Today we played SK Strakuhov at 10:30. We were back to the original location with a wider playing space. Both teams had difficulty establishing a hold on the game in the first half, and neither team had the majority of possession. But after about 10mins, FC United was able to settle down and start moving the ball around the pitch. The Predators made some headway down the flanks via the feet of wingers Brendon Weinhardt and Andrew Baggaley, but they were unable to connect with Trudnak and Schmid. Strakuhov liked to play the ball quickly on set pieces and were comfortable with passing around the back, and their hubris in the backfield would prove to be their downfall. Less than 10mins before the end of the half Mike Schmid took advantage of a bad touch by a Czech defender in the 18 yard box and slotted it past the goalie. 1-0 to the Predators and, like always, they kept pressing for more goals. But their hunger for a second goal was foiled by the referee's whistle, which ended the first half. Deciding to stay on the bench rather than return to the locker room for halftime, FC United knew that they must add to their lead. But the beginning of the second half saw a return to the calamitous pinball of the beginning 10 mins, and FC United were under some slight pressure. Luckily Strakuhov was unable to dangerously penetrate, and the Predators were able to flow back into the match. Mike Schmid struck his second of the match, and fourth of the tournament, to make the score 2-0 off of Leo Volz's cross. A slight slip up resulted in a Strakuhov goal nearly 10mins later. The defense and midfield were too far apart and an opposing header created a breakaway, which led to a chip over goalkeeper Orton, who had just punted the ball up the field. Simply a matter of miscommunication in pushing up the pitch, but FC United were determined to widen the gap again. Brendon Weinhardt scored with a deft left footed chip from 18 yards. 3-1, and one more would follow. Weinhardt turned provided about 5mins later, as he played Baggaley in on the right side of the 18. Baggaley faked a shot and cut the ball in to his left foot, then struck the ball past the Czech keeper into the net.
The game ended 4-1, a well played match all around. All the defenders; Dan Schelhorn, Devin Harrigan, Steve Rizzo, Andrew Fairchild, Brian Hunt, Myles Federico, and Sean Ellsworth were instrumental in keeping Strakuhov away from the goal, and the goal against was a fluke. Tireless running from Chris Clark and Victor prevented the defense from settling, and hard tackling from Alex Roth and Sam Hamilton made sure the midfield was United's.
FC United is tied for first place with ZCE Plzen. Tomorrow the Predators play their fellow American squad, the Clarence Stallions of western New York, at 1 in the afternoon. After the game is an awards ceremony, dinner, and then it is back on the bus for a 4 hour (hopefully) drive to Munich for our last night in Europe.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
4th of July Games
Today was obviously a very special and prideful day for us, as we were able to represent our country overseas on the day of our independence. Due to an ongoing match we were only able to warm up on the field for 15 mins, but we stretched and did what we could to prepare in the locker room. The fact that we were representing the United States gave us a boost and made up for the lack of pre game preparation.
Our first game, at 1:15, was against SC Stresnovice. They were a better team than Chodov, but we still controlled much of the game and kept the ball in their half. We wanted to test the keeper early, as he was a bit overweight and not the quickest of characters, but we were limited to shots from distance early on. In the first 15 mins we tried to ram it down their throats down the middle, and it was not until we started employing a fluid east-west passing game that FC United had some dangerous opportunities. Due to the fact that Stresnovice's defense over-shifted, balls played into the corners by the defensive midfielders to the wingers created the best chances. On more than one occasions, Steve Rizzo played a deep ball to winger Andrew Baggaley, who controlled the ball, beat one or two Czech defenders, and then slotted the ball to the top of the box to either Ross Trudnak or Mike Schmid. Unfortunately, none of these plays produced a goal, but they did result in about 4 corner kicks in the first half. It was on one of these corners that FC United capitalized. Mike Schmid again picked out Rizzo, who headed the ball in the back of the net. But at 1-0, the Predators knew that one goal may not be enough and kept probing forward. However, that final "killer" ball was absent on the day, so at the half it was 1-0. The beginning of the second half tipped the balance a bit in Stresnovice's favor, and United's chances were fewer. The opposing pressure provided a few corner kicks, but spirited defending ensured the shutout. About halfway through the half the Predators took the game back and created a few scoring chances. On another corner kick, Schmid lofted the ball to Rizzo at the backpost, who headed in for a 2-0 scoreline. Still not relinquishing their hold on the match, FC United began to knock the ball around freely, using the defense to shift the points of attack. A through ball from Devin Harrigan provided Baggaley with an opportunity, but he slotted the ball back to a surging Brendon Weinhardt. Weinhardt struck the ball well, but the goalkeeper stretched out and parried it away. The match ended with a solid 2-0 score. Overall, the lack of finishing and scoreline betrayed the amount of control FC United had on the match.
