La Maquina 1 - Lakehill Red Bulls 2: another great Darby game!

Well, I gotta tell you that despite our loss today, I am actually quite happy with the way you played. I saw an improvement from last week's game. 

Although we started off slow, we began to work hard and stand our ground and in the end, you came close to tying the game up. I think we have to recognize that the Red Bulls have a team that has depth, strength and confidence. They are a very good team who by all accounts has been dominating the league and we should give them the credit they deserve. 

For our part, we struggled to come back from a 2 - 0 deficit, but it was clear that in the second half, we had the run of play and took the game to them. In fact, I heard a few of the boys in their team recognize our talent and skill. In other words, there is a level of respect that is growing between our teams and I am nothing but happy about that. They were unfortunate to not find the back of the net twice in the second half, but we had more chances and were unfortunate as well not to find the back of the net three or four times. 

I was also very impressed with the heart that you guys showed today. 

Boys, losing is tough, but losing when you do your best and leave it all on the field should give you a sense of pride and satisfaction. I am actually happier today, even though we lost, than when we tied to Gorge last weekend. 

In other words, I am very very proud of all of you.

There is one piece of sad news that I do need to tell you about: today I learned that Chase will be moving to the U13 Silver team at the re-start of the season in 2011. The U13 Silver needs a good solid player who can help them do well ~ Chase is someone that can boost that team enormously.  Chase, you will be missed but please do not think for one moment that I do not appreciate what you have done for our team. Just know that I have seen you do well and I am convinced that you will be a phenomenal addition to that team. As far as I'm concerned though, you will always be a part of La Maquina.  Enjoy the rest of the season and do your family proud Chase - thank you buddy.

Now, I want to quickly address the issue of playing time. I know that some of you are feeling hurt and upset because you are not playing as much as you would like.

Now that we have this Christmas break, I urge all of you to take some time and look at your work on the field objectively and honestly. Ask yourself: what are my strengths? what are my weaknesses? What areas of my game do I want to improve? What do I do to improve them? I am sure I speak for David and Jake when I say that our goal is to help you achieve those goals and that we will do all we can to do so ~ but you must also work on your own to achieve those goals. If skill is an issue, get yourself a small soccer ball and practice juggling at home. If fitness is an issue, go swimming, cycling, running, or cross train. You will be happy you did.

I also want to clarify my philosophy when coaching. Throughout my time as a coach, I have always worked hard to instill a clear objective in each player ~ that in soccer, each player needs to recognize that they are in a team, not in an individual sport. Each player must understand that they are part of a team and that the goal is to have a team that performs well, game in and game out. No, this does not mean that I am going to ignore a player's desire to play more or that I will not do my best to get ALL the players involved. But in each game, I have to look at how the team is doing and based on that, put players where they best contribute to the team. I also look at each player during practice ~ it is here in fact where we assess who is improving and who can deliver from game to game.

Inevitably, this means that if a player is having a difficult time in a game and/or during practices, that player may not get as much time in games as he wishes. Is that fair? I suggest to you that YES, it is fair. But more importantly, we need to understand that at the Gold Level, that is the way it is. Equal time can be achieved but it is not just given in the same way that Silver and Bronze teams run. At the Gold level, each player must demonstrate, understand and believe that what matters is the team. By doing so, each player will instinctively work hard to gain more time, to be at every practice, to follow the coaches' instructions, and ultimately to excel as player who strongly contribute to the team's success.

Boys, as you take this well-deserved break, please remember that this soccer season is not about individual players: it is about a team, YOUR team. Also remember that we still have the entire second part of the season to go. So, when we are back in January, I ask you to come back with a renewed attitude and stronger desire to play. Remember that you are part of a great team.

To the parents, I ask that you remember that your son is getting consistent training and that even if your son has not played as much as he would like, he is still improving as a player.

Parents, I understand if you feel frustrated ~ and I absolutely hear you. It is hard to get up early every Saturday, only to have your son play for 10 minutes in a game, and then have that ride home with his sad little face. Yes, I would be upset too.

But I ask you to talk to your son and ensure that he understands that they are now in a higher level of soccer, where each boy must work hard and do their best, every minute of the game, no matter how few those minutes may be. By doing so, you will be instilling a sense of responsibility that they will carry on in other aspects of their lives. As these boys begin their run into the teenage years, the lesson of "I must work hard to reap great rewards" is one that will be used over and over again. And in the end, isn't that what we as parents want? I suppose one can make the argument that equal playing time for all is the best at this age. But I suggest to you that this might dangerously short-sighted ~ just think of this: if your son works hard and at the end of the season he ends up playing at least 30 minutes during games even though at the beginning he was only playing 5 minutes, how do you think he will feel at the end of the season? I suggest to you that his growth and improvement in soccer will be mirrored in other aspects of your his life.

