SGV Pistons Thrill Soccer Fans at the 2006 Temecula Tournament.

SGV Pistons shared their brand of soccer in all its entertainment glory with soccer fans in the Temecula, California area the weekend of December 9 & 10. We’ve looked forward to this tournament since our successful campaign in Ventura four long months earlier.

As usual, SGV Pistons played in the Women’s Open Category – the toughest category available. Opening Day, Saturday, stamped our soccer brand emphatically on our group. Exhibiting discipline in all positions and fluidly moving the ball among players, we shut out our opposition in the day’s two games.

Arizona Women’s Soccer Club

Our first game kicked off at 9 am. Not much was known about Arizona other than the little I garnered from their web site that they’re similar to our WSOSGV. I held Diana, a proven explosive striker on either foot, out of the starting line up and got the opposition to calibrate to our deliberate easy pace of ball movement.

We got some close chances, including some impressive long range shots, but no goals until we made our first bunch of substitutions after ten minutes. Diana’s first touch on the ball, a goal! Actually, her second touch – first touch was a neat touch to wrong foot the challenger.

Sarah T was in position to blast home a mishandled ball to take us to half-time with a 2-goal lead.

Second half, Jessica’s low corner kick simply slithered its way into the far corner of the goal – 3-0, and then Thalia provided a dazzling run on the right wing to cut the ball back into the path of Sarah T – 4-0!

Our highly anticipated second game wasn’t until 3 pm. Blitz is highly ranked in the WSOSGV league and the players were relatively familiar with one another.

In between the wait, I played on Ralph’s 40+ men’s team, Asylum. We tied the first game 2-2 and dropped the second 2-3. I actually nearly had a glorious moment when the opposition defence all stayed at the half way line for our goal-kick and watched me go deep into their half saying, “let him go, goal-kicks are not allowed beyond the half-way line.”

Sam received our short goal-kick and sent a long ball over my head left side of the field. From the corner of my eye, I saw the goalie’s neon yellow jersey come off his line, beat him to the ball, flicked it over him toward the goal, and watched it bounce painfully, like in slow motion, past the far post.

Blitz!

Lovely ladies – each and everyone of them. I actually scrimmaged with some of them in the past, and Ari introduced Sarah, one of their competent players to me after our men’s second game. I wished her luck in their games Sunday.

We took the field at full strength with strategic coaching instructions that included shutting down their particularly difficult striker. Kristen H humbly took on this task and exquisitely delivered. Did she ever! Drawing a yellow card at the early stage of the encounter, she didn’t let up and totally pocketed the striker both halves in spite of the latter’s obviously talented ways.

The game nearly took a scary turn for us in the opening minutes when the free-kick off the yellow card zipped just past the uncovered side of our goal. Eighth minute, Sarah T playing on the right flank, beat the defence with room to spare and had time to look up to find Diana with a low cross back door – 1-0 SGV Pistons!

In the second half, Sherisse launched a quick ball and Blitz defender’s awkward header fell in the path of Sarah T, and she was off to the races. She settled the ball and with speed married with soft touches she drew the goalie out and neatly tucked the ball under her for 2-0. Now I could exhale. I gave Paige a break as sweeper and put Diana in to secure our lead.

Our 3^rd goal (yes, we weren’t done quite yet) was a thing of beauty and it was a sequence of “never say die” plays. Hannah chased down a loose ball and slashed it to the top of the box. Amanda's blast at the goal was too hot to handle and Sarah T picked the goalie’s pocket just inside the 6-yard box close to the goal line. She turned and found Kristen R with a low cross for an easy finish.

3-zip...well-earned victory! Enjoy the video clip.

Sunday – Day 2

Re-Focused (Orange County)

9 am game and our earliest goal of the tournament came from Jessica. Under a minute into the game, Hannah beautifully threaded in a through ball for Thalia. Her shot ricocheted off the scrambling goalie and in the ensuing melee, Jessica fought hard to toe in the ball.

Diana got our second goal a couple of minutes before the end of the half.

2^nd minute of the second half, Re-Focused got one back from a volley off a free-kick into our box. In the 6^th minute, a scramble in our box resulted in an own goal – 2-2. The heart of our team showed in our relentless battling spirit. We fought on and in the 14^th minute, Sarah T was brought down in the box. Diana neatly tucked in the spot kick to give us the game 3-2.

At our 12 noon game versus Fury (La Mirada), we picked up the pace. In the 9^th minute, Diana latched on to Kristen R’s timely through ball and with practised composure, easily picked her spot for our first goal.

It stayed 1-0 until just before full time when our Columbian Connection struck. Thalia gently lobbed the ball into the box and Margarita was there for a glancing header into the far corner of the net. 2-0 to play in the finals versus SD Comets.

While waiting for the ladies final match, I got the opportunity to play in the 40+ semi-final. Moment of glory as I was yanked from behind after beating a defender in the box. I accepted the honor of taking the penalty kick myself. Neatly faking to the goalie's left, the goalie was rooted as the ball nestled the inside of the right post...sweeeet! I called over to the SGV Pistons ladies providing support from the sidelines "that one's for you!"

Back to the ladies' game...San Diego Comets had steamrolled through the tournament acquiring an intimidating stat of 27 goals while conceding none. Both teams mutually agreed to get the final game started at 3 instead of the scheduled 5.

Per this game, if I could get on the high mountains and sing praises of the ladies of SGV Pistons, I would! On account of the team’s recognition of the need to fight for and win all balls, these amazing ladies threw everything at the opposition. We blazed up to three shots at their goal before they ventured into our half. Great job, ladies.

SD Comets scored in the 12^th minute with a ferocious shot from just inside the box. AJ had no chance. They scored again in the 16^th minute off a penalty kick. The game ended 0-2 and we came home with the second place trophy.

Fantastic tournament, ladies. I’m immensely proud of each and everyone of all 16 of you! We certainly can build on this performance.

Huge thanks to families and friends who came out to support the team. Your presence threw much excitement into the tournament for us all. Enjoy our video clips online on Google Video and YouTube.

There're some curious bothersome coincidences that we’ve got to shake as we look to 2007. In our last three tourneys, we’ve made it to the championship game and lost all three 0-2. Of more concern is the fact that we’ve brought back some sort of injury in spite of the clean brand of soccer for which we’re renowned. This time it was Kristen H who injured her finger. Get better, Kleen!

Congratulations, SGV Pistons! Merry and purposeful Christmas and a Happy New Year. I appreciate you all.

Bolaji

December 10, 2006

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