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

La Maquina dominates Juan de Fuca!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Let me start by giving a big high five to each of the players for a great display this past weekend. What a way to start the long weekend! Our win this Saturday against Juan de Fuca showed flashes of what we as coaches expect to be the norm of our game by the end of the season. Overall, despite some scary moments, our team fought hard and by the end of the game, it was clear that our team was dominating.

So, with that in mind, here's my assessment of the weekend:

George: what a phenomenal game buddy. Even though he faced two penalties (well three if you add the re-take of the second penalty), this boy stayed cooler than a cucumber in the coldest part of the crisper. Excellent work George! When I saw you make that save on the second penalty, I jumped and screamed because you kept your score sheet clean, but also because it showed you are a great goalie. We were happy to see you play out too. Seeing you almost score (that crossbar stole the goal from you Georgie!!) was the icing on the cake. Well done George - clean sheet!. You were a wall - exactly why we all respect you as our goalie. Things to improve on?: we will work a little more on our counter attacks and positioning during corner kicks. Otherwise, well done.

Quinn: Mr. Race Car did not disappoint. Quinn had some difficult times in the first half but his speed and skill shone through several times that we were caught out of position. As well, I have to commend you for some great passing down the wing to your fellow player. Having that vision is something you are starting to implement and we are happy to see you doing it. Well done Mr. Wilson! Things to improve?: making sure you don't get caught up when pinching into the middle to help your friend. We'll work a little more on positioning and quick counters. For now, keep going Quinny!

David: My friend, what can I say? Once again solid at the back. Rectifying mistakes, coming to his friend's aid at the exact time, maintaining his position, El Lobo was phenomenal. I especially enjoyed seeing you putting the ball under control and looking up field before passing instead of the commonplace "get it out of here" kick. Now, don't get me wrong, those are needed sometimes too, but when you have a player with the ability to control the ball like you, why bother? Well done Lobo! Things to improve? We need to get you to take it to the next level - that is, making long passes across the width of the field and pulling players back to help you when you are isolated. You are the boss back there, keep going son.

Luca: "Around the Horn" is one of the best lines I've heard from our young skipper. Together with David and Quinn, Luca maintains a defensive line that is almost impossible to breach. Luca has posted his personal trademark on slide checks and passes down the line. Amazing my boy! I tell ya, when I saw the referee call a penalty kick on the first few minutes of the game after you went for that tackle, I felt bad for you for two reasons: one, because you worked so hard to get all the way across the box to help your team only to get a penalty call. Two, because even though you took the opposite team's opportunity to score, suddenly we were facing a more certain one. But no matter, in the end, you tried to do the right thing - and we commend you for that. Things to work on? More of the same but looking to set players on both sides of the field on runs that can create attacks and produce more opportunities for goal. Overall, a heck of a game Mr. Gomes.

Diego: what can I say, have you ever seen someone fight as much as this boy does for the ball? Our little Uruguayan pitbull ain't no one to ignore. Diego's work rate was outstanding as always and his ability to put pressure on opposite players continues to be great. Robbie's second goal was caused by Diego's drive to the net after stripping a player and going in hard for the 50-50 ball with the goalie - he even hurt himself but he did not care because his team scored. Diego, you worked well down the wing in trying to create those triangle passes. Keep going buddy! Things to improve? We'll work more on positioning and in making sure that shielding and proper, thoughtful movement off the ball continues to be a solid part of your game. Buen trabajo papito!

Kiyoshi: well well well, my friend, you had, yet again, another solid game. Your vision as a center midfielder continues to impress all of us as coaches and we couldn't be happier for you. I want you to continue setting up plays (you assisted on another goal) and looking to slice defender formations apart. I was also very happy that you scored too because it gives our team another source of goals. Overall, great work, great game, great skill Kiyo! Things to improve? We will work on your defensive positioning, making quicker passes when counterattacking and also on taking shots when the opportunity arises. If you work hard at it, we will be seeing you do this in two weeks. We believe in you.