So, with that, I say thank you to all of you. I know some of you may feel frustrated but I ask you to trust us ~ we want the best for the team and each of the boys. But that has to be balanced. Put your confidence behind us and give your boy the support and belief they need so that they become convinced of the idea that if they work hard, they will succeed. 

I truly believe that each one of them can do so.

Thanks again and have a great Xmas.

Sincerely, Coach Roberto

La Maquina 2 - Gorge FC 2 ... way to fight back boys!

High fives all around after an arduous fight ~ Vamos Maquina...PODEMOS!

 What a tough game we had this weekend, eh?! Although we started off with a wonderful goal created by a wonderful one-two pass between Diego and Chase, finished with class by Jesus, we struggled to get our game going and it wasn't until Diego's solo strike to the bottom right of Gorge's goal that we once again saw our quality come to light. 

I must tell you that as I watched the game from the sidelines, I felt concerned by our lack of ease when coming out of our area. Even when making good passes out, we were too slow in receiving them, soft on shielding the ball and seemed to be freaked out by Gorge's physicality. I did see displays of the passing style we have shown in our past games, but it was clear that we were not on our game for much of the middle of the game.

So what happened? Two things: we were out-muscled and two, I failed to give you proper instructions on how to deal with the physicality of our opposition. I saw our game slowly become suffocated by Gorge's aggressiveness and this showed in the insecurity of our passing. Most of all, it was clear to me that we felt intimidated and frustrated, to the point that it took away from the rhythm we so often establish against all the teams we play. We started off well, but succumbed to the choking grip of hard tackles and pushes. Yet, you fought hard and did your best to claim a tie when the wind did not seem to be blowing our way. Finesse, rather than force, won the day. But hey, it was rough!

Boys, my responsibility is to ensure that our team's mentality addresses the opposition we play, game in and game out. This time around, I think my directions were so focused on ensuring our positioning that I did not get you to be stronger on the ball and/or when being checked. Instead, we became reactionary, giving Gorge too much of the ball, sometimes by turning it over, and other times by allowing them to simply run through the heart of the midfield in order to set up an attack.

Diego on the break that led to the equalizer!

In hindsight, I also believe our formation, for this particular game, should have been different. Our defensive stance, combined with hesitation brought on by their physical game, created a scenario where Gorge began to take control of our midfield to the point where neither of our centre backs nor our outside defenders could come up and join the attack effectively. Boys, with physical teams like Gorge we CANNOT allow them to intimidate us. We must play our passing game BUT ALSO be hard and strong. Our fore-checking was not all there and our ability to read their plays was slow. Again, I take blame for this because I should have given you clearer instructions on how to stifle their attacks and take the game to them.

Yet, I gotta tell you that I did see some great things: our free kicks were dangerous. Our centre backs did their best to hold the fort. Our goalie was on fire (yes Georgie, you were amazing!). Our wingers were a force going up and created the two goals we got. Our outside defenders did their best in stopping attacks, even when the opposition was committed to do all in their power to take them off balance. Our forwards did push and try their best to cause mistakes (which resulted on a couple of corner kicks) and did cause some scary moments for Gorge's defence.

In the end, we had a game where we started off very well, then slowly fell to being second to the ball during a big part of it, but that in the end, turned on our inherent capacity to play as a team and our players' astounding individual skills.

As for the players? Here is my assessment.   

George had an amazing game. You have grown exponentially as a goalie. Your saves and command of the goal area is now much better. In my view, I think you were our player of the match ~ stand proud Georgie, your willingness to be La Maquina's goalie is paying off ~ I especially like how you are now coming out to destroy break aways - Atta Boy Georgie! 

No worries...Georgie's got it

 To Quin: your work rate was phenomenal and except for a couple of times that you slipped out of position, I think you had a very solid game. What did I like the most? Your ability to take hit after hit and never give up. It takes a fast kid to break down attacks, but it takes a man to get hit, get up and get on with it. I salute you Sir - amazing work. 

To Luca: your technique continues to shine. Your communication skills are the best in our team and I love how you continue to enjoy taking on a vocal role. All we need now is for you to get involved in the attack more often, to bring your game to the next level - bien hecho Luquita!

To Selou: wuzzup road-runner 2?!?! Man, you worked hard for the team in this game. You played in Luca's position when your friend was hurt and demonstrated your natural talent. I know it is not your favorite role, but by taking on this, you helped the team. There is nothing more admirable than to watch players leave their personal preferences behind and do what is best for the team. I thank you and well done my boy. 

