GameNotes: Sac United 1 - 2 Manteca Arsenal

eXtreme Family,

A tough loss this weekend. In cup games you must prepare for an intense atmosphere but I think we were caught off guard by the level of physicality on such a postage stamp of a pitch.

I believe we had problems in the first half, especially to find our game. They stopped us from playing, they played a very good game - committed, aggressive, well organized.

The early goal was a testament to their pressure and our car-lag.

In the second half we had plenty of opportunities but we took one of them very well after a very good pass from Julia setting Sierra on her way (much like last weekend). After that we had many opportunities to score the equalizing goal. We were more imposing in the second half but Manteca always looked dangerous on set pieces & on the counter attacks.

While the referee didn't do us any favors by letting the game degrade into a physical battle, we have to be able to adjust our game to both the opponents, the field conditions & the officials.

On that tiny pitch, with opponents playing as aggressive as they were, we should have looked to quickly transition the ball out of pressure after winning it. Instead we too often relied on dribbling to solve our soccer problems. In the end this caused us problems in midfield & the final third, leading to a few bumps & bruises along the way. It is disappointing because we worked on SPEED OF PLAY over the last few weeks(supporting angles, one touch soccer, identifying open space), but were unable to use our skills to control more of the game (I also think the pitch played a part in that as well).

That said, I think the girls showed excellent spirit & unity in the second to claw one back and to create several chances. Keeping the pressure on until the last minute in spite of all the injuries.

Training Next Week:

No practice Monday! For those that are injured, rest and recover. For those fit enough to train, either hit the field/road for a personal session OR go to the U16G training Monday 7-8:30pm @ Granite

Wednesday: 7-8:30pm @ Granite - Possession: Speed of play, Playing out of pressure
Thursday : 7-8:30pm @ Granite - Practicing the System: 1-4-3-3 + Set Pieces

Contest Notes:

GOTM-
You still have a few days to enter the GOTM contest. GO HERE & leave a comment of which goal you liked the best. If you guess the best goal, you win a $25 gift certificate to Kombat Soccer.

Juggle Month:
Keep practicing to raise your juggle scores as there will be prizes for the player who raises her total & consecutive high scores the most. And don't be surprised if there is a lightning bonus round for headers in the next week. ;)