Between matches we stopped at a mini-mart to get a small snack, then went to another location for our match. Our opponents, ZCE Plzen, had won their previous two games 3-0 and 7-0, so we knew this was the best team we would face all tournament. A short and narrow pitch with a very quick and hard surface eliminated the option of balls played into the corner, and chances were fewer in this encounter. The first half was fought in the center of midfield, as Plzen preferred to bring the ball up the middle in their attack. Plzen also man marked very tightly, a stark contrast to the previous teams we had played. FC United won a few corners in the first half, but none resulted in goals. Conversely, Plzen had a few free kicks in their offensive end, but the heads of centerbacks Devin Harrigan and Andrew Fairchild kept the opponents at bay. At the half the score was 0-0. The second half was more of the same. Very even play with little space to operate, neither team had clear cut chances. Each had a few corner kicks, but tey were dealt with coolly by each sides respective goalkeepers. Justin Orton did well to not let the swarm of Plzen players in his 6 yard box faze him. The game ended 0-0, a fair score for both teams.
Tomorrow we play at 10:30am against a Czech team that won their first game 8-0. Happy 4th of July! I love America!
Our first game, at 1:15, was against SC Stresnovice. They were a better team than Chodov, but we still controlled much of the game and kept the ball in their half. We wanted to test the keeper early, as he was a bit overweight and not the quickest of characters, but we were limited to shots from distance early on. In the first 15 mins we tried to ram it down their throats down the middle, and it was not until we started employing a fluid east-west passing game that FC United had some dangerous opportunities. Due to the fact that Stresnovice's defense over-shifted, balls played into the corners by the defensive midfielders to the wingers created the best chances. On more than one occasions, Steve Rizzo played a deep ball to winger Andrew Baggaley, who controlled the ball, beat one or two Czech defenders, and then slotted the ball to the top of the box to either Ross Trudnak or Mike Schmid. Unfortunately, none of these plays produced a goal, but they did result in about 4 corner kicks in the first half. It was on one of these corners that FC United capitalized. Mike Schmid again picked out Rizzo, who headed the ball in the back of the net. But at 1-0, the Predators knew that one goal may not be enough and kept probing forward. However, that final "killer" ball was absent on the day, so at the half it was 1-0. The beginning of the second half tipped the balance a bit in Stresnovice's favor, and United's chances were fewer. The opposing pressure provided a few corner kicks, but spirited defending ensured the shutout. About halfway through the half the Predators took the game back and created a few scoring chances. On another corner kick, Schmid lofted the ball to Rizzo at the backpost, who headed in for a 2-0 scoreline. Still not relinquishing their hold on the match, FC United began to knock the ball around freely, using the defense to shift the points of attack. A through ball from Devin Harrigan provided Baggaley with an opportunity, but he slotted the ball back to a surging Brendon Weinhardt. Weinhardt struck the ball well, but the goalkeeper stretched out and parried it away. The match ended with a solid 2-0 score. Overall, the lack of finishing and scoreline betrayed the amount of control FC United had on the match.
Between matches we stopped at a mini-mart to get a small snack, then went to another location for our match. Our opponents, ZCE Plzen, had won their previous two games 3-0 and 7-0, so we knew this was the best team we would face all tournament. A short and narrow pitch with a very quick and hard surface eliminated the option of balls played into the corner, and chances were fewer in this encounter. The first half was fought in the center of midfield, as Plzen preferred to bring the ball up the middle in their attack. Plzen also man marked very tightly, a stark contrast to the previous teams we had played. FC United won a few corners in the first half, but none resulted in goals. Conversely, Plzen had a few free kicks in their offensive end, but the heads of centerbacks Devin Harrigan and Andrew Fairchild kept the opponents at bay. At the half the score was 0-0. The second half was more of the same. Very even play with little space to operate, neither team had clear cut chances. Each had a few corner kicks, but tey were dealt with coolly by each sides respective goalkeepers. Justin Orton did well to not let the swarm of Plzen players in his 6 yard box faze him. The game ended 0-0, a fair score for both teams.
Tomorrow we play at 10:30am against a Czech team that won their first game 8-0. Happy 4th of July! I love America!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Munich Report
We arrived in Munich on Monday afternoon and met our tour guide, Barbara. Our bus, which we have christened The Salmon because of its color, took us to the hotel on the outskirts of Munich. We ate dinner in the hotel, then split up to either sleep or play soccer on a small field we found 3 blocks away. About 10 of us played against an 11 year old German wunderkind, Ibrahim, whose skills showed us just how good many kids in Europe are.
We woke up around 8 the next day and boarded the bus for the Allianz Arena, the local soccer stadium. Powerhouse Bayern Munich and 2nd league team TSV 1860 Munich play there, and the lights on the stadium facade can be changed from white to blue to red, depending on which team is playing. We sat in the upper deck, saw the team locker rooms and press conference room. After the tour some of the guys shopped at the Bayern Munich souvenir shop.
Following the tour, we took a bus tour around Munich and saw many of the beautiful monuments, statues, and buildings. We even walked around the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace, a former summer residence for Bavarian royalty. After the bus tour we had about 2 hours of free time and visited various shops around Marienplatz, Munich's premier shopping district. Dinner was at the Hofbraehaus, a famous beer hall in Munich, where we experienced traditional Bavarian food and dance.
After dinner it was back to the hotel, and we left for Prague early the next morning.