Selou taking on a whole new role and looking for a pass

To Robbie: son, after playing for more than 5 years as a striker, I know it is difficult to try to learn a new position, a new role, a different way of seeing the game. Yet, I tell you that based on what I have seen, your strength and skill give you the tools to be a force in your newly acquired position. Your free kicks, set ups and imposing role is one that you are now delivering consistently. You are force and that is why you have been our captain in the last few games. Yes, there were moments where you could have gone up and attacked more. But this will come. I see you playing up front soon but for now, your role in front of "El Lobo Thomson" is one that you are carrying out well. Keep it up hijo.  

Robbie giving it his all for the team ~ and Chase providing support

To David: your skill and understanding of the centre back position is unsurpassed. You hold your line extremely well and always make sure you give your all when defending. I especially like how slowly but surely, you are becoming more imposing and strong when dispossessing opponents. I urge you to become a formidable duo with Robbie so that the two of you can cast a shadow of fear on anyone who comes near our net. You can do it Lobo ~ I fully trust in you.  All we need is for one of you to join the attack more and become that link between our back line and our forward line. I know you can do it fellas! 

El Lobo, setting things up

 To Jesus I thank for your skillful displays and enduring attack. Jesus, there is no question that you can make even a grown man look silly once you take anyone on. But we need you to use that phenomenal skill to create more attacks and remember that even if you don't get a goal, if our team does well, so do you.  Please also remember that your role is one that requires you to come back and defend. You are a threat to any team. So Jesus, let's take it to next level ~ tu puedes hacerlo Jesus.

Jesus and Diego ~ here we go fellas!

 To McGregor: you did well on the wing but we still need you to remember that even when you think that your partner in defence has the man, you have to come back and help out. You are improving Mackie. You are fast, have great cuts and moves and have become an essential part of this team. I know you have it in you to continue to excel - work hard and the results will astound you. 

Mackie collecting the ball to mount another attack

 To Kiyoshi,  despite getting some roughing done to you in the second half, you continued to want to play and do what you do best - control the ball and set up plays. Kiyoshi, you have demonstrated an uncanny sense of vision and you must continue using it. Don't let hard tackles take that away from you. Those tackles come because players cannot deal with you in a clean manner: you're too good! So keep it up. Once your mental and physical strength matches your skill, you will be surprised at yourself. I know it! 

Kiyoshi, looking Zidane-esque!

 To Chase: your hard style is never missing. You are one of our toughest players in this team and you showed it this game. You even got hit on the face but this did not deter you from doing your best. Your assist was one to admire, and I say "great vision". We still need to work on your skill but for now, I want to focus on ensuring that you know your role, as a winger or stopper, so that even if you find yourself in tough situations, you will have the understanding to come out successful. But for now just know that I am so happy you are in this team. Keep it up!

To Diego: my boy, it is true that you rushed sometimes, that you lost position sometimes, but man, when it is time to deliver, boy do you ever. What an amazing goalllllllllllllll! I have replayed it in my head several times and still think "how did he get that curl on the ball??" I tell you how ~ you have practiced and it shows! Your hard work, your "I'm not giving up" attitude combined with your skill make you a joy to watch. You should be proud of your goal but most of all, proud that your team jumped with joy when you scored ~ a special mention should be made for your cool dance moves after your goal. I am so glad your father is finally teaching you something ~ (el Michael Flatley of Foul Bay Rd).

How happy were we to score? Just ask Diego and the team around him!

But last, I want to make a special mention to Tark: son, you did not see a lot of minutes in this game. I know it is hard for you to come to a game and then only play 10 minutes. I ask you to understand that this is not a reflection of your desire or willingness to play. Rather, it is what the game demands. Yet, tonight, when I saw you at practice, you showed that you still want to prove yourself and want to become better. You worked hard, ran hard and showed good passing. Tark, you are part of this team, whether you play for 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes. Don't you ever forget that. I want to tell you that I am so very proud of you and guarantee you that if you continue on that road, the rewards will come. 

So, to conclude I say this: no, we did not lose ~ we tied a tough team. But yes, it did feel a bit like a loss because we know that our team has what it takes to play better and achieve more ~ but let's not throw everything out the window. Remember where we are and how we are doing thus far. Considering how physical Gorge played, we did well - we never gave up!

