Brown 3-0 Columbia
The Ivy Season kicked off on October 2nd with the visit of the Lions of Columbia University to College Hill. The baby-blue clad visitors are an improved team from the group that we faced in 2009, particularly on the attacking side, so we anticipated a hard-fought battle on our own patch.
It was clear in the days preceding the match that we had a confident group of players who were gearing up for the start of what some call the “Real” season…..
The match began at a frenetic pace and it was clear that Columbia had set out their stall to try to physically impose themselves – something that we’re now expecting rather than surprised by. It was only through the generosity of the man in the middle that one or two of our visitors did not see cards that matched the effervescent colour of the officials on duty. Composure was the order of the day and our boys stayed focused on the job at hand.
Evan and Oki both went close in the opening minutes as we laid siege to the Columbia goal. Their defence was struggling to deal with our speed of play, with T-Mac and Sean both causing problems with their movement. Indeed it was our French-Portuguese-Canadian adoptee that played a telling ball into the path of the onrushing Oki who, in true Jonny-style, made his way past two defenders, around the goalkeeper and “blasted” a shot that almost broke the back of the net (OK, let’s be honest here, we were unsure if the ball had actually made it until we saw him celebrate!). 1-0 Good Guys.
To be fair to our visitors, we spent a good deal of time after the first goal defending. They put us under a good deal of pressure, but as seems to be the theme, our back-four dealt with most of what was thrown at them. On the occasions that we were breached, Grandstrand did his job well….
The introduction of the Giants, Mandel and Popolizio, after a half-hour gave us a much-needed boost, and it was their skill and endaevour that led to the second goal that would break the visitors’ spirit. Austin sprinted onto a ball played into the right channel and crossed for the onrushing Pops, who dispatched a trademark (ie. contorting his body and throwing himself at a strange angle) header into the back of the net. 2-0 Bears, with half-time approaching – always a great time to score….
The second-half was a slightly more one-sided affair than the first, with Grandstrand rarely called into action. It certainly seemed more likely that we would extend our lead, rather than seeing the visitors from Manhattan get back into the game. T-Mac, Tayls, Legend, and Oki all went close. With about tweleve minutes remaining, Oki picked up the ball on the right side of the box and, with an exchange of passes thrown in for good measure, somehow found himself on the left side of the box, where he played a ball into the path of Austin. The wee man made no mistake from eight yards out. 3-0. Game Over.
The last ten minutes was an opportunity for some of our younger and fringe players to get a taste of Ivy League play. Pleasingly, our momentum continued and we could have scored another…..
Great start to the league season…… Onwards……
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Biggs Gets His Ben & Jerrys
Vermont 0-3 Brown
The University of Vermont is a nice place. Cold, wet, and windy, but nice. As we departed College Hill on Friday we prepared ourselves for the long treck through northern New England and an afternoon training session on the UVM campus..... We checked into the hotel on time and headed over to campus for a light training session before taking on the Catamounts the next day in a lunchtime showdown. We were well prepared to take on the home team but certainly not expecting an easy ride.... This is a team that had already won three games, including a significant victory over Stanford in an early season tournament.
Saturday was a much better weather day than Friday with the sun poking through the clouds and just a light breeze blowing in place of the blustery conditions that had greeted us the day before... The match kicked off and we immediately knew that we were going to have to stand-strong to cope with a team that was high in confidence and fully prepared to try to physically overpower us. Superior soccer was the order of the day for our boys and despite the home teams' attempts to unsettle us, we carved out the better openings of the half. Grandstrand was relatively untested...... Once again, it was that man Pops who came up with the first goal of the game as he exchanged passes with Tayls at the top of the box and chipped the home 'keeper from a tight angle. It was a truly excellent goal, better than anything Tevez has ever produced....
