagely thrashed from behind deep in the box. With the pained roar of the "f-word" echoing through the West Sylvan hills, Ingersoll won the second penalty of the night from Oscar ("That's the Way, Uh-Huh, Uh-Huh, I Like It, Uh-Huh, Uh-Huh") and hobbled to the spot.

Carefully choosing his spot, Ingersoll let fire a wicked stinger that, um, that...was...expertly deflected by the lunging keeper,"Matrix-style" in slow-motion bullet time. Truly, it was the greatest penalty save in the history of the game. Not even Van der Saar could have made such a...such a...um, awesome...save. Oh, hell. I effed it up but good. I launched it so far over the crossbar PDX actually tracked it on their radar for a good portion of a minute and scrambled a pair of F-15s to intercept. I could say that my leg still stung from being hacked but truthfully, I just wanted to "announce my presence with authority" and bust one hard into the net. Alas. Let us move on to the part of the story where Burden scores a killer goal.

The Part of the Story Where Burden Scores a Killer Goal: Maybe five minutes later, 'Gers go marauding down the right sideline and fire a wicked cross/shot across the face of the No Subs goal. The defense missed it, the keeper was out of place, and with it rolling out of play, Ingersoll runs onto it, smartly thinks against shooting ever again, and turns it back to the edge of the box looking for another lob into the mixer. Burden had other ideas and screamed for the ball. Unmarked near the sideline, maybe thirty yards from the posts, Ingersoll slotted a pass back to him thinking he would take the cross, but oh no. Burden popped a gracefully arcing drop shot over everybody. The keeper scrambled for position but I think he knew when the shot was at its apex he was in trouble. The ball splashed down just underneath the crossbar and past his gloved fingers for the third of the night. Burden gave himself a well-deserved "touchdown!" arm gesture, arguably his finest goal since he joined the club.

Silverman eventually found a few crosses to smack away and there was a spell when No Subs seemed to have a lot of corners for us to clean up. There was also a dramatic sliding save off the toe of the striker and a rolling clutch as the minutes went on to add to his Greatest Hits collection. Wasn't there one off the top of the woodwork, too? I choose to believe there was. Still, the defense held firm and even when Fahrbach seemed to get body-slammed but no call from Oscar ("I Wonder What I Shall Have for Dinner?"), Seaton or Snyder slotted in comfortably and the next verse was the same as the first.

The final goal, Bullie's third of the season (I believe), was also pretty fine. Ingersoll picked up a tidy pass from the back line and turned it back to the middle to King, who left-footed it forward. Sibanda took the through pass, outmuscled the trailing back for position, and then mightily chipped the keeper from just inside the box to finish the scoring. 4-0. The last fifteen minutes hinted at another goal, but as several No Subs players left early, the match finished around 7:40 with another 'Gers win.

All in all, it was a fine, satisfying result. It's not often that a team can expertly save two penalties--well, expertly save one penalty and watch bemusedly as the other goes into low geosynchronous orbit--and still be soundly defeated. 'Gers showed good possession, control, steely defense and opportunistic finishing, all critical as they go into the final two matches of the season.

Match Notes...Attendance was a heart-warming 17, with many Junior Rangers in attendance and expertly watched by several spouses on the sidelines...This was the first match 'Gers has played at West Sylvan Middle School...I may have seemed like I was picking on the official in the above match summary, but when both sides independently say "This guy doesn't call anything!" well, then, you have to wonder...

Next Match:

FC77 Rangers vs. FC PFA

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Montessori Earth School

4:00 p.m. KO

Note: Due to MES storm damage, this may change,

depending upon pitch recovery.

Watch your emails this week for details!