SuperFriends won tonight. And in the game, I received a yellow card for “slide tackling.”
If it was indeed a slide tackle, it must have been the wimpiest one ever. A member of the opposing team brought down a long ball along the touchline very near our goal as we were changing keepers (the referees failed to pause the game momentarily so we could make the switch), so to give us a little more time, I tackled the ball out of bounds, safely stepping in front of Eric with a little nudge and toeing the ball out. In the process, I ended up on my knees, with Eric pushing me down a little bit; the next thing I knew, the clueless little blond ref that was officiating that sideline blew her whistle at me, pulled out a yellow card, called me for slide tackling, and directed me off the field until the next substitution. I tried to politely and civilly argue the call, because I could tell I had played soccer for longer than she had known about the sport. She was not to be swayed though, and since there would be no point to try to argue my case with the clueless official, I trotted off the field momentarily and Matt jumped in for me. Within the next minute or so, I was back in the game, and it was “all better.” But yes, we did finally win, and quite substantially, too. I believe the final score was about 7-0; Matt scored two quick goals back-to-back, Brendan converted a nice weaving run through the other team's defensive third, Stevo nailed one, Sullivan tallied one goal (worth two points, since she is a girl...sounds like gender equality to me; guys' goals are worth one point, girls', two), and after Stephen took over the goalkeeper position from Jason, he knocked one more into the net to wrap up the scoring summary. I think next week we may have a bye, and then we have a make-up game at some point for our first game, which was rained out. If we win this last one, we can advance to playoffs, otherwise, we are done for the season.
And in other news, I did not do nearly as well as I felt I should have on my AC310 exam: 93. Still an A, but nowhere near what I confidently assumed I had scored. Tomorrow I have my AC371 test, so I shall see how that goes.

This is so incredible! My girlfriend is going to see Barcelona play the Edinburgh Hearts this afternoon in an international club football match extraordinary! I was able to talk to her for a bit this morning about her weekend in Scotland thus far, and of course about the upcoming game. Let me tell you what, if I could be in Scotland within the next hour, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would get to see Stephanie again for the first time in nearly two months, as well as take in a huge soccer game with her... Ah well, I am going to play some soccer now and have her in my thoughts as she heads off to the match.

Last night, similarly with Saturday morning, I was able to get out and play a sport I have missed: soccer. The guys have been having pickup games on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings, but as I have been working most of those time frames, I have not been able to join in--until last night. I had the evening off, and we were not at Blue Knob splashing around and picnicking, and I was not overly tired, so I drove down to the middle school field and joined about 25 other guys to play soccer for an hour. There were several alumni players in addition to myself, as well as the players currently in high school. I was on a team with Kasey, Tim, Troy, Andy, Robby, and a couple other older guys that I did not recognize. My team and Connor's team were the best of the three, and up until the last or second-to-last game, neither of us had lost, only winning against the third team and tying each competition against each other. However, towards the end of the hour of our play, we had a scramble in the box after a cross, and we put the ball in the back of the net for a one-point lead, which we kept for the duration of the five-minute game period. My touch was solid--not stellar, but still fair for not having played outdoor in quite some time--and I had several strong defensive plays, support runs and passes, so it was an all-around fine evening on the pitch. :-) In the upcoming weeks I will not be able to get out again any time soon, but hopefully in that week before I leave for school I will be able to play Tuesday and Thursday...that would be quite nice.

We the SuperFriends won our final game tonight, and we not only played hard but cleanly, giving us an “A” in sportsmanship. That allows us to advance to the post-season with a 2-2 record and a 3.0 [S]GPA. :-D Yay!

Well, Team Blue is out of the playoffs now. We finished up the “season” with a 1-3 record and all “A”s for sportsmanship. All our games were really close, and I'm surprised we didn't do better. I loved playing with the guys and girls on the team, despite our rather dismal record, because everyone worked hard and still had good attitudes. One's disposition before, during, and after a game is a big factor in whether or not the game itself is an enjoyable experience. Zach was a great captain and solid leader in the defense; Austin raced around the field like a whirlwind, tracking down and shutting down runs, and creating general confusion among the opposing teams; Sarita had great spirit and willingness to learn, having never really played before the season started up; Erica was incredible, as usual, schooling guys like it was an everyday occurence (which it was) and showing off her defensive skills as well; Rafa did a great job as our lone striker for the most part, and was our top scorer with two goals; Tiffany, Eric, Jhasilyn, Stephanie, Beth, Brendan, Katie, and Sarah completed our stellar lineup. I'd write about everyone individually, but then I'd be here all night! Suffice it to say that even without any prior organization or structured practice, everyone worked together remarkably well. Hopefully next year we'll come back and do better; now it's time for dodgeball! :-P