In my view,  I feel that I could have given you better direction during the game. So, with that, I say let's learn from it. We will work on fitness, on strength and on the physical aspect of the game for the next few practices. Skill-wise, we are quite well-positioned. We now need to work on making sure that all the players have the same stamina and fitness and "garra" (yes, look it up) that can prepare us for future games. It is up to me and David to come up with new strategies that utilize the tools we have been given.

Classy to the very end

Let's keep going fellas!

I want to express my thanks to a few of you. To my co-coach David who, although I am sure he saw things he probably would have done differently, left it all up to me to fix. To Fred and Fabian who always help out and have respect for my work and trust in me. And last to all the parents who week in and week out come out to support this wonderful team. Not bad for a bunch of 10 and 11 year olds who before this season had never really played together, eh?!

Gracias a todos, and see you Wednesday at practice ~ we're on the grass at 5:00 pm. Ciao!

Coach Roberto

PS: thank you so much to Brian Croke for taking such amazing pictures this weekend. Please feel free to continue doing so Brian! Cheers.

PPS: if anyone of you have other pictures, please send them to Bela.

Gorge v. La Máquina ends in a 2 all draw! (full post to come by late tomorrow)

Diego hams it up after the late equalizer! (photo - B.Croke)

La Máquina and Bays United tie 3 all in a friendly at the indoor turf!! THIS AIN'T NO SHOWDOWN....IT'S A FULL ON BRO-DOWN!

Bays United and Lakehill Máquina bringing in the love and pushing out the jive!!!

 Thanks to our buddies over at Bays United for coming out to play a friendly match with us at the Oak Bay Rec. indoor turf tonight. We've been missing games and practices all week so it was very cool for all the kids and parents to come together and hang out in a friendly environment.

Great game played by all tonight!! 2 goals for Diego and 1 cracker of a goal from a penalty kick from Robbie. Thank you Selou and McGregor for filling in on goalkeeper duties (you guys did an awesome job!). Thanks to Johnny Mossie too for helping us fill out our roster and really bringing your skill to the team too.

Luca, Davey, Robbie and Quin were tight defenders against this strong attacking Bays team and Jesus, Diego, Chase, McGregor, Selou and Johnny were great in the middle and on attack as well. No critique tonight boys - just joy over a fun match played. I had a ball; thanks for putting on a great show tonight.

All of you boys played a spectacular game and had a lot of fun (so did we parents as well!). We'll see you all on Monday night at practice......

- Coach Dave

*NEW PLAYER PROFILE - in "great players then and now" section.
* NEW VIDEOS - in "funny and cool videos" section.

"BYE" weekend doesn't bum La Máquina out - we take it to the streets, yo.

gordon head / cordova bay game

"Crossfire"  - 2

"La Máquina"  -  4

   

gordon head game

"La Máquina" - 1

                                 

"Arctic Chill" - 2

LAKEHILL U12 (gold) DERBY ENDS IN A DRAW: 1 -1

"La Máquina" - 1

"Red Bulls" - 1

Rather than go into the specifics of what happened in Saturday's game, my friend Simon and I have put together a little video for you guys to watch. Remember that this game is meant to be beautiful and fun. When we put too much emphasis on winning we lose the real beauty of the friendships and movement of this great game. You guys are all doing an awesome job and it's been a real honour to be working with you and watching you all get better. Continue working hard and putting your heart into every practice and game and there is nothing you won't achieve. So as I said, we'll leave the specifics alone for this week. When you watch the video you'll see that we had many chances on goal and a lot of great plays were made.  It's very soon that you guys are going to begin capitalizing on more and more opportunities both offensively and defensively.  I can only hope that you're all having as much fun as I am! Thanks for the ride little dudes!!!

*****Podemos*****

- Coach Dave.

                               
 Lakehill Derby from David del Castillo on Vimeo.

LAKEHILL 4 - GORGE 2: La Maquina Comes Back!

Well my friends, another scary beginning but another wonderful end to a game that saw us fight back as usual. It is great to see the boys push no matter what the score, in order to impose their technique and fury and come out successful.

Yet, it was a bit scary, wasn't it?

Let's take a closer look at what happened on Saturday.

