Tough Game at the Comets

The weather was pretty good and the field was not too bad - a great way to start Mothers Day!! We started the game well and were passing better than the comets but were still making too many simple mistakes. We wanted players to pass out wide and use the width of the field instead of taking on Cranbourne players on 1 v 1 all over the field. Then sometimes we found space and instead of attacking space we tried to shoot from too far out! It was frustrating to say the least - seeing we had the ball in our attacking half for about 80% of the first half.
When we follow instructions we play so much better - we keep the ball on the ground, pass in quickly from the corners to the penalty spot and finish hard! That is exactly how we scored our first - assisted by Daniel Barnett!
Liam Hayes finished a nice shot across the front of  the keeper who just managed to get finger tips to it with his outstretched hands - but athankfully could not get enough to deflect it away.
We had another goal denied with an amazing off side call but its no point complaining.
We went in with a 1-0 lead but had outplayed the opposition clearly.

The comets came out harder in the second half but we started to play more to the structure of the 4.3.3 with quick switching and using the width of the field more. We started to play some great football and gave our forwards many more good opportunities to score. Liam scored and Alec D scored and we got to a 3-0 lead and were working comfortably. They won a goal back when we allowed their big striker to run through and score 1 v 1 against our keeper.
We still have miles to go but that is of course expected. We need to work on opening up, passing and staying true to our structure. Our defenders need to work tighter and assist each other. We also need to come to training as every time we miss we fall a little behind.

Some of us will need to make the trip again down to the Comet ground for SSV games tomorrow!
It never ends!!

Glen Eira Select play Chelsea U12

Under 12 Magic

This weeks report is brought to you by the little Master - Georgie Perpina!

"Both Paul and I had the privilege of taking charge of the game his week, while the master coach is completing his training.  Congratulations Rob on having a piece of paper that tells you what we all knew; SUPER COACH!

Well we definitely had soccer weather; it was cold, windy and raining for most of the match.  The players felt it.  At half time, I was tying up shoe laces because fingers were too cold and wet to work properly.  Parents struggled as well, still trying to get used to the change in weather. Not as many towels, coats umbrellas as required, but we all managed well. It might be a good idea to pack an umbrella now in the car and also think about bringing a change of clothing and a plastic bag for the wet muddy stuff - or your car will smell like coach Robs vehicle - wet socks, boots and balls!

We did not have the best of starts, conceding a goal in the first 3 minutes.  Lack of concentration and shape, assisted in them scoring an easy goal.  To our credit though we did lift our intensity as we put pressure on the ball carrier.  Great work from Rolly to pounce at the right time and steal the ball. His move initiated the counter attack that saw a string of passes, with Daniel Barnett crossing the ball over to Liam Hayes for an easy header. It was a joy to watch and the part of the game that brings the crowd to cheering and clapping. The scores were 1-1 at half time.

Glen Eira like to keep possession and today was no exception.  While at times in the first half we were exposed, in the second half we saw a very committed defense that held strong throughout the match.  Equally we started to create more chances on the counter. We created chances through Callum, Liam Hayes, Daniel Alston and Robbie Nunez.  While we had less possession, we did look more likely to score when attacking.  We were finally rewarded with an awesome finish by Rolly early in the second half to put us ahead. The game was close, but that score was the final result. The Magic overcame a poor start and fought back with good soccer and ended the game 2-1 for our second win for the season.

While we all agree that the signs are positive, we still have heaps of room for improvement.  That means lots of work at training.

Thanks to our marshals and lines-persons, and very special thanks to Connor Hayes for an awesome job refereeing.

So my record stands at one win from one match, so happy to hand it back to the master."

Yes we have lots of work and we want to establish a strong defensive unit and will be working a lot on defensive shape in the coming weeks. It was great to have Victory players join in on our drills this past Thursday. They thought the drill was pretty cool and admired the way you guys set it up and participated.

This coming week we have a tough assignment - Casey Comets at their home ground - so all the way to the wet and wild location that is Cranbourne!

We will need to work really well as a team to be competitive - so ball movement will be our focus again as well as retaining defensive shape!