DEA Bedford Masters 2

The game didn't start well.  The first 10 minutes were really ugly, probably because as Jim said we all got there so early and spent too long warming up, but with a bit of luck and some nice play by Steve in goal we made it through them.

After that we settled down though and played pretty well.  Kept the ball in the middle of the field and generated some chances.  On a nice through ball by Paul, Jimmy took off, beat one defender then lifted it over the goalie in a nice finish to put us up 1-0.    We kept the play style the same and once again Jim took  a through ball, beat a defender and the goalie and put us up 2-0 which is how it stood at half time.  Frankly I'm not always a big fan of depending on the through ball breakaway, but with the shape Sportsman field is in, trying to put together 5 or 6 good passes is very tough, and the way Jimmy is finishing it's working well.  The 2nd half started off much like the first one ended, still good control of the ball and generally keeping it on their side.  John V lofted one up to the goalie with just enough spin on it that it slid out of his hands and we were up 3-0.  And that's when it started to go downhill.  Somehow we got off our game.  They had nothing to lose and brought more pressure certainly, but we did not respond well.  The ball spent almost all of the last quarter of the game in our half.  We were no longer clogging the middle and stopping their runs early, instead they were making it into the box and putting pressure on Steve.  They got one goal and that seemed to energize them, but not us.  The second goal with two minutes to go was one of those that happen when the game is being played in your end. A simple turn and shoot that came out of the crown and passed a screened Steve before he could react.  The final goal, with only 30 seconds left, was just a breakdown in defense.  The cross found their guy sitting at the top of the box uncovered.  A dream shot for him, and unfortunately for us, he didn't miss it.

We need to stay focused for the whole game, the start and the end, not just the middle.  At this point we'll need some help to make something of this season, but Harvard lost on Sunday and there is some small hope if we win out.  If we don't, then there's not much.  We get Harvard and Hopkinton on our home field.  We can beat them both.  We certainly can beat the other three teams.  Let's get our heads back in the game and do it.

Thanks to John V's family for the bagels and Happy Birthday John!

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GM NOTE:  We can not be giving up a 3-0 lead.  This is clearly one of those games that we should have won.   When you have someone down 3-0 you need to squash them.   Never let them back in the game. 

Godfather