Jake and Roberto going over some strategies - here -

Team work: We began a bit slow and our defensive positioning on set pieces was a concern. We saw two goals come from a hesitant stance on our goal area. One goal was clearly caused by a lack of aggressiveness in the area. So, the assessment is easy: we need to be more decisive and aggressive in defending our goal. This will come when we start being certain in our positioning and our ability to pick up free attackers in the box. The good thing? As the game wore on, our team took advantage of our own set pieces and also broke down plays on the wings. Gorge was on its heels for the better part of the second half, trying to attack us down the middle. However, we shut the door to that candy store early on in the second half. In the second half, we set a strong defensive stand all the way down the middle, starting up front all the way to the back. This pushed Gorge to the outside where our speed was simply too much for them to deal with. So, what do we need to work on? Defending on corner kicks and intercepting passes before the man retains possession. By doing so, we will attack the confidence, and thus the fluidity of the passes of any opposition. The great thing to see was our "never give up" attitude. That is something we have down pat. I am convinced that no matter how many goals our opposition scores on us, all of them are beginning to know that with La Maquina, you can’t just sit back and drink your Powerade like you are on a beach in Montevideo. Nope – we just never give up.

"Podemos" - here -

George: this young man continues to improve every game. This time around, we were glad to see him come out of his line to intercept break-aways. At one point, he even hurt himself. Yet, with the heart of a champion, he withstood the pain and continued to hold the goal untouched. Georgie, we will continue working on positioning and also intercepting crosses. You are doing excellent and without a doubt, the time you are spending in improving is paying off. Well done to our number one netminder!

Georgie Boy "mr. versatility" - here -

La Máquina pre-match pep! - here -

Quin: goooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllll de Quin! Yes my friend, you ought to be very proud of yourself. Your speed is one attribute no one can deny. But seeing you score (from such a tight angle) was beautiful. It seems that maybe, if you display that same natural mobility on the wing, you can start playing that position more often. I was glad to see you do well by staying wide and coming back to defend. I know there are still some issues with defensive positioning but we will continue doing our best to teach you that. You just have to make sure that you continue to apply the instructions we give you. However, overall, you displayed excellent work rate and had (without a doubt) a great game Mr. Wilson!

It's a bird, it's a plane, nope - it's that kid that runs like wind ... the mighty Quin! - here -

 David: I know that the first thing you probably said on Saturday after the game was "why did they put me in center mid?" Simply put, because of your defensive attributes and your display on Wednesday’s practice as a center mid. We wanted to be a little more defensively minded in that position for this game. And I must say that your performance was actually quite good. However, Gorge was tough to withhold in the middle. They came out hard and seem to plug the middle from the start. It was tough for your first time in center mid. However, we still believe that you need to be able to play another position besides center back as this way, you can become more mobile and most of all, can help the team even more. Things to improve? I want you to continue working on making your challenges strong and also on passing the ball quickly. You got the skill, it's just a matter of time before this happens. But please know that overall, you had a great game. It was great to see you reading Gorge's attack so well and breaking it apart. You do that so naturally that it is a joy to watch. Well done Lobo!

Davito beats a challenge and has eyes for the through ball... - here -

 Luca: our left back was at the forefront of everything again. Luca is consistent in his defending and his passing. His vision is one to be admired too – I saw once again how intricate your passing to the winger in front of you has become. I also see you using your skill to maintain possession in tight spaces. Well done! Things to improve? At this point, what we need to see more of is for you to switch the ball from your side to the other side of the field when we have the chance. You can do this by using the center midfielders or by making long passes. You will see that by doing so, you will make your life easier Luca. But hey, don’t get me wrong: what a game you had. Another assist, several of your trademark slide checks and a few nice headers: we all know we are watching a great player on the making. Keep working hard and improving. With you, the sky is the limit.

Luca thinking about how many slide tackles he's going to deliver (and smiling inside....) - here -

Jesus: this young man was in my view our most consistent player of the game. His technique, zig zag runs and crosses during the first half were fantastic. Most of all, for the first time this season, I saw him tracking back to defend every time the ball was lost. It is games like this that give us coaching staff a reason to celebrate because we see the boys slowly but surely applying our instructions to the benefit of the team. Your second half was also strong. I especially liked the fact that we put you in the center mid and even though you were having a strong game on the wing, you accepted your role for the benefit of the team. Hey, and how about that shot to create the chance for McGregor's goal? Yeah, no doubt my boy - you had a great game. Things to improve? Quicker passes - same as last weekend. So let's keep working on quick passing - when you do it, this will catapult you to another level. Vamo’ mi Jesus!

Jesus & Diego working together on the attack! - here -

Diego: well well well, Mr. del Castillo comes to the rescue once again. It was your tight control of the ball and your quick shot on goal that tied the game for us. A great pass from Luca and quick thinking on your part and suddenly we completely took control of the rhythm of the game. I have to say that seeing up front was also a delight. Your tenacious runs and determination is something that all players need to have - I think you even had a couple of shots too. Good stuff Dieguito. Now, things to improve? I still see you losing positioning on occasion and rushing the play sometimes. I know, I know, you want to do it all and fast! But there is no need son. By maintaining positioning, you may find yourself with more space, therefore with more time to set yourself and shield the ball so that you will then be able to do more with the ball. Overall though, a great game – Dale Charrua! 