Last night I played against the BCM team in my third game with Team Blue. We lost another close game, 3-2, but I scored for the first time in an actual game! :-D In the five intramural games I've played so far, I think I played my best last night. I had about five solid shots on goal, plus the one I actually scored on. We started the game three people down because we didn't have enough girls to start with the full complement of eight players. However, through the first five minutes while we were waiting for another girl to show up, the five of us that were on the field played very well and held off the BCM team, which had fielded all eight players. Sarah finally arrived, so at the next chance, we got her and Zach out onto the field; even so, we were still one down for the rest of the game, and none of the girls got a break, because no other girls showed up to substitute in for them. However, we fought hard through the whole game and dominated most of the playing time. Austin did a great job of tracking the ball down and wearing out the other team, and Zach played another solid defensive game, as always. We had a few chances to even the score, but were unable to capitalize; on our last good drive in the game, I let fly a shot from the top of the 18, but I was leaning back just a little too much, and it sailed high, skimming just above the crossbar. Nicole was on the other team, and she actually...

SuperFriends, 3; Gameover, 4

Yes, we lost our second game, but it was incredibly close, and we actually were winning 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 at different points throughout the game. We didn't seem to have the chemistry that was present in our opening game, and that hurt our play overall. All things considered, we could have won and should have won. However, we didn't. Watching the guys play last week, I compared our style to the Harlem Globetrotters of soccer. That may be a bold statement, but we had a carefree flamboyancy and joyfulness that exuded throughout the game. Sure, we were trying to win, but we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves and having a lot of fun doing it. Conversely, in the game last night, we were far to focused and frantic, and our strengths of passing and quick play were neutralized.
After the game, there was a sort of proverbial cloud of dissapointment over our heads.

Last night, I played my first [soccer] game with the team of guys that I first met at orientation back in June, and then became reaquainted with since I've been down here again. Stevo, Mitz, Matt, Juan, Armando, Chris, Logan, Bryan, Josh, John, and I comprise SuperFriends, and when we first agreed on the name, I had no idea who (or what) the SuperFriends were! Since then, however, I have been enlightened, and I ended up with the superhero alter-ego Black Vulcan, which the shirt designers misspelled (my name misspelled? That's never happened before!) as “Black Vulcom,” kind of like the skater apparrel company (Volcom). Anyway, we were supposed to play last Tuesday, but rain and otherwise “inclement weather” postponed the day's games to this upcoming Sunday evening. That made our second scheduled game the first game we actually played--and for a bunch of guys thrown together from all over the country, we played very well, especially in the first half. We were up 5-0 at the half, so play became rather sloppy in the second half, but even so, we converted three more goals (the tally was created mainly by Stevo, who chalked up a double hat trick, with a goal each added by Mitz and Armando) to their single score. Before the game, the guys were collectively--and jokingly--complaining about how much working out or exercising they had done prior to the game, and how tired it had made them. Stevo had been at Ultimate practice for a couple hours, but I told him that even so, he probably still had five or six goals in him--and how right I was! He was the only one on the team that consistently shot on target, and his field play and ball handling was excellent as well. I failed to put a mark on the board, but I did fire off the first shot and shot-on-goal of the game; the first I shanked rather wide, but the second was a decent header off of a corner kick. Unfortunately, I didn't put a lot of *oomph* behind the ball, and the 'keeper was able to save it; still, it set the pace for our challenge early on, and everyone stepped up and played most excellently.

Sadly, I must say I saw an Alabama football game before I saw an Alabama soccer game. It's alright though, because the women's game tonight was very good, and at half time, Zach, Rafa, and I joined the teeming throng of little kids on the field to kick my 'Bama ball around. It was a pretty sweet field! :-) Zach and I agreed that as Team Blue, we should have practicing rights on it. The ladies won 3-0 on a trio of second-half goals, and overall it was a pretty exciting game. I didn't get there for the beginning because I was stuck on the Quad playing flag football. *sigh* I still don't like football, but I stuck it out because I couldn't let my team down by leaving them a man down. Anyway, the game (the soccer game, that is) was made all the more spirited by the presence of a sliver of the Million Dollar Band. They played the fight song every time we scored a goal, and on any of the goal kicks they would start the “Roll Tide Roll!” chant/cheer. Then, to kind of adapt it to the sport, they would not only hold the first “roll” but also the “tide” as the ball was kicked and then until it hit another player. So with those modifications it ended up sounding more like “Roooooooooooolllll Tiiiiiiiiide Roll!” 'Twas a great night, and I'll have to get to several more games before the season's out. Last night I played my first intramural soccer game with my co-rec team “Team Blue” (we wear name-appropriate red jerseys). Zach's the captain and I'm co-captain, and there's several people on the team--in addition to Zach and I--that were in Outdoor Action. Overall we have a pretty well-rounded team, but it's hard to gauge substitutions to even out playing time as much as possible. We won, 3-2, and it was wonderful to get out and play again. I know I've been playing a lot of pickup lately, but competing in an actual kept-track-of game was exciting. Once we brush up in a few spots we'll have a solid lineup and should be able to give any team around a good match.

