I am sorry it took me so long to get these posted but I have been traveling. I know, I know, where are my priorities!!
Also, this will not be a popular post given the level of play witnessed on Sunday. Sorry if I offend anyone but hey, just reporting on what I saw.
The Emerald City squad just flat-out outplayed the Sodium girls today to hand them their second and final loss of the Chinook Cup 3-0.
Afterwards Tom stated that he was more disappointed with the effort he saw on the field than the loss itself. It was very apparent that the girls were just not there today. I will have to tip my hat to the Sodium defense for not letting it get any worse than 3-0. Erika Cook, Alexis Frey, Taylor Coon and Camille Fairbairn battled all day as Emerald City just kept penetrating then dropping the ball back & firing at will.
There was a lot of standing around and no 'Team Defense' that Tom has been working on all season. I will admit that with so many guest players it's hard to gel but their was really no excuse for the lackluster effort we witnessed on Sunday.
Heads up ladies. You can't expect to win every game or every tournament. You can though, expect a little more from each other. All day I heard yells from the defense for the mids and forwards to pick up the "drops" but never saw any effort to do so. You are a team. You win as a team, you lose as a team. You go into battle expecting to have someone there to cover your back so you can give 100% without hesitation. From the sidelines, we didn't see that today. We have witnessed it in the past and we will see it again in the near future. You are a great team with great players. Every great team experiences 'bumps' and we can chalk this up to one. But the important thing here is that we learn. We learn from this that when you, as an individual, are unwilling to give 100% for the team, the entire team suffers. Remember; If it is to be, it's up to me? Sodium is not, like other teams, blessed with one or two stand-out players that carry the team. We are a cohesive unit that needs to play at an elevated level. We need every position to give it there all to be champions. Sodium relies on the entire team to win, not one or two specific players. That means that we ALL must give 100% at every position, every game, every practice. And you will, because you are Sodium and that is 'Sodium Style'.
Overall I will applaud the guest players who came out and gave a great effort this weekend. THANK YOU ladies for playing for us, you did a great job and I'm sure you will get calls in the future should the situation arise again!
Next Up:
A break from the action.
GO SODIUM!!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Chinook Cup Results: Day 3
vs FWU Reign Purple (early game)
The Reign came down Saturday morning as the powerhouse team from Washington handed Sodium their first defeat in 10 games. The win streak was snapped as a Purple forward floated a shot just out of the Sodium keepers reach to break the 1-1 tie late in the game. Hannah Lautenbach scored Sodium's only goal off a Jadyn McMillan shot deflection. As with most of the games, Sodium out-shot their opponent 3 to 1.
vs Columbia Timbers Red (late game)
The Washington teams are proving to be big, fast and pretty skilled. The lady warriors battled the Timbers Red squad all night. Physical play was the norm as bodies hit the turf and the rookie officiating staff had it's hands full. Just before half Laura Camp lined up another deadly corner kick. She took aim and lifted a perfect shot as the Sodium players crashed the net. Camp's shot proved to be accurate as it caught the net just inside the far post for what would later prove to be the winning goal!
With the guest players giving it their all the Sodium squad is playing pretty well. The next opponent, Emerald City, was with Sodium in Hawaii representing Washington and should prove to be a worthy foe.
GO SODIUM!
The Reign came down Saturday morning as the powerhouse team from Washington handed Sodium their first defeat in 10 games. The win streak was snapped as a Purple forward floated a shot just out of the Sodium keepers reach to break the 1-1 tie late in the game. Hannah Lautenbach scored Sodium's only goal off a Jadyn McMillan shot deflection. As with most of the games, Sodium out-shot their opponent 3 to 1.
vs Columbia Timbers Red (late game)
The Washington teams are proving to be big, fast and pretty skilled. The lady warriors battled the Timbers Red squad all night. Physical play was the norm as bodies hit the turf and the rookie officiating staff had it's hands full. Just before half Laura Camp lined up another deadly corner kick. She took aim and lifted a perfect shot as the Sodium players crashed the net. Camp's shot proved to be accurate as it caught the net just inside the far post for what would later prove to be the winning goal!
With the guest players giving it their all the Sodium squad is playing pretty well. The next opponent, Emerald City, was with Sodium in Hawaii representing Washington and should prove to be a worthy foe.
GO SODIUM!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Chinook Cup Results: Day 2
Wow, the Synergy FC Morse is HUGE! Do you think that bothered the lady warriors, not hardly.
Sodium fought a courageous battle against a worthy foe this afternoon. The Synergy was big, physical and had a couple players with tremendous skills. "Oh well" was the reaction from our defense. They shut the Synergy team down all game. Just once did Sodium allow penetration and a score. The midfield play was great, the forwards had the Synergy defense on their heels all day. You have got to love the patience of a championship team. Sodium hammered and hammered and hammered at the goal. The methods Sodium use to traditionally score weren't working so, what do the forwards & mids do? IMPROVISE! If we can't score like we always do, we'll find another way! After a scoreless the first half the play resumed as it had left off, in the Synergy side of the field. In the first minutes Laura Camp ripped a corner kick that was just too hot for the Synergy keeper to handle as it blistered the back of the net. At the mid-way point Payten Sonnen found herself cut off deep on the familiar right side, what does she do? She gives a perfect feed to a waiting Taylor Moscoe who ripped the net on the far post from 20+ yards! Spectacular! That score broke the tie and gave Sodium the advantage. Were they finished? NO WAY! Again, Laura Camp found herself in the coffin corner for a corner kick. Again, perfect. The kick floated into the box where a hustling Hannah Lautenbach was there for the header finish! The crowd went wild! A 3-1 victory! Sodium had won their second match in as many days!
