IST 5 TEDA 0 (28 September 2010)
A bus journey for over an hour to Tianjin can affect match readiness. A large grass field, particularly after playing on the smaller artificial surface in TEDA, can also take its toll. The TEDA COMETS were clearly not ready for this game, our first away fixture of the season! Having slept or dozed in the warmth of the bus the guys began to wake up just a couple of minutes after kick-off when out hosts, IST, scored their first goal. They were wide awake by the time IST quickly notched up a second strike. By this time the game was almost beyond us. Giving away 2 goals in the space of a couple of minutes at the start of the match left TEDA on the back foot, always struggling to get into the game. From this point it became a damage limitation exercise………… keeping the margin of the defeat respectable. This was a great challenge, made all the more difficult when two of our guys ended up injured in the IST clinic. The TEDA goal was under constant threat and it was not entirely unexpected that IST continued to build on their goal tally with incisive passing and good running into space. TEDA were dismantled and went down battling 5-0!
The coach had a heart attack!
TEDA 5 IST 0 (12 October 2010)
“There is always the next game,” as they say in soccer circles. A chance to make amends! In all truthfulness the coach, following the heavy defeat at IST a fortnight before, could not be overly optimistic. It appeared TEDA had a mountain to climb against opposition that ran riot in front of the TEDA goal. But football is a funny game sometimes and fortunes can quickly change. In this game TEDA took the game to IST, passing the ball well, attacking frequently and clearly wanting to show the visitors that they could play football. In an exasperating early spell TEDA came so close to scoring on a few occasions before they finally broke the deadlock with a fine strike by Kyeong Chan to make it 1-0, a lead that was richly deserved. At this stage of the game there was no sign that the floodgates were ready to open. TEDA continued to dominate the play but to give away a goal would have given the opposition heart, so TEDA needed to be careful. Johnny handled all goal threats well as TEDA built a commanding lead with Kyeong Chan adding 2 more goals to complete his hat-trick and Tony adding a brace to make it 5-0. Between the goals there was also plenty of action and suspense as TEDA hit the post twice and the bar once.
………for the coach………a happier game for the heartstrings!
3 TEDTISA 2 (14 October 2010)
Life goes on and there are reality checks!
Off the back of a resounding 5-0 win on Tuesday spirits were fairly high amongst the TEDA COMETS as we boarded the bus for Tianjin on time, allowing for a good warm up before the game at the TIS campus. But when the bus driver had to get off the bus to ask for directions in Tianjin and then took a diversionary route to our destination we were getting squeezed for time. At stop lights the guys changed into their soccer uniforms and when we jumped off the bus at TIS we had 5 minutes to quickly stretch before getting into action. As soon as the opening whistle blew it was evident TEDA legs weren’t working! Control was poor, the passes went astray and TIS were in command of the game, their forwards slicing through our defence. In the early stages of the game we gave away a penalty then lost another goal to TIS, who were simply quicker to the ball. 2-0 down and TEDA looked like they were going to be swamped. Only Johnny kept us in the game with some fine saves. Then against the tide of play Kyeong Chan scored a great goal at the very end of the first half of play to make it 2-1. Scoring at this juncture in a game always lifts spirits, so we entered the second half with some hope. A fine opening move, soon after the whistle got play underway, saw TEDA producing the best passing move of the game ending with Tony slotting the ball home to draw level 2-2. Both teams now had everything to play for. In the latter stages of the game home support drove TIS forward. TEDA kept them at bay for a long time, but, as so often happens in these circumstances a winning goal is created by a stroke of genius or by a mistake. Unfortunately we lost the game giving away a ‘soft goal’. On a positive note the guys must be commended for instigating a great fight back from being down 2-0. They could easily have given up! Well done guys!
TEDA 2 REGO 2 (21 October 2010)
There is always a little trepidation amongst the team when a game against Rego gets close. They traditionally play great attacking football and demonstrate good skill. TEDA had to be at their best for this game. We had to change tactics and plan a more defensive formation for REGO’s visit. This turned out to be the perhaps TEDA’s best performance of the season to date. They sought possession, controlled the ball well & played accurate passes. They chased hard and harried the opposition when they had the ball. The team worked well as a unit, moving forward and attacking together and supporting one another in defence. All the efforts paid off when TEDA took the lead when an interchange of passes between Tony and Eddie which led to Eddie sliding the ball home for a 1-0 lead at half time. At the start of the second half the REGO player who potentially was the most destructive with his accurate long range shooting was left unmarked to shoot and pull a goal back for REGO making it 1-1. To the great credit of the team TEDA remained very competitive, regained their composure and very soon took the lead again with a thunderous shot from an acute angle by Kyeong Chan, which almost took the roof of the net off. TEDA were looking good when a defensive lapse at a corner left an unmarked opponent to ghost in and score REGO’s leveler making it 2-2. But what a great game the guys played. The one lesson we could take from this encounter was the need to always be alert, particularly after the euphoria of scoring a goal. It is usually on these occasions when a team is more likely to go to sleep, lets its guard drop and concede a goal.
