Firstly a special thank you to Doreen MacSween for the endless hours of prep to organize our trouble-free weekend.
We accomplished our primary goal for the weekend - bringing our team closer together in a fun social/soccer environment.
A reminder to all that our team relationships require continuous attention, patience, compromise, trust and unconditional love.
The ongoing state of our relationships requires hard work at both the parent and player level and will have EVERYTHING to do with our season success.
I am counting on everyone to keep each of us on a high through thick and thin.
A special thank you to our players and parents who served as excellent ambassadors with a quality, classy example at the hotel and on the fields.
We played three games on the grass in preparation for the show.
Our opening game against an academy team based in Oakville was a very slow start and a good lesson in what happens if we dont start to play until the last 5 minutes.
We were fortunate to scrape out of this game down 0-1 and unfortunate that we didnt rescue a tie in the dying minutes.
This was a quality team and reasonably representative of what you will see in our league this summer.
The loss here cost us our opportunity to play a higher quality semi-final and earn a chance in a final fourth game.
The second game brought the U16 (young end) of the U16/U17 Lady Lynx Jr. academy team to the field.
A hapless premier div equivalent team, now coached by the past provincial coach for our age group for the past two years.
We won the game 7-1 quite easily but our team soccer skill display was terrible.
We must stay disciplined in our focus for good soccer and a possession game.
The Lynx are in for a very long, and unrewarding season.
Our final game in this punitive tournament format brought the Rochester Jr. Rhinos academy team to the field.
This is the B team for the academy and probably best suited to play against the Lynx.
We ended our tournament play on a positive note with much improved discipline on the field and secured a 7-0 win while playing good soccer for the most part.
As far as the tournament format/organization was concerned I wasnt particularly impressed.
Far too many Canadian local teams in the field and far too few local quality teams in the competition.
We need to find out where the premier events are that draw the top teams in the area. This event is not one of them obviously.
The event was played on the facilitys secondary fields while the better fields sat unused.
I can still taste the blowing ball diamond dirt.
The tournament format was strange and only catered to perfect performance and a fortunate draw.
If there were any scouts at this event (during our play) they were invisible and in the form of field mice.
Photos please forward your photos from the weekend via CD or email) we have lots Im sure. Ill bundle everything up and distribute a CD with all of them to everyone.
I have a pair of small track pants in my car left behind at the field.
Our league schedule will be out on Friday night and well distribute copies on Saturday at training.
Because of the Sat rain forecast I will look for an indoor option, but regardless we will go ahead with the session from 9-12.
BT
North Miss - 2 Erin Mills - 0
Saturday's game was one of those events that every coach has to sit back and reflect on what happened.
North Mississauga wanted this game in a very bad way.
They set out to intimidate our team and they succeeded.
NM wanted this game so badly that the Club Head Coach was on the bench. Their cheers after the game were uncharacteristic for them.
They are usually quiet in their victories since they are "expected".
Before the game there was a lot of subtle stuff going on in the hallways outside of our change room.
NM was unusually loud with their hallway warm-up routines. They also took up most of the hallway preventing others from sharing the space.
On the field before the game NM were once again louder and more animated than usual.
NM were determined to be better mentally prepared than us and at the same time make sure we knew it.
Your coach takes full responsibility for letting you go into this game with the candles burning low.
Every game, whether we win or lose, must teach us something.
The Mental Game
Firstly, we must all learn to be stronger in our mental game.
You are all quality, skilled soccer athletes, but these skills cannot shine if your emotions get out of control.
In this game we were more worried about losing the contest than we were about taking charge and doing the job.
As we got off our focus we started backing off, applying less pressure on the ball and late pressure. We had to work too hard chasing the ball.
Several started getting emotional which further reduced focus, distracted others and gave a great deal of strength to NM who got the satisfaction of watching us come unglued.
Strategically, NM did nothing differently in their game from our first meeting. We simply let them play their game and let them get our goat.
Success from the corners
If we recall our few quality opportunities, they came from set plays originating deep in the NM end.
We did this effectively in our first game against NM.
Our front line attack group continues to ignore our game plan change to work the ball into the corners, open up the defensive shape and pull the ball back.
I don't know what it is going to take, but perhaps we may have to start moving players into new positions around the field until we find the right group that will make it work.
One goal in 4 games has to send a clear message to all that we have to change our game approach.
What we are doing DOES NOT WORK.
No one can change this alone. We must have quality ball movement on the attack from the corners.
Stepping Up
When we back off opponents we lose the opportunity to win the ball first and allow 1v1 situations to happen.
This is more work than just stepping up and taking it first.
Opponent strikers who have 10 yards between them and our defenders, are allowed to function as midfield support. They have a tremendous advantage to control the game flow.
Blocking Free Kicks
A large number of free kicks from NM went unblocked. The nearest player must interfere with play at the 3 yard distance anywhere on the field.
Anticipating Player Movement
If I did dwell on one thing before the game it was concentrating on where opponents are going and not where they are.
We did this exceptionally well in our first game.
Overall we did a poor job on this fundamental game strategy on Saturday all over the field.
It was most noticeable in our own goal area where, time and time again, first touch went to NM because we didn't see them coming.
We must fight to get every ball first - one way or another.
1 V 1 Battles
Usually we are effective in our 1 v 1 battles. (if we allow them to happen).
Saturday saw many, many battles lost.
We must win the majority of our 1 v 1's to effectively contribute on the field.
What's Been Learned?
Our indoor training and competition is a training exercise for the "real game" on the grass.
Indoor helps put personal skill development under a microscope and demands quality 3 v 3 ball movement on the field.
Indoor competition is intended to help you keep your competitive mind alive.
I am ready to accept defeat in any game where we are beaten by superior skill.
It is unacceptable to suffer defeat from self-inflicted mental lapses.
Everyone must understand that this situation must never return to this team.
I am counting on more leadership from each and every one of you in the locker room, on the field and in our training.
I am counting on each of you to pay more attention to your team mates than your "self".
It is time to get "mad' at yourself and promise that no one will ever get your goat again.
What's Happened?
You lost an indoor soccer game - no big deal.
You lost your first competitive game in a very long time - people who sell insurance would say you were overdue. You are human.
You learned that you have to be mentally tough - all of the time - dig deep and help your team mates rise to the occasion.
You have 5 more indoor games to show yourselves you are mentally ready for outdoor.