Diego & Luca don't seem to have pre-match jitters....pre-match crazies maybe!?! - here -

  Kiyoshi: my man Kiyoshi always keeps things cool, calm and collected in the middle of the field.  The fact we use him in what is regarded as the most influential position on the field, should lead you conclude that Kiyoshi is one of our most gifted and technical players .   Kiyoshi is an exceptionally effective creative midfielder and this game was no exception. He threaded several balls through to our wingers, behind the defenders, and also tried a couple of shots on goal too. Kiyoshi displayed some good defensive skills in the center of the field as well as when he played as a right back after Chase suffered a hard hit on the back of his leg.  Things to work on? We will continue to work on proper tracking back to help the defenders break down anything coming down the middle. We will also work on quick distribution of the ball and maintaining possession. But for now, enjoy the win – it was well deserved Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi deep in concentration (or wondering where the oranges are). - here -

 McGregor: brother man! How about that? What a game you had, eh? You know, when we made the decision to try you out as a starter, it came from a discussion I had with David about confidence. You see, good players have technique, great players have technique AND confidence. Without the latter, there is nothing you can do. It was for that very reason that you got the start. We wanted to get you going – but also please do know that it was because we also saw how hard you worked at practice. It was not a favour – you earned your opportunity.  And I think it paid off, don’t you? Your play on the wing was much, much better this time around. You came back to defend and most of all, your positioning provided our midfielder and center forward an outlet for passes down the wing. Your goal was well taken and well deserved. Things to improve? Your tenacity needs to continue to grow and you need to take more shots on net. Otherwise, we applaud you for listening and applying our instructions. Congratulations McGregor – you did excellent.

Macky gets himself on the board with a great outing this weekend. - here -

Selou: Mr. Quick Feet did it again. He set up Chase for our first goal of the game. Selou’s ability to run past defenders and wiggle his way through traffic has become a staple of his game. It is undoubtedly a great skill that many of us wish we had. I was also happy to see you once again, lift your head up and look to make passes into the middle of the goal box. I was also happy to see you try shots with your right leg - Atta boy! Things to improve? What is holding you back from becoming arguably one of the best wingers around is the hesitation to pass the ball to your supporting defender or midfielder. There were times where you got away from players but you sure had to work hard for it. Had you passed the ball to the open man (Luca behind you, Kiyoshi in the middle, Robbie up front) you can then move into space, freeing yourself from pressure and giving your fellow players another option to keep the attack going. But take that as advice that comes from coaches that believe you can become an amazing player. Great game Mr. Da Silva!

Selou & Luca covering ground to get under a high ball. - here -

Chase: Hey, Mr. Clutch Goal Scorer, wuts up?!?! Chase played his heart out once again and showed that perseverance always pay off. I was very impressed with your tenacity and also with defensive qualities. Most of all, up front or on the wing, you showed a great sense of knowing when to commit and when to jockey (thanks to Jake’s teachings I hope!). Things to work on? We need you to continue improving on your skill and also on being more decisive with your shots. When up front, hesitation may be the difference between a goal and a corner kick. Let’s take it out of your game so that you can continue on your way to having fantastic strong games. Atta boy Chase!

Chase means business!! - here -

 Tarkan: My man from Turkey did not get a lot of time in this game but what he did do during his time on the field was work hard and continue to develop his strong challenging style. I was happy to see you running against defenders and putting them under pressure. That is exactly what you need to add to your game to begin taking you in the right direction: more perseverance and bite! By doing so, you will begin to win more 50-50 balls, produce turn overs and yes, pounce on opportunities that are not usually there. The sign of a good player is when the player starts with his heart and mind to understand that this game requires fury and determination. The skill will come – add to that the confidence that will begin to flow through your strong displays, and you will see more of the field and more importantly, become a solid player. Keep going Tark! Your time is coming.

Tark "the iceman cometh" Toparlak! - here -

 Robbie: so, similar to David you probably asked “why am I starting in a different position than usual?” And like in David’s situation, the answer is simple “because of what you showed at practice as a defender”. Now, it is a tough position to play but we believe you have what it takes to do a good job. You are strong, shield the ball well, have a great long pass and very good skill. Those attributes are absolutely necessary for a central defender. But there was one thing I did notice that was missing: confidence in your abilities. Robbie (and this goes to all the players as well), when placed in a different position than your usual one, you have to remember that we won’t put any of the players in a position where they will suffer. We look and assess each one of you. So, when we decided to place you in a different position, we do so believing that you can do the job. Robbie, you showed it on Wednesday night at practice. You did a good job on Saturday. But I could tell you weren’t comfortable. However, once we moved you up front, you looked like the Robbie of old. Your presence was once again felt by the opposition. Things to work on? Same as before: quicker shots and more decisiveness up front. This is a confidence thing. If you believe you can do it, you will. We certainly believe in you.

