Kumquats vs. Dye-Hards

s most of you know, because of the craziness of election-time I haven't been able to play the whole season - I missed the first several games but had a suitable understudy in Tim - when I joined the team we were undefeated, and the team, with a few additions have been hitting our stride.

Last night we faced the Dye Hards, the team who beat us in the championship game last temorada. And let me say this, they've gotten better. They are fast and young and they PRACTICE (PRACTICE... talking about PRACTICE??) and yes, they have gotten better.

And we felt it in the first half, down 2-1. Taylor, who thank goodness has come back to us, scored on a nice breakaway where he dribbled the ball down the field, beat a few (read: all) players, including the keeper and but one in the onion bag. Their first goal was a simple case of a good shot in an opportune hole, and I was rusty so didn't get to the ball. And then the second was a case of miscommunication with me and the defense, again a case of being rusty and not playing in almost a month. I was not in a good mood at halftime...

But then the second half started, and we spent 40 minutes without anyone scoring - our shots were going 40 yards off target, while they had three good scoring opportunities that your's truly stopped - one with the help of Taylor, who in the greatest play we've seen this year (IMHO) bicycle-kicked a ball that I parried from boint blank range out of the goal to save it. It was pretty amazing - I made a great save, and Taylor made a BOMBASTIC save. The next save they had a breakaway, and I went one-on-one and come up with the ball. That always makes me feel good... like maybe I am not rusty, out-of-shape and old...

Out next two goals were incredible - with five minutes left in the game, Matt took the ball on the left sideline from Kel, dribbled the length of the field and played a beautiful ball into Conrad, who has put it right passed the keeper for the equalizer. It was incredibly played by Matt and Conrad both, and props to them.

The third goal I don't even know how it happened, except that with two minutes left, one of our new guys got a goal basically off of our tenacity and not wanting to go down with a tie. I love the win or lose, not tie, mentality.

The two minutes after that goal as scored, when we were up 3-2, were the longest two minutes in the history of soccer as the Dye Hards had three scoring opportunities, and the ref wasn't about the call the game on a scoring opportunity.

So we ended up winning 3-2 on a dewey, cold, gross, foggy, dense night.

KUMQUATS - we're awesome...