Scoring just before half-time is always a boost, and the boys entered the break in good spirits and ready to push on in the second-half. There were very few nervous moments in the second half to be fair, and the only real concern on the sidelines was ensuring that we stayed injury-free and didn't make a catastrophic mistake. The home team changed their shape in an attempt to assert more pressure, but our boys were alert to the shenanigans and coped comfortably. The game was put beyond doubt ten minutes from the end by Sean Rosa with a goal of the simplest nature. Grandstrand launched a kick deep into the UVM half of the field, Coleman flicked on with his head, and Sean just ran through and had the simplest of tasks to put the ball low into the corner. It was a complete contrast to the outstanding passing movement and finish of the first goal, but we didn't care.....
Late on, as UVM pushed forward more, Oki got in on the fun and was on the end of another long ball forward to score our third of the day. His initial shot was hit with such ferocity that the UVM 'keeper fell asleep while waiting for the ball to reach him and consequently Jon was able to follow-up and score the rebound while the custodian snoozed.......
Two road wins in a row now and two consecutive clean-sheets. League play is on the horizon. Columbia are coming to town......
The University of Vermont is a nice place. Cold, wet, and windy, but nice. As we departed College Hill on Friday we prepared ourselves for the long treck through northern New England and an afternoon training session on the UVM campus..... We checked into the hotel on time and headed over to campus for a light training session before taking on the Catamounts the next day in a lunchtime showdown. We were well prepared to take on the home team but certainly not expecting an easy ride.... This is a team that had already won three games, including a significant victory over Stanford in an early season tournament.
Saturday was a much better weather day than Friday with the sun poking through the clouds and just a light breeze blowing in place of the blustery conditions that had greeted us the day before... The match kicked off and we immediately knew that we were going to have to stand-strong to cope with a team that was high in confidence and fully prepared to try to physically overpower us. Superior soccer was the order of the day for our boys and despite the home teams' attempts to unsettle us, we carved out the better openings of the half. Grandstrand was relatively untested...... Once again, it was that man Pops who came up with the first goal of the game as he exchanged passes with Tayls at the top of the box and chipped the home 'keeper from a tight angle. It was a truly excellent goal, better than anything Tevez has ever produced....
Scoring just before half-time is always a boost, and the boys entered the break in good spirits and ready to push on in the second-half. There were very few nervous moments in the second half to be fair, and the only real concern on the sidelines was ensuring that we stayed injury-free and didn't make a catastrophic mistake. The home team changed their shape in an attempt to assert more pressure, but our boys were alert to the shenanigans and coped comfortably. The game was put beyond doubt ten minutes from the end by Sean Rosa with a goal of the simplest nature. Grandstrand launched a kick deep into the UVM half of the field, Coleman flicked on with his head, and Sean just ran through and had the simplest of tasks to put the ball low into the corner. It was a complete contrast to the outstanding passing movement and finish of the first goal, but we didn't care.....
Late on, as UVM pushed forward more, Oki got in on the fun and was on the end of another long ball forward to score our third of the day. His initial shot was hit with such ferocity that the UVM 'keeper fell asleep while waiting for the ball to reach him and consequently Jon was able to follow-up and score the rebound while the custodian snoozed.......
Two road wins in a row now and two consecutive clean-sheets. League play is on the horizon. Columbia are coming to town......
Terriers Lost Their Bite....
Boston University 0-2 Brown
The euphoria that followed the Friday night win over Indiana was also tempered with the simple fact that we had to regroup and re-energize less than 48 hours later to face Boston University at Nickerson Field.
BU is a tricky opponent, a team with pace and power and playing on the “lovely” field-turf in Boston. The boys seemed well-prepared, and we knew that our squad depth would be tested to it’s limits as we took to the field. The home side were certainly ready-to-play, and were intent on rebounding from a bad loss at arch rival Boston College just a few days earlier.
Almost from the outset we got the sense that the pace of the game was going to be an issue for us. Lethargic would be an apt description for the first half-hour of play…. We survived a couple of scares with ball hitting our crossbar and another long-distance effort missing by inches with Grandstrand unsighted. It was to the bench that Laughlin went, and the introduction of four sets of fresh legs after a half-hour seemed to give the team the lift we needed.
