Bethesda Internationals

18 Sep. '06. The YMS Columbus Cup brackets have been set and the Potomac Internationals will compete in the Championship Division against several outstanding teams from Regions I, II and III, which include the Clearwater Chargers (FL), YMS Xplosion (PAE), Lower-Merion Velez (PAE), Atlas-Cicero (IL), and the Bethesda Roadrunners (MD). Hoping for good weather -- it should be a superb event!

7 Sep. '06. The Internationals have been accepted into the premier CASL Shootout to be played 18-19 Nov. in Raleigh Durham, NC. Many tops teams from FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, MD, MI, OH, PA, and VA will be participating. The Internationals are looking forward to another great experience down in the Triangle!

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.

3 Sep. '06. Thanks to Tropical Storm Ernesto dumping several inches of rain in the area late Friday night and early Saturday morning, many of the fields/venues were closed for play on Sat., 9/2, including the normally superb Freeman fields at OBGC Community Park. The soggy but playable Freeman fields opened up for play on Sun., 9/3, with partly cloudy skies, and the first match found the Internationals in their new Adidas black uniforms once again facing the pesky MSC Badgers for the 4th time in the past 4-5 months, including MD State cup, NCSL Spring 2006 & Potomac Memorial 2006. For the first 5-6 minutes of play, the Internationals appeared to be a bit slow to the ball and unsure of themselves, but then picked up momentum shooting 9 times on goal with 3 corner kicks while committing 4 fouls. At about the 10 minute mark, Skylar sent a free kick from 25 yards on the right into the box about 4-6 yards where Nicholas was in perfect position to time a well placed header ball into the net for the 1st goal. The Internationals' strong defense held the Badgers to just a single shot on goal which went awry and no corners taken while committing 5 fouls with 1 YC being shown to number 10. In the second half, the defense held the Badgers to no shots taken or any corner kicks while committing 2 fouls. The Internationals managed 5 shots on goal and no corners while committing 6 fouls (including 1 offsides). At about the 11 minute mark, Vitalis was fouled in the box and struck a hard PK into the net for the second goal, and the match ended later, 2-nil, Internationals. In the second match, the Internationals faced its good friends from VA, FCH Premier AC 91W, wearing new navy blue Nike uniforms identical to those worn by the old Inter Bethesda before moving to Potomac SA in the summer. The Internationals switched to their white jerseys and at the 1 minute mark after kick off, Skylar crossed a well-placed ball from the right corner into the goal mouth to about 6 yards on the left where Ebo struck in the 1st goal past the surprised GK. The Internationals played with great intensity and worked hard defensively, creating numerous counter-attack opportunities. The Internationals took 2 more shots on goal and both were successful. At about the 15 minute mark, Ebo sent a cross from the left corner into the box about 6 yards where Vitalis struck in the 2nd goal of the match. Just two minutes later, at about the 17 minute mark, Roque served a nice ball just inside the 18 yard line into the box to Vitalis at about 6 yards who then turned and fired in the 3rd goal of the half. The Internationals committed 9 fouls (inlcuding 4 offsides and 1 handball). The Premier AC 91W was limited to just 1 shot on goal and 1 corner kick which were both unsuccessful while committing 2 fouls. In the second half, the Internationals setup 3 shots on goal and 1 corner kick while committing 7 fouls (including 4 offsides). At about the 7 minute mark, Vitalis served a ball into the box about 6 yards where Nick A. timed his charging header to strike in the 4th goal of the match. The defense allowed just 1 shot on goal and no corners by Premier AC 91W, and they committed 5 fouls. The match ended later, 4-nil, Internationals.

31 Aug. '06. The Potomac Internationals have been accepted into the Yardley Columbus Cup, which has always been a quality event for top Region I teams. It is the first time that the Internationals (formerly Inter Bethesda) will have participated in this event, and it is looking forward to some great competition against the top Region I teams and perhaps top Region II-III teams which are attending as well.