A Sensational Weekend

In my 22 years of coaching soccer, I have never been more proud of the performance of my team. In tournaments this season, we have continually played teams 1 year older than ourselves and this weekend was no exception. We played all the games in Fairfield without any available players on our bench. With all that going against the team, they played with spectacular skill and with tremendous heart. Even though we took only second place it was a remarkable weekend.

Oscar made so many outstanding saves in goal. Mike Pieri played a very clever game even though suffering with a cracked rib. Matt was forced to play as a wing defender and he looked like an all-star in that position. Justin was the talk of the tournament with his power and incredible long throws. Jordan put on a show with his quickness and unmatched dribbling skill. Marwan rejoined the team after a year off and never looked a bit tired. Jeffrey really performed well all weekend and had perhaps the best assist of the weekend. Mitch was really solid playing sweeper most of the weekend but also provided a picture perfect service on a free kick resulting in a great header goal by Justin. Ryan played huge in the back line and in the midfield with speed, aggressiveness and some punishing tackles. Dylan terrorized our opponents defenses with his skill and finishing ability (4 goals). Lothar and I were extremely impressed with the contribution of Jeremy and Kenny all weekend. Kenny could not play because of a severe ankle injury but he was a big part of the success of the team with his support and encouragement. Jeremy tried to play part of the first and final game but he clearly was pain. Hopefully, both he and Kenny will recover from their injuries before the high school season gets in full gear. It was a great weekend and everyone that saw our team play was thoroughly impressed. Congratulations Guys.