Fall 2008 - MNJYSA game #4
After playing really well last weekend against Howell in the State Cup and then Watchung in league play, but only coming away with a loss and a tie, the Wildcats were looking forward to getting back to their winning ways. But it wasn't going to be easy considering that Reb was out with an injury she picked up during the week with the middle school team, and we were travelling to Somerset Hills, who have been a flight-1 team for a few years and who also play JAGS. The temperature picked up right before the game, but the conditions were almost perfect for soccer. The field was a decent size, but was clumpy and had a very high crown, so balls looked like they might be hard to control, and would run out more easily than normal.
The game got off pretty slowly as both teams were feeling each other out.. looking for openings to take advantage of and attack. The Wildcats were going harder to the ball in the beginning and were able to move the ball to Somerset's defensive third and apply some pressure with Paige getting a decent shot off from the middle at the six minute mark. Jules took a knock early on and had to come off for some treatment, while Jordan took her place out wide right. Having both teams nicknamed the Wildcats and both teams having a Hannah and a Paige was a little confusing, but we managed with Blue (LVUSC) and White (SHSC). About 10 minutes in Somerset started to exploit our formation and worked the ball up for a shot that Lin saved well, and returned downfield with a good punt that was picked up at the half and brought down to 18 where Paige got hold of it with her left foot and shot passed the keeper to put Long Valley up 1-0.
Somerset really started to control the ball well after goig down a goal and were moving it around and advancing well, and forcing us to defend right around our 18, and forcing poor clearances that were brought right back. Although they were pressuring hard, Rachel Andy, Bri, Liz and Chelsea did a good job in preventing Somerset from getting off any dangerous shots.
After about 10 minutes of Somerset pressure, we managed to clear to our front line, and Syd took the ball hard from the left side of the 18 to the goal line and pulled back a nice left footed cross, out of the reach of the defender's foot and the keeper guarding the near post, and right to the perfectly positioned Jordan who calmly first-timed the ball into the back of the net with her left foot. Reminding the girls that a 2-0 lead is the worst lead to have we encouraged them to play for more goals rather than defending the 2 goal lead, but Somerset pushed a hard ball up the middle, on 24 minutes, that caught three of our defenders a little flat footed, allowing their striker to run right up the middle on goal, and she calmly tucked the ball to Lin's right into the corner of the net to halve their defecit. Long Valley kept absorbing the Somerset pressure for the remainder of the half, including a multitude of corners and throw-ins that culminuated in Lin smothering a ball on the goal line just as added time expired..
Soon into the second half, it was evident that we needed to better control the middle of the field, so we added the second central middie going from our 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2. This definately helped us and cut down the attack up the middle, but Somerset are well coached and well skilled and they began pressuring up the flanks, where Bri was called into service to provide two very good saves from blasted shots.. one from the right on 17 minutes and one from the left on 20. As time went on we started to make some headway to move the ball again into the Somerset end of the pitch, and on 33 minutes, Amy with her hair-tie broken and her hair flowing in the wind drove hard forwards on the left, then cut nicely and pushed a perfect square pass to Jules, who turned it onto her right foot and launched an unstoppable high shot from the 18 over the keeper and into the back of the net for a 3-1 Long Valley lead. That goal seemed to deflate Somerset somewhat, and the game ended with the same scoreline.
GO WILDCATS !!!