A Christmas Wish

What any soccer fan would want for Christmas.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

    The quote by Winston Churchill seems appropriate for today's blog.  Meredith's last game for the season was Wednesday afternoon and it ended with a 1-1 tie after double overtime.  Here is the recap and the box score of that game.  It has been a season of ups and downs with more downs than ups.  This team never did reach it's potential considering the talent that was on the roster.  It seemed to me that the coaching staff and the team were satisfied with mediocrity in their performance and nothing was done to change that.  The most used phrase in sports "There's always next year" is appropriate to close the CMU season.  Hopefully there will be a lot of off season work on skills and attitudes with both the coaches and players.  Time will tell.

      Iowa Central's season ended last Saturday and although it was with a loss, it still ended on a high note with one of the best games that I had watched them play.  The post season all region awards were posted yesterday and can be viewed here.  I am certain that the players will be working on their game in the off season and the coaches will be out recruiting new players to replace the graduating sophomores so that Iowa Central can make a run for the top spot next season.
     I may periodically post to this blog to keep everyone up to date with everyone's activities but will not maintain any sort of regular schedule of posting.   I certainly have enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you and I think that it may have been the therapy that I needed to transition from coach to spectator with the girls.

It is Almost Over for This Season

   The official recap has been posted on Iowa Central's site about their final match in Des Moines last weekend.  You can read the pain between the lines as the coach wrote the article.  I filmed the game and have watched it to compile stats.  Iowa Central in the first half had 13 shots with 6 on frame to DCTC's 5 shots with 3 on frame.  The second half IC had 9 shots with 4 on frame to DCTC's 7 shots with 3 on frame.  What the stats don't show is that Iowa Central bounced 4 of those shots off the woodwork.  I had hoped to put a clip of the game in this article but the quality of the film does not allow this.  I had zoomed out so that I could catch more of the action around the ball and the bright sunshine made the picture very dark.   Here is the Recap.

    Meredith's last game of the season is today against Culver-Stockton in Canton, MO.  It has a very early start time because they do not have lights on the field so Debra and I have decided not to go.  Meredith is traveling with the team but may not play.  This is one game that may be possible for CMU to win but they will have to step their game up a couple of notches to do so.   Here is the statistical match-up from DakStats.

No Joy in Brickville Today

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Brickville - both teams have struck out.

Iowa Central played a tough, hard game today and came up on the short end of a 2-1 score.  I can't wait to see the box score to see how many shots that Iowa Central had.  They dominated play in the first half but with the exception of Madeline Brick's goal in the 5th minute none of the other shots found the back of the net.  The first half ended 1-0 and it appeared that IC was 45 minutes from having the game in hand.  Both teams started the second half the way the first half had ended with the defensive units of both teams holding some advantage over the offensive sides. However, about 6 minutes into the second half Dakota County took a long shot from 30 yards out that was just over the GK's fingers and just under the crossbar.  The goal only set the Lady Tritons back a little bit because they just kept attacking the goal.  We had several golden opportunities but was just off a little bit, with the ball bouncing off the woodwork on a couple of shots and just narrowly missing on a couple more.  With about 20 minutes left in the game Dakota County scored on a free kick to the goal box which was finished with a great volley. Iowa Central doubled and redoubled their efforts but could not equalize although they dominated all play except in the final third of the field. The Lady Tritons left everything they had on the field and deserved a better result but it wasn't to be.  They should be very proud of their performance today and with their season.  I filmed the game and will post highlights in this post as soon as I get them edited.


Central Methodist was on the road today at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO and according to a text that was received lost 4-1.  Here is the recap from the college web site and the box score from DakStats.

Central Methodist vs Lindenwood University

     I watched a better CMU team play last night at Fayette.  The girls were connecting with passes and it seemed they were playing with more energy and movement.  In the first half both teams were equal in intensity and the half ended scoreless 0-0.  
     Many of the qualities that I use to describe the game are certainly subjective, like energy, intensity, quality and desire, but I am convinced that in most of the games I have watched this season that is the only difference between the win or the loss.   I am making the comparison to teams that I have observed with those attributes and often it is to this CMU team in selected moments. CMU has the talent and ability but (IMHO) it either is not being recognized, utilized, encouraged, or motivated by the coaching staff.
  One factor which is not subjective is "first touch" and the Lindenwood team certainly had the better "first touch" of the two teams.  They were making properly weighted passes into spaces that gave them a tactical advantage and when they did pass directly to a teammate it was a ball that was easily handled.  CMU was connecting passes but it always took extra movement and extraordinary effort to maintain possession and play like that expends more energy.  The energy that Lindenwood was conserving with possession was spent in the battle for 50-50 balls.  They were first to to ball and the last to give up and in my unofficial scorebook won 60 to 70 percent of the loose balls in the midfield.  I did not see a sense of "urgency" with CMU either to defend once the ball was past them or to attack with numbers.  It is almost like they play with the attitude "let George do it" and never join in team defense to double down players or group attack by making off the ball runs.
     In the second half the CMU came out fairly strong but 20 minutes into the half Lindenwood really hit a different gear and picked up the intensity of the game.  CMU followed for a while but couldn't maintain that level and when Lindenwood scored in the 61st minute Lindenwood really picked up the effort to protect the lead.  CMU had several chances on counterattacks but the best chance to equalize occurred with about 6 minutes left when Shawn Beard had a hard shot tipped by an excellent save from the Lindenwood goalie and the score ended 0-1.  Debra and I will be unable to attend either of the last two games but I will keep you posted on outcomes.
Here is the Recap and the Box Score of the game.
     We will be going to Des Moines to watch Iowa Central and Madeline play in the post season tournament this weekend.  Their team attitude is really upbeat and they are playing their best soccer right now when they should.  Madeline said that they practiced in their Halloween costumes last night.  Here is how the coach notified them on Facebook.

Iowa Central Community College Women's Soccer Halloween Practice today at 4pm. Dress up or you'll do 15 Millers and 40% Liverpools!!!!!! LIV, ERP, Double O L, Liverpool FC!!!! BBBwwwaaaaaa HHHaaaaaa Haaaaaaa

 Here is a picture from the practice!