The most impressive statistic you ask? The fact that Sodium is missing a ton of girls and this is the first time this group has ever taken the field, EVER. Sodium is comprised of original team members, players from Lexi Frey's old team the Eugene Magic and from our own U12 Mercury team. THAT folks, makes these victories even more impressive AND sweet!
Great job ladies!
Back Side Run
This is where I get to editorialize for a minute.
From a reliable source I understand the Synergy coach (with clipboard in hand) and a couple of their players were at the Sodium vs Courage game yesterday. They left early with the coach saying; "No problem from these guys." (or something like that) I personally LOVE to be underestimated! Makes victory so sweet!
Secondly, I have to give some special thanks to our gust players.
Eugene Magic - Ashley, Aubrey & Lauren.
THUSC Mercury - Lindsay & Jamie.
These guys came out today and played their hearts out. How many girls would give everything to play with a repeat State Championship team? They didn't have to give 100%, they didn't have to put up with the abuse from the Synergy team, but they did. What does that tell you Sodium? It's all about respect. It's about going out there on the field and giving everything you have. Whether it's for your own team or with a team you're going to be playing against in regular season. It's all about the love of the game and your team. A heartfelt 'THANK YOU' goes out to these ladies, these lady warriors.
Next Up:
Cooks Park #3 - Victim Unknown @ 10:30AM
3PM - Location TBD - Victim Unknown
GO SODIUM!
Sodium fought a courageous battle against a worthy foe this afternoon. The Synergy was big, physical and had a couple players with tremendous skills. "Oh well" was the reaction from our defense. They shut the Synergy team down all game. Just once did Sodium allow penetration and a score. The midfield play was great, the forwards had the Synergy defense on their heels all day. You have got to love the patience of a championship team. Sodium hammered and hammered and hammered at the goal. The methods Sodium use to traditionally score weren't working so, what do the forwards & mids do? IMPROVISE! If we can't score like we always do, we'll find another way! After a scoreless the first half the play resumed as it had left off, in the Synergy side of the field. In the first minutes Laura Camp ripped a corner kick that was just too hot for the Synergy keeper to handle as it blistered the back of the net. At the mid-way point Payten Sonnen found herself cut off deep on the familiar right side, what does she do? She gives a perfect feed to a waiting Taylor Moscoe who ripped the net on the far post from 20+ yards! Spectacular! That score broke the tie and gave Sodium the advantage. Were they finished? NO WAY! Again, Laura Camp found herself in the coffin corner for a corner kick. Again, perfect. The kick floated into the box where a hustling Hannah Lautenbach was there for the header finish! The crowd went wild! A 3-1 victory! Sodium had won their second match in as many days!
The most impressive statistic you ask? The fact that Sodium is missing a ton of girls and this is the first time this group has ever taken the field, EVER. Sodium is comprised of original team members, players from Lexi Frey's old team the Eugene Magic and from our own U12 Mercury team. THAT folks, makes these victories even more impressive AND sweet!
Great job ladies!
Back Side Run
This is where I get to editorialize for a minute.
From a reliable source I understand the Synergy coach (with clipboard in hand) and a couple of their players were at the Sodium vs Courage game yesterday. They left early with the coach saying; "No problem from these guys." (or something like that) I personally LOVE to be underestimated! Makes victory so sweet!
Secondly, I have to give some special thanks to our gust players.
Eugene Magic - Ashley, Aubrey & Lauren.
THUSC Mercury - Lindsay & Jamie.
These guys came out today and played their hearts out. How many girls would give everything to play with a repeat State Championship team? They didn't have to give 100%, they didn't have to put up with the abuse from the Synergy team, but they did. What does that tell you Sodium? It's all about respect. It's about going out there on the field and giving everything you have. Whether it's for your own team or with a team you're going to be playing against in regular season. It's all about the love of the game and your team. A heartfelt 'THANK YOU' goes out to these ladies, these lady warriors.
Next Up:
Cooks Park #3 - Victim Unknown @ 10:30AM
3PM - Location TBD - Victim Unknown
GO SODIUM!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Chinook Cup Results: Day 1
The lady warriors defeated their first opponent, WSA Courage, in the first game of the Chinook Cup. Even though I wasn't there I'm sure Sodium took it to them from the opening whistle.
Next Up:
vs Synergy FC Morse (lost 3-2 to ESU Arsenal) @ Cook Park #4 - @ Noon Friday 8/22
GO SODIUM!
Next Up:
vs Synergy FC Morse (lost 3-2 to ESU Arsenal) @ Cook Park #4 - @ Noon Friday 8/22
GO SODIUM!
US Woman Bring Home GOLD!
Early this morning the US Women's Soccer Team beat Brazil 1-0 to bring home the GOLD MEDAL!
Congratulations to the girls!!
USA, USA, USA, USA!!!
Congratulations to the girls!!
USA, USA, USA, USA!!!
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