Apologies for the missed day. It has been a busy 48 hours. I'll do my best to bring you up to date.
Last I wrote, I referenced a UEFA football match that my teammates were considering going to in Tel Aviv. I didn't want to go b/c of the long trip to TA. However, my info was wrong. The game was in Haifa at the stadium of Maccabi Haifa, the reigning champions of the Israeli Premier League. The game was a play-in for Champions League against the winners of the Northern Ireland league. Since it was so close by, I went after all.
The tickets were pretty expensive, around $40 - but that was because the game was for Champions League play. We all sat more or less at field level at about the 18 yard line, very good seats. The stadium was filled and full of cheer and chants. The main supporters section was across the field on the opposite side, diagonally from our location. The entire section from top to bottom and about 50 seats across was up and chanting in unison the entire game. The entire stadium was clad in green, the main color of Maccabi Haifa. Sometimes, the two sides of the stadium would engage in interactive call and response chants or songs. I've been to euro soccer games before, so I have experienced professional football matches, but it is always uplifting and chilling to be in the middle of the chants, even if I dont understand what they are saying (even when it is in english).
The game was completely one-sided, with the Israeli team destroying the Irish team, 6-0. I leafed though the game day brochure and made quick notice that none of the players were born before 1981, yet another sobering realization of my aging status. One player was born in 1992, a fact that made me simply slump in my chair. But, these players were very good, so fast and fit and technical. The crowd was in a great mood due to the lopsided score. We took taxis back to the hotel after the game and settled in to rest for the next day's crucial match against Mexico.
The next morning we had a team meeting in the morning to go over the plans for the Mexico game. Coach announced that we would use a 4-4-2 formation, with me playing right back. However, I was to have very offensive responsibilities, pushing up into the midfield offensively to leave the man marking responsibilities to the other 3 defenders. My job was to become an offensive option and to cut off passes into the midfield and clog up transition for the Mexicans. So, I had a lot of running ahead of me and I needed to be alert and proactive so I could anticipate and read Mexico's outlet passing out of the back, as well as resume normal defensive responsibility's if the Mexican's breached our midfield pressure. We were all pumped for the game, although I sensed a mixture of tension as well. This was a must-win scenario if we wanted to continue for medal contention. Also, this game was at 4:00, earlier than the other games, so the sun and heat would play a part.
As with the other gamedays, the day went quickly. I stayed in the hotel lobby and stole some free wi-fi for awhile, before leaving to get my ankle taped for the game. We left the hotel around 2:30 and went to the field. We played at the same field where we played Great Britain. The Mexican team shares the same hotel as us, so we all went to the field at the same time (although, smartly, on separate buses).
At the field, we had our standard warm up routine. We streched, kicked the ball around and played small sided, two-touch games. When the game was ready to begin, both teams' starting 11 lined up side by side in the corner with the referee and linesmen in the front, followed by each team's captain, the goalkeeper, and then the rest of the team. Some sort of official sounding song started and we walked out to the center circle. When we reached the center circle, the teams lined up in a flat line, with the referee and linesmen in the center. We all saluted the supporters sitting in the side of the stadium we were facing, then turned around and saluted the supporter sitting in the other side. Then each team walked past each other, shaking hands and giving best wishes, before sprinting out to our positions in the field. It was done just like a professional match, which I think is pretty damn cool. All of our matches had the same start, something I forgot to mention.
The game started well for the US. We were controlling play and applying high pressure to the Mexicans. The first 10 minutes, especially, were good for the US. After that, the game seemed to settle and become a more even affair. The Mexicans were not particularly fit or fast, or even that technical, but the clearly played well as a team and had high familiarity, something that we sort of lacked. It's hard to pull together a team from across the US. The Mexicans all live in Mexico City and have known eachother for years, so each player knows how the other tends to touch the ball, his strengths and weaknesses, etc. They also had 2-3 more technical/clinical players around the goal who could hold the ball and get a good shot off. Their goalie was small and not good, but their 2 central defenders were very, very big and good in the air.
