Bethesda Internationals

15 May '05. Inter faced its BSC sister team, Ajax, who advanced to D1 after winning the D2 championship last fall. It was a comfortably warm day with partly sunny skies and gentle winds out at the nice MD SoccerPlex where Inter controlled the first half of the match with solid mid-field play, launching 4 shots on goal (2 direct)which all went wide of goal. Inter committed two fouls while its strong defense prevented the Ajax from taking any SOG's with 7 fouls. End of the first half, 0-0. After both coaches were awarded yellow cards for not getting their teams onto the playing field in time to start the second half, the Ajax stepped up its attacking/counter-attacking and several swift players up front moved the ball effectively and set up two very nice hard shots on goal which were both thwarted/saved by Nat in spectacular fashion. The Ajax managed 1 corner and committed 9 fouls, while Inter created 4 shots on goal and committed 4 fouls. At about the 26 minute mark, Patrick settled a nice pass to him and nimbly weaved his way thru several Ajax defenders and made a nice pass into the middle to Skylar at about 25 yards out. Patrick continued upfield and cut into the goal mouth center at about the PK mark where Skylar sliced a teriffic pass thru defenders to Patrick who collected the ball, turned, dribbled a few yards closer and fired the game-winning goal from about 6 yards out into the net past the keeper. Thanks to the Ajax for a very challenging and entertaining match. The Ajax will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in D1 play upon the two teams' next meeting in the fall.

14 May '05. The PSA Memorial Potomac division schedule has been set with two groups of top Region1 teams as follows: Bracket 1: Cobb FC 92 Chiefs Gold (GA) American Jets 92 Blue (AL) Western YMCA Mutiny (DE) Team America 91 Red (VA) Bracket 2: Inter Bethesda (MD) RFC '91 (VA) West Hartford Premier (CT) Lynbrook/East Rockaway Magic (NY-E) SAT., 5/28: 9:45AM, v. Lynbrook/East Rockaway Magic OBGC #1 SAT., 5/28: 1:30PM, v. West Hartford Premier OBGC #1 SUN., 5/29: 9:45AM, v. RFC '91 OBGC #1 SUN., 5/29: 1:30PM, 1st Bracket 1 v. 2nd Bracket 2 MD SoccerPlex #3 SUN., 5/29: 1:30PM, 1st Bracket 2 v. 2nd Bracket 1 MD SoccerPlex #4 MON., 5/30: 10:15AM, 1st Semi 1 v. 1st Semi 2 MD SoccerPlex #17

8 May '05. Inter always looks forward to playing the solid BAYS team, although it had not prevailed in the previous 4 league matches against them. Today's quarter-final match was played on the nice fields out at the Polo Grounds on a splendid, warm and sunny day with blue skies; however, the wind was blowing hard and it was a factor as it caused havoc for both teams on defense but aided both sides on offense. The BAYS had the wind at their backs in the first half and managed 7 shots on goal with 1 corner kick. Fortunately, none of the hard shots found the back of the net, and one high arcing shot pushed by the wind came down over Nat's outstretched arms and luckily deflected off the crossbar back out into the goal mouth where it was cleared out. The BAYS tough defense limited Inter to just 1 solid SOG against the wind which sailed wide and right of goal. The 2nd half was controlled by Inter with the wind at their backs, launching 10 shots on goal, with some missing wide or high or stopped by the GK or cleared out by the defenders. Inter created 6 CK opportunities and its tenacious defenders held the BAYS to just 3 SOG's only. With 3-4 minutes left to play, Inter launched another attack up field on the right side where Mati collected the ball, dribbled away to elude defenders. When one defender slipped and fell, Mati had some space and spotted Sam far over on the left side all by himself at about 18-20 yards out. Mati then made the perfect pass to Sam, who quickly turned and struck in the nice hard shot and game-winning goal. Inter is scheduled to play the BAYS in its last game of league play, and looks forward to another entertaining and well-played match which seems to always be the case when these two teams come to play. Inter will face the D2-leading/surging Pot. Cougars '92 in the Semi-Final match on Sat., 4 June.

1 May '05. This match was moved from the nicer fields at Muldoon's Farm to Kingsview MS after yesterday's rain and poor soggy fields at Muldoon's. Unfortunately, the Kinsgivew MS field was very poor for playing good possession soccer and passing as the turf was extremely clumpy with the ball taking tricky bounces for both sides. Nonetheless, on a sunny but chilly and blustery day, Inter clearly controlled the match against the fiercely competitive TASC America 91 Red team in both havles. After pushing back an attack by the TASC America 91 Red at the about 9 minutes into the match, Skylar sent a crisp long pass up field to the left side to a streaking Ben who pushed up from his center back position. Ben settled the ball and pinched in to the right with a great run on goal, dribbling and eluding defenders to slam in the first goal from about 20 yards out past the GK. Just 2 minutes later, Inter countered another TASC America 91 Red attack and Skylar lofted a ball into the goal mouth at about 6 yards out where Ebo settled, turned and struck in the 2nd goal past the keeper. Later, with about 3 minutes left in the first half, Mati collected a pass from a teammate on the left side and dribbled down towards the corner and crossed a nice ball into the goal mouth to Roque who fired in the 3rd goal. Inter took 8 shots on goal, 1 corner with 4 fouls while the TASC America 91 Red took just 2 SOGs (1 direct) with 2 fouls. In the second half, TASC America 91 Red played more determinedly, and at about the 10 minute mark TASC Premier sent a well placed long ball up field on the left side past the defenders and before Ben (playing GK in place of Nat who was playing up front in the 2nd half) could come out to grab the ball, a TASC America 91 Red player was able to reach the ball and strike a hard shot directly at goal on the ground and the ball managed to find some space thru Ben's grasp/legs and into the goal for TASC America 91 Red's only goal. Inter launched 8 SOG's (1 direct & 1 PK) and 2 CK's with 5 fouls compared to TASC America 91 Red's 3 SOG's (1 direct) with 3 fouls, but Inter was not able to finish several good SOG's that went wide or high, including a last minute PK (due to foul by TASC America 91 Red's GK on Roque in the box) in the second half that sailed a little high over the cross bar.

24 Apr. 05. On a chilly and blustery day at the nice MD Soccer Plex, Inter played the always tough and talented MATT Crew. It was a very entertaining match with both teams attacking and countering, moving the ball very well up and down the field. Both teams could manage only 1 shot on goal in the 1st half, with Inter creating 4 corner kick opportunities to the Crew's single attempt. The Crew are an aggressive and very physical team, committing 8 fouls to Inter's 5. At about the 25 minute mark, MATT Crew sent their only corner kick high into the goal mouth where Nat jumped up and caught the ball just off the goal line, and as he was coming down a MATT Crew player #4 (who later was awarded a yellow card in the 2nd half) pushed Nat back across the goal line into the goal but Nat was able to stretch out and hold the ball outside the the goal line; however, the side AR made the wrong call that MATT Crew should be awarded a goal since Nat's body was inside the goal -- but the ball was held outside. Indeed, the official's decision was a very questionable call that perhaps might not have been made in this tightly and evenly contested match. Also, no call was made on the #4 for pushing Nat! Although Inter stepped up its attacking in the 2nd half, managing 4 SOG's and 1 CK compared to MATT Crew's 3 SOG's and no CK's, both teams continued their physcial play with Inter committing 8 fouls and MATT Crew committing 6 and 1 YC to #4. Nonetheless, Inter was unable to finish and the match ended with MATT Crew earning the win thanks to the side official's questionable call. But, that is soccer...