soccer

Here's this week's recap. Unfortunately, I was a little more involved in this match. Not only was the first penalty called on me (a crap call), but the "lax defending on the right wing" was me, too; I got beat, when I shouldn't have. So, the first too goals of theirs were my doing. For the third, while the play didn't come down my side, I still should have and could have been covering the goal line when our keeper left the line to try to smother the shot. Phooey. Only one game left to redeem myself, and it's not for two weeks.

Injuries: a rough one; one shot took the breath out of one of my lungs. Another clearance caught me full in the face. I took an elbow to my right bicep that I know will surface as one of those blue-yellow bruises in a few days. Scraped my left knee. Only twinged my hurt ankle a little.

Shots: I had one shot (described below) that went high and wide. Whiffed at a late volley that would have been the equalizer too.

The recap:

HIGHWAY ROBBERY
(by Leon Ochsenbein)

MPFC 2 vs Vermont 3
Goalscorers: Gavin Price 1, Rob "Roberto Carlos" Ledger 1

In the second last round of the season MPFC went down 3-2 to title challenging Vermont in a spiteful and controversial game of football. Warm sunshine greeted both sets of players, with strong winds towards the St Kilda end.

The game got off to a cracking start with Vermont producing a chance to score within 1 minute of kick off. MPFC woke up and matched Vermont player for player in the first 15 minutes. Richard Abbey and Paolo Maldini superbly marshalled the backline and Vermont were struggling to break through. Alas, for MPFC a penalty was awared to Vermont that clearly shouldn't have been, Mark Schnitzius winning the ball cleanly in the box, with the referee (one of the worst all season) blowing for a spot kick. Vermont's striker duly disptached the penalty for an undeserved 1-0 lead. MPFC were quickly back in the game with some good forward work between Ochsenbein, Tinkaz and Ledger. 25 minutes into the game Ochsenbein was fouled 20 yards out from the Vermont goal. Quick thinking Price dispatched the free kick into an unguarded net fooling the Vermont defence who were caught napping. MPFC were every bit the match of Vermont for the next 10 minutes, but were undone by some lax defending on the right wing, allowing the Vermont winger to cross to his fellow striker unmarked, who couldnt miss from 6 yards. Poor refereeing decision number 2 would soon follow when a Vermont defender kicked the ball against his own hand and controlled it inside the box. A clear penalty most would have thought, but not today for MPFC. 5 minutes later Ochsenbein won a free kick on the left wing, 25 yards out from goal. Rob "Roberto Carlos" Ledger struck a swinging shot at the Vermont keeper who gave his best impression of David Seaman, flapping at the cross/shot for a deserved equaliser. In the next 10 minutes MPFC dominated Vermont, with many on the sideline thinking it was MPFC who were challenging for the title, not Vermont. Carnibella was unlucky when he struck a shot from 12 yards across the face of goal which was saved well by the Vermont keeper. Ledger was next to get in on the act, his strike from 20 yards going narrowly over the bar. Ochsenbein was unlucky not to score when he pushed the ball past the Vermont right back, and sprinted 30 metres to strike a shot on goal which was saved well again by the Vermont keeper. Ironically, the referee blew for half time just as MPFC were putting together a counter attack. It seemed the referee couldn't take a trick. 2-2 at half-time, with many feeling MPFC deserved to be in the lead.

The break worked against MPFC as the momentum they had built up in the last 10 minutes of the first half had been lost. The first 10 minutes of the second half saw the ball mostly in the midfield, rarely getting to the forwards of each team. Vermont put together some good chances but could not break through, the MPFC defence standing firm. Some rash challenges began to creep into the game, unfortunately for MPFC the referee did not want to penalise Vermont and allowed some poor challenges off scot free. Price was given a yellow card for next to nothing, when some of the Vermont players put tackles in from behind and didn't receive any sort of card. The breakthrough for Vermont came 20 minutes into the second half when their lightning fast centre foward turned the MPFC defence inside out and slotted home from 10 yards, leaving no chance for keeper Wolst. Vermont were now starting to get on top, and only a superb save from Wolst kept them out. With 10 minutes to go MPFC started to get back some of the rhythm they had in the first half and were unlucky not to equalise when Schnitzius shot narrowly wide from 20 yards. With 2 minutes to go a cross from the right wing by Ochsenbein was met by Carnibella at the back post and saved once again by the Vermont keeper, who was having a blinder (apart from his goal kicks). From the resultant corner, Abbey struck a fierce shot from 12 yards which unluckily caught Ochsenbein's heel, summing up MPFC's luck for the day. The final whistle blew, for an undeserved 3-2 victory to Vermont, who were thankful to escape with 3 points and keep their title hopes alive. Next round sees MPFC take on Marcellin Eagles for the final round of the season, with MPFC expecting a victory to cap off a much improved second half of the season.

Best On Ground: Jason Carnibella
Worst On Ground: The referee (the worst we have seen, thats saying something)