Bethesda Internationals

7-8 Oct. '06. The all-day/evening long rain on Friday abated in time for the games to be played on Saturday at Macclesfield Park in the quaint borough of Yardley, PA. It was the Internationals' first participation in this highly acclaimed tournament which is usually contested by top Region I teams. The Internationals were placed in the Championship bracket with Clearwater Chargers/FL (FL Champs & Region III Semi-Finalist) and Yardley Xplosion/PAE (PAE Finalist & Region I Semi-Finalist). In the first match of the day, the Internationals faced its friends from The Jefferson Cup Final, Clearwater Chargers, who easily won that event, 4-0. On a short field, the first half of the 1st half was evenly played but the Chargers took control of the second half of the period with relentless pressure and effective counter attacks, shooting 5 times on goal but could not finish. The Chargers mid-field and left back in particular were very impressive in their play and foiled the Internationals from creating any serious threat, although they did shoot just once on goal which went awry. The Chargers played hard and aggressive but committed only 1 foul, while the Internationals committed 6 fouls, and the half ended scoreless. In the second half, the Internationals appeared to be more energized and played with focus & determination, shooting 4 times on goal and created 2 corner kick opportunites while commitiing 7 fouls (including 2 offsides and 1 handball). At about the 23 minute mark, Skylar received a pass on the left about midfield and raced downfield towards the Chargers' goal where he was challenged by a Chargers defender in the box. Both were shoulder to shoulder as Skylar leaned inward towards the net, and both fell to the turf with a fortuitous foul being called on the Chargers defender. Vitalis stepped up to take the PK and fired in a hard shot to the back of the net past the GK. Although the Chargers played more aggressivley in the second half and committed 4 fouls, the Internationals' strong defensive back line held the Chargers to just 2 unsuccessful shots on goal, and the match ended, 1-nil, Internationals. In the second match of the day on a longer pitch, the Internationals faced its other friends from the Jefferson Cup group play, YMS Xplosion, where the Internationals, prevailed in that event, 1-0. In the first half of the 1st half, of what would be a very physical match, in which Roque received a YC for a hard foul, the Internationals controlled most of the play but the Xplosion took charge in the second half of the period. The Internationals could manage only 2 shots on goal and created 1 corner kick, which all were unsuccessful, and committed 3 fouls (including 1 offsides), while the Xplosion took 5 shots on goal and created 4 corner kick situations -- all but one were unsuccessful, which came with just 1 minute left in the half. After a ball was sent into the box by YMS, the Internationals cleared/passed short and YMS intercepted to put in an easy shot into the net to the left of Joe. In the 2nd half, the Xplosion continued its control of play and pressured/challenged the Internationals on every ball possesion. The Xplosion took 4 shots on goal and created 2 corner kicks, but all went awry/unsuccessful, while committing 6 fouls. The Internationals managed just 2 shots on goal and no corner kicks due to the Xplosion's strong defensive back line, and committed 2 fouls (including 1 offsides). After a foul by Xplosion at about the 20 minute mark, Vitalis took a hard free kick shot from 25 yards out to the center which sailed between everyone in the box straight to the net past the surprised GK, and the match ended in a draw, 1-1. As both the Xplosion and Internationals prevailed over the Chargers, a PK period ensued to determine 1st and 2nd Place finish of the group for Semi-Final grouping. The 1st PK period ended in a draw, 4-4, and a sudden death 2nd PK period ensued. YMS made the 1st shot, but the Internationals missed its first attempt, striking the side post and deflecting across the goal mouth, off of the GK and outward away. The Xplosion would win the group and go on to play the Roadrunners in Semi-Final A, while the Internationals would go on to play the winner of the other group, LMSC Velez, in Semi-Final B. In the Semi-Final match, the Internationals played its friends from the BSC Thanksgiving 2005, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The LMSC Velez are a much improved team from last