The Kumquat Ballet

Champions Again!

KUMQUATS: 2009 CHAMPIONS

Apologies to everyone for not posting last week - wait a minute... we're the freaking champions of Roseville Coed Thursday Outdoor Rec Soccer League Winter 2009... WE DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR NUTHIN!

So yes, the Kumquats are once again on top after we beat DOWN the Dye Hards last night 3-2 on a wonderful performance by the offense - the Kumquats looked like a nice, strong, cohesive unit out there, with Kelly Law scoring the games first goal off a great Nick Nutter serve, then Paul putting one in on a great combined offensive team play, then Nick putting what would be the eventual game winner right past the keeper from about 25 yards out - really a great effort on offense...

And the defense played really well... the score was technically 3-2, but really the last goal didn't count - they scored with literally two seconds left in the game and we had all pretty much resigned ourselves to winning at that point... That's not an excuse... I'm just saying...

Anyway, the defense played well, really only allowing two scoring opportunities - the first when a dude dribbled around half the team from midfield and was able to rifle a shot from about ten yards from the goal that went just to my right (near-post... yes, I'm kicking myself...) that tied the score in the first half 1-1, then they had one opportunity in the second half but it was just a great shot and both Kellie and Joe were in the way of the ball had it been on goal... but it wasn't, and that was the end of that...

Kelly law's goal is on par (maybe even better) than a goal Matt had last week - both headers, but Kelly's was an amazing, directional header during action (not off a corner, as was Matt's) which really got the team going...

The second goal was a product of great teamwork - the offense took the ball down to the opposing touch line, Kelly Law played a perfect pass to Nick Nutter, who could have taken a shot but instead made the keeper commit before lacing a pass to Paul who put the "penis ball" away (penis ball: a ball that makes it so easy to score a goal all you have to do it get your penis on the ball and it goes in...)

The third and eventual game winner was just a marvelous heads-up play: Matt had taken the keeper out by challenging him for a ball... The keeper claimed the ball was in his hands (it wasn't) and was angry that he wasn't afforded the usual keeper protection (that is, IF YOU HAVE THE BALL the other players should do everything they can to avoid contact) and then he got heated, said some things he shouldn't have and was handed a yellow card - at which point a substitute keeper came in, and Nick, recognizing the opportunity, peppered a shot from 25 yards that should have been a decent save, but instead ended up slipping past the diving keeper for a goal...

All in all a great way to end the season: we lost only once in the two seasons where we were twice champions, to the same team we beat for the championship both times... it's a great battle when we play them, but lucky we stand 2-1-1 against them, with the two wins both coming in championship games...

Well done, Kumquats...

Have a safe holiday and try not to miss us too much before we start next session after the new year...

KUMQUATS: 2009 CHAMPIONS!

Thursday Night Beatdown

We lost last night for the first time in two seasons... we lost badly, which is all I'm going to say about the score...

We lost to the Dye-Hards, who we always play close, and who, out of the last three times (not including last night) we've played them, we've tied them twice and beat them once - for the championship...

Last night things got ugly - the whole team was out of sync and it showed... Our being thoroughly beaten coupled with the classless and tasteless taunting of our team from the SIDELINES of the other team made for some drama, including Joe getting a yellow card, Matt screaming at the sidelines, Christie telling them to shut the h*** up and Chad looking to kick the ball along the sidelines as hard as he could into their reserve players... which he would have done (and trust me, Chad could do some damage that way) had it not been for a baby in the stands... Yes that's right folks, classless smack talk with a baby right there...

And it was a frenchman who was leading the charge, which made us want to beat him even more... He didn't play for them at all last night, but I can tell you this - if he steps onto the field the next time we play them, I fear for his femur...

That's not a threat, I just know that some people know how to hurt people and get away with it, and I know those some people well enough to accurately predict (not threaten) what's going to happen...