Nonetheless, we needed to play with more urgency, since a tie would not be good enough. We had to play for the win and get goals. Then, at about the 20 minute mark, bad things happened. A Mexican forward got into the box and was tripped up by a defender and was awarded a penalty kick. There was no argument from the US side. However, our keeper improbably saved the penalty kick, which lifted our morale and kept us in the game.
About 4 minutes later, the Mexicans had a free kick into our penalty box, which we cleared. A Mexican player collected the clearance and passed a looping ball to a forward on the left side of the box. The ball was played perfectly over the head of the defender (in this case, not me), and the forward was able to collect the pass and touch it well, slotting it in the opposite corner. Mexico -1, US -0.
We tried not let the goal get us down, although the uphill battle just became harder. We started to play with more urgency and higher pressure. About 10 minutes later, Mexico had a throw in from about 25-30 yards out, The man I was marking made a run to the ball to get the throw in, and I followed him, goal side. As the throw in came to my man, I saw an opportunity to step in front of him to attempt the steal. I took the chance, but the ball was moving off the throw a bit faster than I anticipated and it flew past my leg. My man also did a good job of bumping/shielding me from making the intercept. My man then wheeled around and on the first touch off the bounce blasted a 20-25 yard shot in to the roof of the goal. Mexico-2, US-1. I could only feel disappointment.
We entered halftime down 2-0, an almost impossible task ahead of us. We agreed to take it one goal at a time, rather than look at it as a 3 goal battle. The second half started looking for the goal that would begin the comeback. As in the first half, we started the half strong, keeping the ball in the Mexican half, working the ball around and looking for our chances. We could not get a good shot, though, and the clock kept ticking. The Mexicans were able to get a few counterattacks here and there, but we did a good job keeping them in check. Then, at about15 minutes into the second half, a Mexican forward was played a counterattack long ball which he was able to run down in the corner and bring into the box. A trailing US player chased him down and caught up, but the Mexican dragged the ball in front of the US player, tripping over his foot. The ref called another penalty shot. We were really feeling like this wasn't our day. 2 penalties is pretty rare, and our luck was running out. The Mexicans had a different player take this kick and this time...our goalkeeper made another save! David Bannick, penalty saver extraordinaire. We were still down 2-0, but it could be worse if not for Dave's fantastic heroics.
The game continued, but to the Mexican's credit, we couldn't get any dangerous shots in. Then, at about 7 minutes left, the Mexican's had a throw in from the US corner. The ball was thrown to a Mexican player in the box, who tried to pivot and turn off his marker. All of a sudden, the ref came running in calling ANOTHER penalty! Unbelievable. 3 penalties is nearly unheard of. At this point, we knew that the game wasnt meant to be and asking any more of our goalkeeper was too much. This time, Dave had no more heroics left and the Mexican's were able to convert the penalty. The game ended soon after.
Everyone on the team was disappointed in the result and what it meant. As a result of this loss, we are now out of medal contention. We will continue in a mini-tourney amongst the third place teams from each bracket, the "UEFA Cup" tourney to the "Champions League" tourney that the Mexicans and Brits will play in for the medal rounds. We were all feeling bad because we knew that the score was not inicative of the difference between the teams and also because we knew we could do better in the tournament. In retrospect, the 1-0 loss to GB in injury time in our first game ended up being a real difference. Had we tied GB, or won that match, it would have helped a lot. But, that's soccer - no could haves or would haves allowed. Now, we have 2 more games to go, 1 on Sunday and 1 on Tuesday.
I was pretty spent after the match. I have played quite a bit here and there's been a lot of running and high-concentration. On a personal level, I am disappointed with these results and our failure to advance for the medals. I think I have played solidly, but I tend to only think about what I've done wrong or what else I could have done to be a more impactful player. Physically, the games are demanding and I have been giving whatever I have. The playing time I have received and the words of my teammates have been a nice recognition that I am a key member of the squad (although everyone has made a contribution), but I know that there is more that I could give. I will use these last 2 games to give whatever else I have left...and maybe have a goal to speak of.
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