Robbie about to send a goal kick into orbit!! - here -

CONCLUSION

So where are we at? We are at stage where our team has the fundamental skills of a solid Gold team. We have speed, strength and most of all, skill - lots and lots of skill. So, what do we need?

Consistent possession of the ball: this will only come if we use all our players consistently. Holding on to the ball unnecessarily creates turn-overs. No need for that.

Decisiveness up front: we’re still lacking more shots. No more hesitation – we need to take more shots, period.

Strong defensive positioning: don’t let anyone tell you that fast guys will kill you if you are slower than them. Not necessarily – if you position yourself well and get to them before they gain possession, you will shot down any fast player. Just ask Cristiano Ronaldo how he felt when Ashley Cole was his mark in the Euros in Portugal a few years back.

So, we’re back at practice on Wednesday. For now, let’s keep going guys. For those of you who have time, practice at home. Get a small soccer ball and hit it against the wall, juggle outside, bounce it on your head, etc etc. By doing so, you will be making leaps and bounds over players in other teams who rely on pure stamina. Yeah, it may not show right away, but by the end of the season, you will be better soccer players. And in the end, that is really what matters.

Saludos a todos…Coach Roberto

LAKEHILL 1 - BAYS UNITED 2 (Oct.16/2010)

La Máquina giving each other some encouragement (I could cry!) - click photo to enlarge -

Well boys this one was a good learning experience for us. Although our second goal did (technically) count and the score would have been a tie we must be aware that officials at this level are often not  aware of the more complicated rules of the game. Bad calls will, from time to time, be made. The fact is that Selou was indeed offside (and that's okay buddy, it happens) during the run and shot that Diego made which caused their team to bobble the ball in front of their net and resulted in our second goal but Selou was not in the play which makes the play, and ensuing goal, count by F.I.F.A. law. If you have any questions about the offside rule please go to F.I.F.A.'s great interactive lessons on the "Laws of the Game"( to go there now click here ).

Since we are dealing with volunteer people that may not understand some of the rules very well we are best to always check to see that we are onside at all times - this will avoid any confusion and allow us to move forward without incident. Okay now that being said let's move along to the game.

What is becoming apparent is that we are not coming out of the gates with enough force. By this I mean that we find ourselves defending rather than attacking in the first half of all of our games so far. I know that our games are early in the morning boys but we really need to work on our level of desire in the first half. We need more chatter and much more passion to really propel La Maquina into a well functioning machine. You guys are all great players and we are going to work on things at practice that should help us a little more in the areas where we are struggling. These three main areas as I see them are : Defender confusion - Midfielders taking too many touches - Forwards not taking enough shots.
To let you know in contrast to the last sentence boys - I did see some very beautiful passing and movement from all of you in this game and I saw it confuse and disrupt the opposing team. We will work in baby steps, we don't expect you guys to understand everything at once but we do expect that you continue to build on your existing abilities and knowledge every practice and game.

Kiyoshi sizes up his options as Luca guards the back. - here -

Let's start from front to back. Our goal was scored by Selou from a corner kick taken by Jesus. There was some confusion in front of the net but the service was good and Selou managed to get a foot on it resulting in a goal - nicely done guys! Selou you are a very fast player up the wing and a threat to opposing teams without question. I will tell you that you need to work on looking back and slowing play down every now and again, however. You have Luca behind you on the left wing and you guys should be pairing up more rather than trying to run everything forward every time. Depth - that's about all a great little athlete like you needs to work on - and work on it we shall little dude! After that we had a free kick taken by Robbie that was handled by a Bays player in the 18 box resulting in a penalty kick taken by Diego. Diego's penalty hit the post and was sadly cleared from the area. *A note regarding Diego's penalty: Every great player misses penalty shots and the true sign of maturity in the game and oneself is to move forward from it which the little man did do. The fact is that his shot did beat the keeper in a low hard shot to the corner (an excellent placement for a penalty kick) - it was just barely off target....well done Diego. Shortly after this is where he pushed hard up the wing and took a shot that resulted in the confusion in front of the Bays net where they ended up scoring on themselves.