Shortly before half-time the ball found its way to TJ Pops just inside the BU box and he swiveled to hit an unstoppable half-volley into the corner of the net. On the balance of play you could say it was less than we deserved at that stage of the game, BUT, you still have to finish your chances….. and Pops did….
As the second-half got underway Laughlin kept faith with the players who had ended the half so well, and it proved to be a masterstroke. Ten minutes into the second period Bobby “megged often” Belair made a late run into the box and planted a header beyond the reach of the Terriers keeper after a quality service by Jay from deep on the left wing.
At this point our energy levels seemed to increase further and the home side never really threatened with any real great chances. Once again, the defence stood firm, the midfield scrapped and battled, and our forwards continued to work their opponents hard, giving them no time on the ball.
Another shut-out for Grandstrand, another excellent performance in difficult circumstances, and not a bad way to end a weekend! Onwards to Vermont….
The euphoria that followed the Friday night win over Indiana was also tempered with the simple fact that we had to regroup and re-energize less than 48 hours later to face Boston University at Nickerson Field.
BU is a tricky opponent, a team with pace and power and playing on the “lovely” field-turf in Boston. The boys seemed well-prepared, and we knew that our squad depth would be tested to it’s limits as we took to the field. The home side were certainly ready-to-play, and were intent on rebounding from a bad loss at arch rival Boston College just a few days earlier.
Almost from the outset we got the sense that the pace of the game was going to be an issue for us. Lethargic would be an apt description for the first half-hour of play…. We survived a couple of scares with ball hitting our crossbar and another long-distance effort missing by inches with Grandstrand unsighted. It was to the bench that Laughlin went, and the introduction of four sets of fresh legs after a half-hour seemed to give the team the lift we needed.
Shortly before half-time the ball found its way to TJ Pops just inside the BU box and he swiveled to hit an unstoppable half-volley into the corner of the net. On the balance of play you could say it was less than we deserved at that stage of the game, BUT, you still have to finish your chances….. and Pops did….
As the second-half got underway Laughlin kept faith with the players who had ended the half so well, and it proved to be a masterstroke. Ten minutes into the second period Bobby “megged often” Belair made a late run into the box and planted a header beyond the reach of the Terriers keeper after a quality service by Jay from deep on the left wing.
At this point our energy levels seemed to increase further and the home side never really threatened with any real great chances. Once again, the defence stood firm, the midfield scrapped and battled, and our forwards continued to work their opponents hard, giving them no time on the ball.
Another shut-out for Grandstrand, another excellent performance in difficult circumstances, and not a bad way to end a weekend! Onwards to Vermont….
WHOosiers Defeated
Brown 2-1 Indiana
The marquee matchup of the season so far saw the visit of the infamous Indiana Hoosiers to Stevenson field. Having done our homework on this squad, we knew it was going to take a mighty effort on our part to secure a good result.
The match kicked-off in the cool autumn night with an unusually low crowd on College Hill. Although, as is always the case, the Brown student population began gathering just minutes into the match, and formed a raucous and supportive noise to cheer the boys along.
It was an end-to-end affair throughout the opening skirmishes of this contest, with both teams having a share of the ball and testing the defences. Both stood strong until the 15th minute, when a speculative effort from 25 yards was uncharacteristically fumbled by the previously robotically-efficient Grandstrand, and the Hoosiers #10 gleefully knocked the rebound goalwards. Despite a magnificent effort by Evan to clear the ball off the line, the linesman had already made his mind up and given the goal. 1-0 Hoosiers, and our first goal conceded on the season. Was it over the line? More irony to follow……
The first time a team concedes a goal can tell you much about the character and mental capabilities of that group. Do they go into a shell? Do they concede another goal quickly afterwards? Or do they respond with a determination to set the record straight and recover from the blip? Well, you can guess how these Bears responded….
