Bethesda Internationals

04 Sep. '06. Tournament officials rescheduled the games so that a 3rd preliminary match, Semi-Final and Final all could be played today at the once superb Freeman fields, now somewhat torn up from the wet/soggy condition after the passing of Tropical Storm Ernesto. The Internationals faced GFA 91 Crew (formerly MATT Crew) in the 3rd prelminary match in the morning. The Crew have always played hard and strong against the Internationals (formerly Inter Bethesda), and today was no different. The first half was played evenly with both teams moving the ball well and the defense responding solidly. The Crew took 2 shots on goal with 1 corner which were unsuccessful while committing 4 fouls. The Internationals were limited to just 1 shot on goal which was unsucessful, while committing 7 fouls (including 1 offsides), and the half ended scoreless. The second half was much of the same but the Crew could manage just 1 shot on goal while committing 3 fouls (including 1 handball) and a yellow card was shown to number 7. The Crew's defense effectively shut down Inter for much of the half until the 20th minute when Skylar sent a nice corner kick on the right into the box about 6 yards on the right where Vitalis collected the ball, turned and fired in the game-winning goal. The Internationals committed 4 fouls (including 3 offsides), and the match ended a few minutes later, 1-nil, Internationals. In the Semi-Final match, as the winner of Group 1, the Internationals were to have played the Wildcard team, which ended up to be the GFA 91 Crew team, but since the rules stated that the Wildcard team could not be from the same group, the Internationals were required to play the Group 2 winner, West Pines United (FL). The Florida team was a very aggressive, hard-playing team with several skillful players, including 4 national pool players (including the GK), and recent winner of Region 3 Premier, and ranked number 2 in Florida behind the Clearwater Chargers per GS. Although the Florida team passed the ball well and mounted several close-call counter attacks, the Internationals limited the West Pines team to just 2 shots on goal which both went awry. The West Pines United committed 11 fouls (including 1 handball) and a yellow card was shown to number 3 for a hard foul. The Internationals had numerous opportunities to score but could not finish on 7 attempts, including a nice shot by Patrick from about 20 yards out which just missed wide to the right and a hard shot by Skylar in the same area which hit the side post and richocheted across the goal mouth and out where it was cleared away. The Internationals also created 2 corner kicks which were unsuccessful, while committing 6 fouls, and the half ended scoreless. The second half was a foul-plagued affair with the West Pine United team committing 11 fouls and yellow cards shown to numbers 25, 9, 12 and a second to number 3 followed by red, and also a yellow card on the GK for throwing the ball out of bounds for delay of game after the West Pines team scored earlier. At about the 20th minute, the West Pine team managed to stop an attack which was being mounted by the Internationals on the right side of their end of the field around 30 yards, and a West Pines player turned and served a perfect pass past the Internationals middle defenders into the goal mouth to a teammate running onto the ball who was able to easily punch in the game-winning goal past Joe. The West Pines United and the Internationals both took 5 shots on goal, while the Florida team managed 3 corners and the Internationals created 2 corner kicks all to no avail. The West Pines GK made a nice punch-out save off of a hard kick by Roque from about 18 yards out on the right in the last several minutes, and the matched ended, 1-0, West Pines United. Although the West Pines United played aggressively and were very physical, the Internationals enjoyed this match against another top quality team. Congratulations to West Pines United for a hard-fought victory. The West Pines United team had to catch a plane at 3pm and took home the Second Place trophy, forfeiting the Championship match to GFA 91 Crew who bested the VA Rush Nike 91 Boys, 2-1, in the other Semi-Final match.