Rochester Pride - RSC Lightning '96

It was one of those days. The Screaming Egyptians dominated play in every aspect this afternoon. Possession, passing, use of space, corner kicks, shots. But in the end, with the opposing coach on the far sideline spending the last 3 minutes screaming and imploring the referee to call it a game, time finally did run out, and the opponent were able to manage a 0-0 tie. A little disappointing, perhaps – but not overly so. We had spent this past week extremely focused on using the full width of the field and switching from one side to the other when play got bogged down. We very clearly brought those lessons to the field today. The passing was exemplary. Pride made very good use of width and space. The result: we spent 52 minutes in the attacking half of the field vs. 18 in the defensive half 14 corner kicks earned; 1 corner kick conceded 16 crosses 10 significant serves into the red zone 11 shots vs. 4 against So why the scoreless result? One word: SHOTS. There were a number of shot opportunities passed up today. There were other shot opportunities missed because great serves and crosses went wasted because nobody got on the end of them. And rather than the 30+ shots that we strive for as a team goal, and generally achieve, we ended up taking just 11. That’s OK. We will make the adjustments and improve next week – just as we have every week thus far. And I want to make it clear the I am NOT disappointed in this result or this performance. On the contrary – I thought this was a stellar performance by you Screaming Egyptians. Why? Because that which we focused our training efforts on this past week (possession, width, switching) is what you brought to the match! EXCELLENT JOB! It’s just that in our days’ focus to look for the good passes from center, and to look for switches from one side to the other, we diverted our attention away from actually attacking goal when the opportunity presented itself. There were occasions when given and almost equal choice for a wide pass or goal, we chose the pass. Now all we need to do is balance that with other points of focus that we have brought to matches on other days. So, so may ask, why is it so hard to bring ALL points of focus to every game? Well, this is how development and growth work. We learn something new - then we apply it. Then we learn something else new – then we apply it. And so on. Eventually, given enough time, practice and experience, we learn the best times to apply one bit of knowledge rather than the other bits - which skill to use, which tactic to use, which choice to make. As I have taught you all season long - there are often several GOOD or acceptable choice (rarely in this game is anything perfectly right or perfectly wrong). The trick gets to be finding the BEST of those good choices and executing. The more we go along, the better choice we are able to make as to what to do at what point in time. At this stage of your development – you girls are still WAY into the learning HOW TO stage… still are learning the different things TO do (skills, tactics). And you still have and awful lot more to learn. So while so much of your time and energy are devoted and required to acquiring these new skills a tactics, most of the where, when and how to use these thing are still mostly down the road. As I say, this does not distress me at all. My job is to ensure your growth and development and THAT is being achieved. Anybody who watched this match can clearly see that. Last autumn and last spring, we worked very hard on applying principles of direct play. And you girls learned those principles quite well. At the beginning of this season I promised that I would strive to build on that foundation and strive to introduce a more mature style of play. This involves ball possession and ball handling. Not for it’s own sake but in order to wait for/create the opening so as to more efficiently attack with the force and effectiveness of direct play principles. The first step of that goal is being realized. You are getting better and better by the week in possession play this season. We have already seen that you can soundly execute direct play principles. Now comes the time to marry the two. We will strive to learn to recognize the openings and then exploit them. This is a process which requires time, experience and lots of play – both on the training field as well as the game field. As I say, most of the where, when and how to use each new skill and tactic are still mostly down the road. But, you girls have shown that you can find your way down that road pretty well! I have no doubt as to the ability of this team to find the balance. Why? Because every week, whatever we have worked on – Pride have brought to the game field. In the pre-season we stressed touch and passing, and all season long our hallmark has been possession and ball control. The week we emphasised and rehearsed set peices, we scored 2 goals off the corner kick. This past week we focused on maximizing the benefit of our ball control by using the entire width of the field, and so we did. In the same manner, I am sure we will continue this excellent pace of development. Pride, I am extremely proud of you for all that you have put into this season thus far. At one of the 1st practices of the season, you may recall, I spoke with you about the difference between “fun” and “fulfillment”. How they are both good and desirable things but how they are very different things – and how fulfillment doesn’t just come and go on the whim of a funny comment or playful antics like "fun" does but is something deeper and ultimately more gratifying that is built slowly and steadily through hard work and dedication. I promised you that if you gave yourselves the chance, you would come to know the difference by the end of the season. Well, right about now, you should be beginning to feel what I was talking about back then. Happily we’ve been having a lot of out right “fun” along the way as well – that’s because all you girls are such a blast and so full of personality, wit and mischief :). But take a look at where you are today from where you were 2 months ago. Think of what you’ve learned and how well you’ve applied that learning. Think of what a joy it is to realize that these thing you have learned are now always going to be a part of you – a part of thing you know how to do. Think of the confidence you've been able to walk onto the game field with because you KNOW what you are able to do together. That is confidence you have the right to feel… because it is confidence you have earned. It is the difference between (1) saying “you’re every bit as good as the next team” just because that’s what a coach is expected to say even if both you and he know that you have never really worked hard or learned much over the season or (2) me saying to you “you have everything you need to win this match” because you and I both know the work and practice you have put into making that statement true. That is what I’m talking about when I talk to you about fulfillment. But we are not done yet. There is plenty left to learn and accomplish. So let’s take stock of where we are now, look at where we can go down this last stretch of the season, and re-commit ourselves to get there together. Let’s show everybody who’s seen us so far that “they ain’t seen nothin’ yet”.