Diego leaps for a header and ends up taking one for the team. - here -

McGregor and Tarkan both made some lovely plays up the wing and at striker. With the level of skill you boys were dealing with at that Bays defense I commend you on your efforts. McGregor is beginning to develop some very good speed up the wing and Tark has been proving himself an effective striker when it counts. Tark was making some creative passes into good open spaces and I am really happy to see him improving as he has been doing. McGregor is a great little player that I've known for some time. If I could say anything to you Macky it's that you need to stand and be counted a little more. Don't worry so much about making mistakes and let your 'fun drive' do all the work - you'll find that you are a much stronger player than you think you are. 

Chase lays off a pass while Quin backs him up in support. - here -

  Chase played a great game with a couple of opportunities that slipped past him but for the most part was a solid influence up front with his tenacity and grit. I did notice a couple of times that you were getting caught out of spot Chase but you've got the tools kid - let's just sharpen them. Jesus and Kiyoshi are always very strong in the middle. A great midfielder has good quality in terms of skill but is mainly a supplier of quality balls to his forwards and defenders to help facilitate a strong attack or to help prevent a strong attack from the other team. Jesus you had some beautiful moments where I saw your head up and great battles for the ball. I'm really happy to see you developing your game and becoming more well rounded. Kiyoshi you too had great composure on the ball and went into challenges quite well. You're both moving into space nicely and turning into quite nice midfield players. To both of you boys I'll say that we need to work on dishing the ball out a little faster. You're both in danger of hanging onto the ball for too many touches and you're both getting stripped of possession much more than players of your quality should be. You both have great ability and now it's time to build on that with some more depth and understanding of, what many believe is, the busiest position on the pitch.

David looking calm, cool and collected working a ball out from the back. - here -

Robbie is always impressive with his big boot and skillful dribbling and he did not disappoint on Saturday in those regards. The 2 areas that require work for you Robbie are your turns (generally too many turns into thick traffic) and getting your shots off in a timely fashion. You're good points far outweigh your bad but the fact remains that you have too many guns in your arsenal to continue throwing stones - by this I mean - take the bloody shot dude! Hahaha you know I love you kid and I want to see you reach your full potential - we'll all work together to hammer out these issues, not to worry!!!! Your skill is growing daily and your heart needs to match that.

Our fearless goalkeeper, George made some lovely saves and asserted himself well on break away challenges. We're all very happy with your work George and I can see you improving with every practice and game. The one point that begs to be made is that the goals that are being scored on you aren't worthy to be going in on a keeper like yourself. You need to be a lion in the back and really attack a ball coming near your goal - there should never be a goal that trickles in .... simply put , that means that you didn't put your full effort into stopping it - simple. You're so good that I feel very confident in saying that. We're going to work hard with you to see that really understand what it is that is expected from a team's last line of defense - you. George you are developing a voice and I've noticed you organizing your defenders during set plays and it's truly an impressive thing to see. The sky is the limit my friend, let's put some heart into it.

Jesus challenging for the ball while Kiyoshi gets open. - here -

Quinton, Luca & David: you three have been magical in your stopping power and that no one can deny. You stopped 6 very serious attacks (by my count) that would have easily resulted in goals by lesser defenders, Congratulations and thanks for the hard work. I was a defender myself when I played and I understand how hard that position can be. Quin your quick feet were great on short bursts and I saw you getting your head up and looking for the smart ball whenever you could. David you played very tough as a central defender should and you visibly knocked their strikers off of their form by doing so. Luca your prowess with 50/50 balls and slide tackles is always a pleasure to watch and something you are really beginning to master. Well done to all of you! Now that the pats on the backs are done with lets get to the issues: you guys need a great deal of zone work because you are getting lost too often and even look like you're challenging each other from time to time. We need to remember that we have a goal keeper with good ball control at his feet and use him more often. George you will need to let the guys know if it's okay to pass back to you very loudly too. Practices will give you guys some more tools in terms of how to deal with you position but the fact is you all need a little tactical work - the foundation has already been laid.

Quin puts some fear into an attacking Bays player's heart! - here -

Okay so I hope this spells some things out for you guys. The final word is that win or lose these are learning years for you all so don't get bummed out about final scores or statistics. As time marches on you'll see that they mean nothing if you keep up a hard work ethic and love for the game. Let's give Gorge F.C. a good strong match this coming weekend and work hard to become a better team.

Robbie on the run!! (If they have 5 guys on Robbie that means we have 5 open guys, right?) - here -

VAMOS, LA MAQUINA!!!!!

- Entrenador David