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.
Rest your bones and muscles today. Busy times ahead. Comments on the past and present later today. Season is flying by.
JV plays first at 4:15 PM. Be there by no later than 3:30 PM at WAIS. Wear blue jerseys shorts and socks
Varsity plays second at 5:45 PM. We will warm up on practice field starting at 5:00 PM. Do not be later than 5:00 PM. Starting lineups for both games and notes to be sent via email later today.
LETS ROCK AND ROLL! See you there boys!
We pushed and prodded Bangor, including a wonderful header from Beezo that their GK had to go full stretch to save. We tried some different things but in the end we could not break through the SLATE wall Bangor had built for us. The field was tough for how we like to play. JV lost a tough won 3-2 with two goals from Ben Taube. Lucas Parada was man of the match and provided rigidity to the back line. I am proud of them – nice job leading them Rocco!
The good:
Our backline held the line again. 4 Straight clean-sheets. It will be 5 by the end of Tuesday. Great job to Connor, Owen, Keerat, Nolan, and Noah.
Our midfield works so hard always. Dillard, Danny, Steven, and Harnit go full gas. Danny won so many challenged headers, Dillard is always there to collect the second ball, Steven harrasses and finds the ball and Harnit ran 70 yards to stop a counter. He is our MAN OF THE MATCH.
When we strung together our quick passes and moved the ball quickly we looked good and created our most promising chances.
I heard players taking responsibility for their play – Braden and Danny came to mind (others did it too) – when something went wrong, they owned their part in it. They are amazing players and were humble enough to own any mistake. We can all learn from that!
The looking to improve:
When we get frustrated, we have a tendency to start to take it out on each other – unfortunately a tough human instinct. I talked about this on the bus. Dealing with frustration in a useful way is part of maturing. We will get better at it. We MUST always stay together.
Breaking down a parked bus. Quick lateral movement and looking far post to take advantage of their shift. They really left very little space in the shooting areas so we will work on this.
Moving away from Hero Ball – the idea of hoping someone will make 3 guys miss and pound a rocket from 20 yards. This discourages smart runs and creative play. Every one of our players is a hero but we MUST link up more – quick passes!
It is frustrating not to win, particularly when you control the game like we did. That said, I am blessed with a wonderful team and great boys – all of them. We will be back at it Monday and look to take out our angst against those Blue Bombers of Palmerton.
HUGE game. We need to hit this game full gas mentally and physically. Let me see today a mature, consistent, high octane, communicating, smart, and determined team. Don’t get stretched vertically, and move the ball out and in to force their backline to rotate and look for those 1 2’s on the doorstep. Be aggressive in pressing, no balls to feet, if they get the ball to feet, no turn. Do these things, we win. It’s always us we need to think about. The opponent is just nameless faces in a different colored jersey.
BUS LEAVES at 11:00 AM. WEAR WHITES.
XC players will meet us at the game in all likelihood.
Looks like storms will be later so I think we get the games in.
JV plays first then varsity.
LETS GO WARRIORS. TOUGH, HUMBLE, TOGETHER.
Practice Today
Today will be a recovery practice so we will spend a little more time on the stretching and loosening up followed by drills on recovering the ball and moving it quickly among others. We will also work on corners.
BEFORE 3:00 PM, please work on your touches by juggling in a group. Mix with different guys. Groups of 5 maybe at the most. PLEASE MIX. Help another if they aren’t up to your level. Have fun.
Games Tomorrow
Bus leaves at 11:00 AM tomorrow for Bangor. JV plays first at 12:30 with Varsity at 2:00 PM. Wear whites
Varsity Letter leaders update:
Benevides 176
Thatcher 164
Jones 156
Great job boys! Many others in a tight pack after these guys.
Schedule CHANGE:
Palmerton 9/9. JV will play first at 4:15 PM, Varsity to Follow at 5:45 PM.
Nice to get the win tonight in what became a maelstrom. Our back line had to put in a shift today and I am proud of you. Jeff, you are the man of the match today – some superb, desperate saves. It is always fun to work hard and win.
I am really thankful for guys who help so much behind the scenes. Landon got the veo camera up, steve P and lucas and others helped with the music gear setting up and breaking down, Jeremiah and Liam as ballrunners, Alex helping with everything, Cooper Benevides helping get balls out, and I am sure I am missing some names. I love you all and you are critical gears in our transmission.
We haven’t yet seen what you all are capable of. Come out today and play the most energetic, oppressive, quality, spirited game you can play. Reflect on this. Get up to 7,000 rpm’s and show us who you are.
Wilson Warrior Soccer 