November, with many bigger and skillful players, and they would control the 1st half, shooting 3 times on goal and creating 2 corner kicks while committing 5 fouls (including 1 offsides). At about the 17 minute mark, after what appeared to be a missed attempt by the Internationals to kick/clear the ball away, a Velez player possessed the ball and in the blink of an eye, the ball was sailing past Joe into the next. The Velez held the Internationals to just a single shot on goal which went awry. The Internationals committed only 1 foul, and although they created 3 corner kick opportunities, all were unsuccessful, and the half ended, 1-0, Velez. The Internationals stepped up its intensity of play in the second half and the defense allowed Velez just a single shot on goal which went awry and no corner kicks, while committing 8 fouls -- including a hard shot to the back of Jamie, knocking him to the turf but no YC shown. The Internationals' offensive movement of the ball was much crisper, shooting 3 times on goal and setting up 4 corner kick opportunities, while committing 4 fouls (including 1 handball). At about the 4 minute mark, after a foul by the Velez, Skylar launched a free kick from about 22+ yards out on the left into the box where Vitalias alertly struck in the equalizer goal, and the half ended in a draw, 1-1. In the first 5 minute OT period, Velez managed just 1 shot on goal which was unsuccessful, no corner kicks and committed 3 fouls. The Internationals could manage no shots on goal but did create 1 corner kick opportunity which was unsuccessful, while committing 2 fouls. In the second 5 minute OT period, neither Velez nor the Internationals were able to take any shots on goal, although the Velez managed 1 unsuccessful corner kick. Both teams committed 1 foul each, and the match ensued into FIFA penalty kicks. After having experienced a PK tune-up the night before against the Xplosion, the Internationals, and Joe in particular, seemed to be much more relaxed and prepared than Velez. Taking a cue from the Xplosion GK last night, Joe walked out to shake the hand of the first Velez player as he marched out to setup to take the PK -- and Joe saved the shot. Velez missed the 2nd PK, but scored on the 3rd attempt and Joe saved the 4th shot, and Velez missed the 5th attempt, while the Internationals made 4 shots and missed just 1 to prevail, 3-1, earning a berth in the Championship match against the Xplosion, who prevailed, 3-2 over the fabled Roadrunners, who won 4 Championship matches at Yardley over the course of 5 attempts. In the first half of the Championship match, the Internationals and Xplosion played mostly evenly with both teams shooting just once on goal to no avail. The Xplosion created 1 corner kick opportunity which was unsuccessful and created 6 fouls (including 2 handballs), while the Internationals created 7 fouls (including 2 offsides and 1 handball), and the 1st half ended scoreless. The Xplosion stepped up its offensvie attack in the second half, shooting 4 times on goal, creating 4 corner kick situations while committing 8 fouls. At about the 10 minute mark, after a long ball was sent towards the Internationals goal, a defender chased down the ball and shielded it between his feet as it was slowing rolling towards the goal area 18 yard line while an Xplosion player was running closely behind him in an attempt to try and tackle the ball away. Joe ran up to collect the rolling ball as it crossed into the goal area, but incredibly, the center official (positioned well behind the action in the mid-center area) called an infraction for kicking the ball to the GK, which appeared not to have occurred. The free kick was placed in the center at the 19 yard mark, and the Xplosion player fired a nice shot between everyone into the net past Joe. Just 5 minutes later, the Xplosion sent a nice corner kick from the left into the box at the 6 yard line, and a melee of action followed with the Xplosion successfully kicking in the second goal of the match. The Xplosion's strong defense held the Internationals to no shots on goal, and 1 corner kick situation which was unsuccessful, while committing 3 fouls (including 1 handball), and the match ended, 2-0, Xplosion. Congratulations to the YMS Xplosion on a well-earned Championship. Regrettably, the Internationals had not participated in this excellent event in previous years as formerly Inter Bethesda, and unfortunately it will be the last time as maximum U15 age group for this tournament.