Selou: for the third time this season Selou gets the first goal of the game for our team. His speed and ferocity continue to overwhelm teams and it sure pays off.  Of particular significance is his developing habit to look up before centering the ball from the wide position he plays. Selou, it is great to see you actually aim at your fellow player so that he can then have the best possible chance to score or at least maintain possession. Keep going Selou - we love your work on the wing. Things to improve? Continue making sure your passes are going to your players and being a bit quicker passing the ball. You can do this Selou - we know so. PS: thank you for going in goal for George. Yeah, I know you wanted to save the only goal from Juan de Fuca but don't worry - you did excellent!

MacGregor: Mr. White again displayed some great speed and skill on the sides. MacGregor, you worked well on our attack and your ability to cut in to provide options for the center-mid and forwards was well executed on Saturday's game. Keep doing that. You made a great run during one of our attacks and you missed the ball by only inches - but do not despair, your goal is gonna arrive soon. If you work like that all the time, you will see a big change in your game. I guarantee you. Things to improve? We need to work on getting you to come back and defend constantly as part of your game. Also, we need to get some fire into your game so that fore-checking and hard defensive work become a staple of your style. Together, we'll make this happen buddy.

Tarkan: your work is paying off and you must continue using your strength to break down plays from the opposite team. I saw some good things from you last game: you got stuck in and followed players putting pressure on them. You looked to make passes and did your best in maintaining possession. Keep working Tark, it's coming! Things to improve on? We'll work on making you more mobile on the field and in making runs into space so that you open up the field for our team to exploit those spaces. Possession and hard tackling are also on the agenda. Well done my friend!

Robbie: two goals on the second half gave our team the shot of energy and confidence we needed. You have demonstrated that your shot is one to be reckon with. Your skill is shining more and more and your presence on the field is undeniable (just ask that big number 23 player who, after going shoulder to shoulder with you, laid on the field crying). Well done my boy! Keep doing what you are doing and you'll continue your road to becoming a consistent strong player. I congratulate you on your magnificent first goal from a shot 25 yards out but also on the tap-in which showed that you are now following the play and not giving up on those crucial striker runs. Things to improve on? Two things: mobility off the ball and quicker shots on goal when the opportunity arises. We'll work on that during practices - you'll see the improvement before you know it. Buen trabajo hijo!

Jesus: el hombre de la gente! Jesus has been able to adapt his vision and skill to play as a right and left wing player in an outstanding manner. By having more space and time on the ball, Jesus has been able to create chances for his teammates and also set himself up for goal-scoring chances more than before. The best part is that he still has the skill and ability to play in the middle of the field as well. Jesus, keep going. On Saturday, I saw you doing some beautiful one touch passes with the wingers and center-mids. It was amazing. Your ability to use both feet is also fantastic! You are a force on the field. Things to work on? Quicker releases of the ball when attacking and more eloquence when dictating the game from the middle. We'll work on that together as a team.

Chase: Mr. Johnstone had another great game. His goal and constant fore-checking marked a game where he worked tirelessly whenever he was on the field. His ability to play wing and forward is one the coaches appreciate and will continue to rely on in every game. Chase, I commend you for your ability to read the play up front and go for goal scoring opportunities even where one does not appear to be. Good on ya! I think your grandfather and all the coaching staff were all very proud of your work and stamina. It is great to see. Things to work on? Positioning when playing on the flanks and better control when under pressure. By doing this, your game will improve vastly. Atta boy Chase!

CONCLUSION: the team continues to improve. We need to work on our defenders not pinching in and losing their positioning, on our forwards and wingers fore-checking constantly and on our team moving up and down the park as a unit, flipping the play from right to left with pin point precision. What was best from the game? The boys' spirit. We continue to show that no matter what the score, this team does not give up. Keep going boys. Bays United is next weekend - tough team. But in my view, they have no idea what La Maquina can achieve.

Have a great week and see you all at practice on Wednesday night at 5:00 pm at the Braefoot.

Thank you to all the parents for your continued support.

Cheers,

Coach Roberto (on behalf of David and Jake).