Indiana were buoyed by the goal and played some decent stuff over the next 10-15 minutes, but our defence stood resolute, and slowly we started to exert pressure of our own. Gaps began to appear and the visiting ‘keeper made two excellent saves. Just before half-time it seemed that we’d leveled the match as Jay squeezed the ball over the line at the back post. However, the linesman had failed to see the ball clearly cross the line and Indiana hacked it clear. A 1-0 halftime deficit was a harsh reflection on 45 minutes that had seen these feisty Bears more than match their esteemed opponents…
The half-time talk wasn’t time for panic or screaming and yelling. Calm words from Coach Laughlin kept the boys on an even keel, and just a few minutes into the second half our pressure paid off as T-Mac buried a shot into the Indiana goal… The second half developed into a pulsating contest as both teams went for the game winner. Our boys enjoyed the lions share of possession for a 20 minute spell without getting that elusive goal….
Just as it seemed that the match was headed into extra time up popped our resident Canadian to grab the winner. As Sean bore down on goal he evaded the onrushing ‘keeper and squeezed a shot towards goal from an acute angle. Cue delirium….
As much as these Hoosiers huffed and puffed, Robertson, McDuff and the rest of our defensive unit stood strong and resolute. The final whistle blew and it was all over. The seven-time national champions departed college hill knowing that they had simply been beaten by the better team……
The marquee matchup of the season so far saw the visit of the infamous Indiana Hoosiers to Stevenson field. Having done our homework on this squad, we knew it was going to take a mighty effort on our part to secure a good result.
The match kicked-off in the cool autumn night with an unusually low crowd on College Hill. Although, as is always the case, the Brown student population began gathering just minutes into the match, and formed a raucous and supportive noise to cheer the boys along.
It was an end-to-end affair throughout the opening skirmishes of this contest, with both teams having a share of the ball and testing the defences. Both stood strong until the 15th minute, when a speculative effort from 25 yards was uncharacteristically fumbled by the previously robotically-efficient Grandstrand, and the Hoosiers #10 gleefully knocked the rebound goalwards. Despite a magnificent effort by Evan to clear the ball off the line, the linesman had already made his mind up and given the goal. 1-0 Hoosiers, and our first goal conceded on the season. Was it over the line? More irony to follow……
The first time a team concedes a goal can tell you much about the character and mental capabilities of that group. Do they go into a shell? Do they concede another goal quickly afterwards? Or do they respond with a determination to set the record straight and recover from the blip? Well, you can guess how these Bears responded….
Indiana were buoyed by the goal and played some decent stuff over the next 10-15 minutes, but our defence stood resolute, and slowly we started to exert pressure of our own. Gaps began to appear and the visiting ‘keeper made two excellent saves. Just before half-time it seemed that we’d leveled the match as Jay squeezed the ball over the line at the back post. However, the linesman had failed to see the ball clearly cross the line and Indiana hacked it clear. A 1-0 halftime deficit was a harsh reflection on 45 minutes that had seen these feisty Bears more than match their esteemed opponents…
The half-time talk wasn’t time for panic or screaming and yelling. Calm words from Coach Laughlin kept the boys on an even keel, and just a few minutes into the second half our pressure paid off as T-Mac buried a shot into the Indiana goal… The second half developed into a pulsating contest as both teams went for the game winner. Our boys enjoyed the lions share of possession for a 20 minute spell without getting that elusive goal….
Just as it seemed that the match was headed into extra time up popped our resident Canadian to grab the winner. As Sean bore down on goal he evaded the onrushing ‘keeper and squeezed a shot towards goal from an acute angle. Cue delirium….
As much as these Hoosiers huffed and puffed, Robertson, McDuff and the rest of our defensive unit stood strong and resolute. The final whistle blew and it was all over. The seven-time national champions departed college hill knowing that they had simply been beaten by the better team……
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