Today must be a WARRIOR day full of WARRIOR soccer with a WARRIOR win. League game. Do not assume last year’s Pen Argyl will be this year’s Pen Argyl. In fact, don’t think about them at all. Nameless faces. Think about YOUR preparation, YOUR communication, YOUR work rate, etc.

Keys:

1. Press, Press, Press. Do not give them an inch to breathe.

2. Rotate in the back and midfield. As the ball shifts, so do we. The diagonal on the opposite side of the field is less dangerous then the ball side runs.

3. QUALITY soccer. Nice triangles, including in the attacking third. Do not be afraid to rip it IF you have an open shot. Avoid blasting it into bodies. Look for that pass.

4. COMMUNICATE. I have yet to see this year the FULL ON, BELT IT OUT kind of communicating we want off the ball in all thirds of the field, particularly with marking but also in helping teammates with the pass. MORE of this the better.

5. FINISH – we must finish our chances. Be calm and strike like a snake.

Noah is absent today as we will need to stay healthy in the back. Let the ball do the work.

YOU GOT THIS MEN!

Wear Whites

Bus Departs at 2:20 PM – Bring your uniform to school!

Game Plan and Line-up TBA tomorrow.

Braden still leads with 270 points.

Congrats to Nolan Browne, Gigi, Hetrick, and Steve Barba who have all joined the 200 point club this week joining Dillard and Danny and Braden in the VL club. Keep it up! Every practice and game matters. Remember clean sheets are +10 and we missed one on Saturday. Let’s get one Monday.

Our goal this season is to aspire to be a GREAT team, one that can topple the perennial powers in the league. We have the men for the job. We have talented players and wonderful guys. Once they scored, I had a hard time shaking it as the standard has been raised and we do not want to lower it. Every goal scores on all of us, not any one man so I do not want anyone feeling that. In fact, I want to think about all the goals we DON’T concede because of the wonderful players we have. I loved the passing at time and creative play. The goals were all well worked and well played. Keerat and Noah had some great assists from the back and I loved seeing Harnit opening his account. Dillard stepped up as CDM and gave us an amazing goal – a really stunning piece of work that goal.

I am so grateful for these guys. For all of you who make the drive to see us – thanks! Pen Argyl next!

Tomorrow we face Salisbury in their own nest. Turf field. Cool morning. What else could we ask for? We will go FULL GAS. Lineup is below:

Keys to the game:

1. Full assault. We have a habit of feeling our opponent out, like a boxer moving around the ring, the occasional jab. Don’t. Dictate the game straight away. Shut off the nearest neighbor and COMMUNICATE. Rotate and move the ball quickly.
2. Do not let them receive the ball to feet much less turn. Be vigilant. Do not just occupy space. Think and anticipate, everywhere but particularly in the back.
3. Do not get comfortable. Do not expect easy. Make it easy with a monstrous effort.
4. LET THE BALL DO THE WORK. MOVE IT. PASS, PASS, PASS. Let them chase and get tired. Then hit them.
5. Beware ALWAYS of the counter. Watch and look and be ahead of the game.

We are down a few guys but I believe completely in who we have. Keerat, expect a shift in the midfield. Dual roster guys. We need you at full gas tomorrow. Be ready.

They do not have a JV but everyone goes. Bus leaves at 8:20 AM. Wear ALL whites. Don’t forget shin guards.

So excited to play tomorrow! Be prepared. TOUGH HUMBLE TOGETHER – WE WIN

Games like this remind me of what a blessing it is to have a full Varsity and JV and men that cheer for each other. To stop a 15 year from trying to score a goal is like trying to stop a tsunami. We tried 3 touch, 2 touch, 1 touch, extraction to balance the game. That said I needed some Varsity guys to get a little work in too instead of two days off. As the dust settles, I can’t help but smile as some guys who have badly deserved and desired the back of the net find it. I also am proud that none of them were asking for more goals or time – they all understood. Wilson players are really the best. All respect to Lincoln Leadership as their coaches were class and even congratulated Jeremiah on his goal. Best wishes to them.

As for us, we move on to practice tomorrow and Salisbury Saturday. We have much more work to do.

WABS, please check email.

Three of our WABS went over the 200 barrier this week. Braden, Dillard, and Danny! Great job men. Others are knocking on the door. Every day matters. Remember:

+2 for practice

+ 10 for clean sheet/goal for MF and D and up to +5 for attackers

+ 10 for V goal, +5 for JV goal

– 40 for unexcused absence

+10 for Varsity start, +5 for Varsity sub

+ 4 for JV game play

Everything adds up.

The headline was too irresistable to ignore. It was nice to get the win over the blue bombers despite some uneven play. Before I go further, lets talk tomorrow:

1. Be at fields NO LATER than 3:15 PM. JV and Varsity. Line-up and tactics to be sent in email tomorrow.

2. Wear blue and come ready to play your best soccer. Remember the enemy.

What I liked against Palmerton:

1. Braden and Dillard and Logan and Levi coming to support and in the last case, play for JV. Braden ran balls and helped out. That is WHAT A TEAM IS ALL ABOUT. Great job guys.

2. I loved when we played quality soccer. Ball on the ground, moving it out wide, bringing it in, possessing, and pressing.

3. Two awesome headers from Danny. One heck of a shot from Braden, and Gigi punched the net. Scoring from everywhere is what we love.

4. Backline and goalies and MF’s did their bit for another clean sheet with help from a sweet post. We must have that mindset that NO ONE scores on us. A WALL. Part of our identity. We know that the work all over the field makes a clean sheet, not just the last four.

What we need to improve:

1. Our press must be present and active from minute zero. Sometimes we take awhile to assert ourselves and I want us to do that immediately. If we do, our opponent will unravel more quickly. We MUST communicate more everywhere.

2. When we do win the ball, let’s make them chase it some more. Sometimes we are too much in a hurry to counter back instead of owning the ball and drawing them out of positions.

Both of these are on me and we will work on it!!

I know Jeff and Owen M are taking SAT’s Saturday. Is anyone else? Please let me know ASAP if you are.