We woke up around 8 the next day and boarded the bus for the Allianz Arena, the local soccer stadium. Powerhouse Bayern Munich and 2nd league team TSV 1860 Munich play there, and the lights on the stadium facade can be changed from white to blue to red, depending on which team is playing. We sat in the upper deck, saw the team locker rooms and press conference room. After the tour some of the guys shopped at the Bayern Munich souvenir shop.
Following the tour, we took a bus tour around Munich and saw many of the beautiful monuments, statues, and buildings. We even walked around the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace, a former summer residence for Bavarian royalty. After the bus tour we had about 2 hours of free time and visited various shops around Marienplatz, Munich's premier shopping district. Dinner was at the Hofbraehaus, a famous beer hall in Munich, where we experienced traditional Bavarian food and dance.
After dinner it was back to the hotel, and we left for Prague early the next morning.
First Match July 3rd
At 9am this morning we played FC Chodov, a local team from Prague. We played on a short, but very wide, turf field located about 20mins from our hotel the TOP Hotel. When we first arrived weentered the locker room, painted neon green, and got our boots on, then went onto the field andwarmed up. All the guys were really excited to be using an actual locker room to get changed in instead of the back of the car like in the US. After we had warmed up for about 45mins we went back in the locker room for the pre match speech and line up.
We started out the match with our new 4-2-3-1 formation. We made a few thrusts forward early, but FC Chodov, in a blue and white striped kit, had the first dangerous attempt at goal, a header off of a freekick that was acrobatically turned away by goalkeeper Justin Orton. But from then on, it was all FC United. Defensive midfielders Brendon "Weinsteiger" Weinhardt and Sam Hamilton controlled the middle of the pitch and ensured that all the play was in FC United's offensive half. About 20mins in, Andrew Baggaley took advantage of lackluster passing in Chodov's backfield by stripping a defender of the ball and firing a semi-toeblow shot under the goalkeeper from about 18yards out, making the score 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Leo Volz's shot deflected off a Czech defender for a corner. Mike Schmid took the corner and picked out Steve Rizzo, who bulged the back of the ol' onion bag with a header. FC United kept up the pressure for the remainder of the half, going in 2-0 leaders at the whistle.
After an inspiring speech from Coach Blumenthal, the boys took the field for the second half. More of the same from United, and Mike Schmid weaved through three Czech defenders and slotted the ball past the keeper for 3-0. Moments later Ross Trudnak played a chip behind the defense and Schmid finished it on the half volley. At 4-0 the Predators were still prowling, with Rizzo narrowly missing on a left footed shot and Brain Hunt making a valiant foray into the opponents box, only to be foiled by a tweet of the referee's whistle. FC Chodov only succeeded in putting one more shot on goal, but Orton made another nice diving save. At the final whistle, FC United stood victorious 4-0.
Overall, the boys dominated the game and performed well in every position. Tomorrow they play FC Stresovice and ZCE Plzen, at 1:15 and 4.
We started out the match with our new 4-2-3-1 formation. We made a few thrusts forward early, but FC Chodov, in a blue and white striped kit, had the first dangerous attempt at goal, a header off of a freekick that was acrobatically turned away by goalkeeper Justin Orton. But from then on, it was all FC United. Defensive midfielders Brendon "Weinsteiger" Weinhardt and Sam Hamilton controlled the middle of the pitch and ensured that all the play was in FC United's offensive half. About 20mins in, Andrew Baggaley took advantage of lackluster passing in Chodov's backfield by stripping a defender of the ball and firing a semi-toeblow shot under the goalkeeper from about 18yards out, making the score 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Leo Volz's shot deflected off a Czech defender for a corner. Mike Schmid took the corner and picked out Steve Rizzo, who bulged the back of the ol' onion bag with a header. FC United kept up the pressure for the remainder of the half, going in 2-0 leaders at the whistle.
After an inspiring speech from Coach Blumenthal, the boys took the field for the second half. More of the same from United, and Mike Schmid weaved through three Czech defenders and slotted the ball past the keeper for 3-0. Moments later Ross Trudnak played a chip behind the defense and Schmid finished it on the half volley. At 4-0 the Predators were still prowling, with Rizzo narrowly missing on a left footed shot and Brain Hunt making a valiant foray into the opponents box, only to be foiled by a tweet of the referee's whistle. FC Chodov only succeeded in putting one more shot on goal, but Orton made another nice diving save. At the final whistle, FC United stood victorious 4-0.
Overall, the boys dominated the game and performed well in every position. Tomorrow they play FC Stresovice and ZCE Plzen, at 1:15 and 4.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
First Entry
Ahoj! Yesterday we arrived in Prague after a 6 hour bus drive. We toured the beautiful Prague Castle, walked on the famed Charles Bridge, and strolled around much of Prague's Old Town. The Castle overlooks the entire city, and we got some great pictures of the Prague skyline. We have a nice hotel with a small pitch nearby, which we practiced on today. We had dinner at the Restaurant Musketyr, located in a dark cellar near the Prague Museum. We were bracing oursleves for a vampire attack at any moment., but enjoyed the Cordon Bleu and cake for dessert.
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