U14 BOYS SOCCER TOURNAMENT DULWICH COLLEGE, BEIJING, HOSTED BY BISS (30 October 2010 )
Any time before 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning is not the easiest time to get out of bed. 4.30 am is really tough. That’s the time that some of the guys had to ease themselves awake on the final day of the soccer season. The only member of the team who couldn’t make it was Eddie. He was sick. We were going to miss him.
From mid August the COMETS U14 SOCCER TEAM had been training for this day. In mid September we missed the Beijing Soccer exchange because of bad weather and thus the possibility of getting to know the quality of some of the Beijing teams. At least on this day, when it can be very cold, the sun shone and the temperature was pleasant. We arrived in good time for a warm-up before the first game on a superb grass playing surface.
Before the tournament commenced, we were denied the services of another of our players, Eric, on a technical issue related to age. This was a tremendous disappointment for Eric and the team as he was one of our key defenders. With two members of the COMETS squad down we were looking somewhat depleted as we only had two substitutes. Despite the loss of two regular members of the team the COMETS were in good spirits and throughout the tournament were loyally supported by Eric on the sidelines. There were to be just two low points in an otherwise successful day.
It seems that the young COMETS soccer teams are traditionally slow at engaging in the action. Despite being aware of this trend the start of this tournament was to be no different. Within 10 minutes of the whistle in their first game against BCIS (Beijing City international School) the COMETS were 3-0 down. Somewhat shell-shocked and against the odds the team began to get their game together towards the end of the first half. In the second half the COMETS were a different team, began to show their mettle and dominate play. The defensive back line began to plug the gaps, the strong midfield presence of Stephen began to exert itself and the 2 strikers were finding their feet. The COMETS struck twice with 2 goals from Kyeong Chan to create a tight finish to a game which was eventually lost 3-2, just as it looked like we might grab an equaliser.
In the second game the COMETS faced the hosts of the tournament, BISS, strong opposition! In this game the COMETS could not afford to be slow into action. They had an excellent first half and were back to their robust best. Working as a unit, tackling strongly, covering for each other and attacking well they took the lead through Jae Won. But BISS were never going to take this game lying down and in the second half began to dominate play for a short period of time. The COMETS soaked up the pressure and then Kyeong Chan pounced to strike a great second goal to seal a 2-0 win. This victory was a great boost for the morale of the team and a clear demonstration that they could protect a lead.
After the very narrow defeat in the first game the COMETS were in better shape for the third match against CISB, which they dominated. Goals from Kyeong Chan and Nathan took the team into a 2-0 lead before they took their foot off the pedal and allowed CISB to sneak and grab a goal to make it 2-1. The game became a little tight for a while before Jae Won ensured victory with a well taken goal to make it 3-1.
Competition between all teams in the tournament was very close. The COMETS topped their group on goal difference and were in the semi-final against TIS. But with only 20 minutes recovery time after the last group stage game before the semi-final started, legs & lungs were tired and needed to work overtime against opposition who had enjoyed time to rest and recuperate. The COMETS rose to the challenge. This was mind over matter! The game was a closely fought affair which involved two goal line scrambles, both hotly disputed goal claims were made. The first involved the COMETS being denied a goal, and the second involved TIS being awarded a goal. To lose the semi 1-0 in such a manner was really tough. The COMETS now had a mountain to climb. Physically exhausted and having just lost out on the opportunity to play in the final they had to raise their spirits for the battle for third place against YCIS. The coach would have loved to have stepped into the play, to give some tired limbs a rest, but no rule allows coaches to do that!
In a great boost to the COMETS morale, at the start of the play-off for third and fourth place Nathan struck a low corner kick towards the boot of Tony who was jockeying for position in the YCIS goalmouth. He hit it first time into the YCIS net. The COMETS were 1-0 up and defended the lead for a long period in a game which was evenly balanced. Midway through the second half YCIS made the score 1-1. This game was a ‘nail-biter’. It was looking like it would end in a ‘golden goal’ contest when close to full time Kyeong Chan struck a superb winner.
From the high point of winning the group stage to the low of the semi-final loss the COMETS were now back on high. Tremendous character was shown by all the COMETS team players. They played well together, were patient waiting for the breakthroughs, resilient when things were against them, magnanimous in victory and at all times very cooperative and respectful to team-mates, opposition and referees. When they received the Sportsmanship Award as well as the Third Place Trophy, they had wound-up a great day!
As coach I must commend the COMETS team players, all of whom have been a pleasure to work and play with. I always enjoy heading away on the bus for the big sports events. These are very much part of school life, and are days that players and coaches always remember.
I would like to thank Mr. Crowley for his great support during the soccer season, particularly in sorting out and rearranging fixtures and logistical details, Amy for ensuring the right transportation was arranged, even if that meant that on one occasion we couldn’t travel because the bus had no seat belts. I am also very grateful for the morale and technical support of my good friend Mr. Nami Moallem, who came to a number of soccer practices and helped with the coaching.
Des O’Shea
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