Not even a Firestorm of Suprema proportions could singe the icy will of the Titans.  Sunday's was a play in three distinct Acts. 

The Titans started the action with a show of possessive control and speedy attacking.  Try what they might the Firestorms defenders were never able to completely contain either Andrew in the middle or James on the wing.  Andrew trademark speed, strength, and skill led to the first Titans score.  Shortly thereafter, Vasco made a stylishly skillful run into the penalty area and deftly pushed the ball forward a nano-second before the defender's attempt at a tackle.  By missing the ball and getting a sizable piece of the Titans' beloved Brazilian the defender had, unwittingly, created no other option than for the referee to award the Titans a PK.  Vegas was tapped to attempt to convert the PK.  With a well placed shot to the right corner, the Titans netted their second on the day.  There ends Act I.

Act II opens with the Supremarians righteously angered and looking to exact revenge on the Titans.  By attacking enmasse the Firestorm was able to score a well-placed header followed shortly by a PK due to a trip in the Penalty Area.  Within 2 minutes the Titans' 30 minutes' hard work was nullified.  Shortly thereafter the referee's whistle blew for the simultaneous end of the half and Act II.

Act III, better known as the second half; began with the Firestorm pressing hard and the Titans defending harder.  The ball seemed destined to remain in the Titan's right hand defensive corner and did so for a good 15 minutes.  Once the Titans were able to clear the ball from their defensive zone, the game tilted in their favor.  Many attacking runs were made and two times the Titans were able to add to their tally.  Thus ending this dramatic episode with a 4-2 result.  The audience was duly entertained and wearied by the affair.

This Saturday saw the Blue Titans trekking north once again.  This trip was to face the Frederick FCF Academy team.  The ride and the weather were smooth, but the field was contrastingly bumpy and uneven.

 After only 10 minutes in the first half, Andrew opened the scoring by beating three, or was it four, defenders and finishing the play with a well placed shot to the back post.  Alas, 'twas not to be the Titans' day.  The sideline official had seen (rightly so) a hand to ball infraction by one of the defenders.  After some miscommunication between the side ref. and the center Arbitro (Spanish for Ref.), the goal was disallowed.  No reasonable explanation was given.  Perhaps Congress can adjourn a special commission to investigate ;)

From that point onward the tide seemed to turn, decidedly, against the Titans.  Although they played with their signature passing and controlling style they could not keep the large, aggressive, and pacey Academy players from overrunning their defenses on no less than 4 occasions. 

There was a bright spot in this otherwise difficult day.  On the last play of the game James was able to head home a goal to stave off the dreaded blanking of the Titans. 

 "Tomorrow will be a better day."  No truer prognostication has ever been uttered!

The Clash of the Titans was an epic affair.  Although no victor was crowned on this day, the specter of future "clashes" between cross-Potomac rivals DC Stoddert Blue Titans and McLean Green Titans promises to be both nerve-wracking and entertaining.  On this Sunday, both teams were aggressive, skillful, and coordinated in their attacking and defending.  McLean opened their account first on a nicely put together combination which caught a slightly lethargic Titans defense, on the back foot.  This first goal by the Green Titans appeared to awaken the true Titan spirit in the Blues.  Near to the halftime whistle, James and Jasper made perfectly timed runs into the penalty area to meet a nicely flighted corner kick.  Ultimately, it was the right boot of James who slammed home the first Blue Titans tally.

In the second stanza, both squads came out to do battle with a vengeance.  Many chances at both ends of the pitch went wide or were thwarted by defensive brilliance or poor field conditions.  That is until a nicely won defensive header by Vegas found its' way to the foot of Andrew who adroitly maneuvered for a shot which found the back of the net.  In the waining minutes the Green Titans were able to equalize with an equally impressive combination to bring the scoring on the day to its' 2-2 end.  If today is any indication this promises to be an enticing rivalry for the future.  I for one look forward to the next, "Clash of the Titans".

There was plenty of anticipation around the game as the ASC Fire arrived undefeated and alone in second place in the Division.  The first half ended in a stalemate with the Titans controlling most of the action and Brendan Rhim for the most part untested.  There was quite a bit of tension in recognizing that we missed multiple opportunities to take the lead.In the second half the Titans struck twice—led by Andrew Ferman—and the Defense held on—led by Brendan Rhim with several spectacular saves—for a 2-0 victory.

The Blue Titans had a great, albeit tiring weekend at the Discovery Cup.  Thanks to the boys tireless efforts they made it to the finals after beating a division rival, Herndon Athletic, in a spirited 3-1 battle.  In the final they were out hussled and set upon by a, shall we say, less than fair Referee :(  Nonetheless, they had their first taste of 11v11 play on quality fields.  All-in-All a positive experience.

Cheers to the players, the guest players, the coach, the parents and the organizers!