Yes, I have found the soccer players on campus. Yesterday, Stephen and I stumbled upon a few pickup games by the rec center. One was already in full swing and looked like it had plenty of players, so we joined a smaller group on an adjacent field for some 5v5 action. 'Twas a very good workout; I was pretty tired afterward, but it was so much fun to get out and run and compete again. The last time I played was way back at a high school pickup game in Bedford, and that's been several weeks. I went up to the Intramural Athletics office this morning and signed up a team for soccer, and I'm signing up for singles tennis, too. Stephen, myself, and a few other guys that we met at orientation and while we've been here should comprise a pretty competitive team, and I placed us in the Men's Pro division. For me, I'm going to be looking to compete in as high a level as I can get, just to be able to see how I match up. I know I can play well, but I've had a lot of mixed feedback from various coaches, so I'm throwing myself into a rather large pond in which I have the potential to be a very small fish, but I have the determination to make a big splash if at all possible. In fact, last night, I scored half of my team's six goals on an excellent ex-high school goalkeeper, so I was pretty pleased. My last goal was a sweet outside-of-the-right foot shot that bent up and over the 'keeper's fingers and into the right upper-90. :-D Play actually starts in a few weeks, and I'm also considering working for Intramural Athletics as an official.

Place: Bedford High School soccer field; Bedford, Pa
Date: Saturday, July 15, 2006
Time: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Soccer players and non-soccer players alike are invited to a day of playing this beautiful game! Anyone ages 15-20 is welcome to attend the event. Food and water will be provided, and a pro or semi-pro player will be present to present tips and tricks of the sport. While not required, proper soccer equipment (i.e. cleats, shinguards, soccer balls, and extra water) are recommended. The tournament will consist of games between teams of seven players, plus substitutes. Attendees may come and sign up as individuals to make a team, or can gather a group of friends beforehand and sign up as a complete team. The event will be sponsored and staffed by the Bedford Christian & Missionary Alliance. Hope to see you there!

After Zidane scored yet another penalty kick in the early minutes of the game to put the Azzurri down 1-0, Italy fought back and tied the game up at 1-1 with a perfect header off their first corner kick of the game. The game was deadlocked through the rest of the regular 90 minutes, and the drama continued through two 15-minute overtime periods. Finally, the referee blew his whistle for the conclusion of play, and the first five players from each team were chosen for the shootout. Through a flurry of bizarre events, France's key player, their backbone, one of the workhorses of the game, Zinedine Zidane, was shown a straight red card after headbutting an Italian player in the chest away from the course of play. While the referee didn't see the act, one of the sideline officials caught the misdemeanor, and after a brief deliberation, “Zizou” was ejected from his final career game with ten minutes left to play. Before that occurred, three other strong French players, Viera, Henry, and Ribery, were all substituted out of the game, so going into the PKs, none of those players were available.
Italy won the toss, so they took the first spot kick, and buried it. France responded with their first, tying it at one once again. Italy converted their second, but the second Frenchman choked, his shot clanging off the crossbar and bouncing out. Even with the miss, the Azzurri captain remained emotionless until Italy converted their fifth consecutive penalty kick, clinching their fourth World Cup title. Then the Azzurri erupted with joy, and teeming masses of fans went wild with them. It was an incredible World Cup. Hopefully South Africa 2010 will be as exciting, and hopefully the U.S. team will be able to regroup and make a run more reminiscent of their '02 performance than their '06 one.

Italy is in the final. France is in the final. The United States was eliminated in the first round. Brazil was beaten by France in the quarters. Games are turning into acts to try to influence the referees in one's favor. Still, there are bright points, like the U.S.'s lone goal against Ghana in their final group stage game, or the brilliant displays of footward and ball handling in various games. With the championship game approaching this Sunday, I am rooting for Italy, but not without some hope for Zidane in what will probably be the final international match of his stellar career with the French national team. The game in Berlin promises to be rife with excellent football, and I'm eager to watch the action with the guys this weekend. :-) The finals are dissapointing because the U.S. had a very strong team, but did not play to their potential. Part of that was due to their FIFA ranking as fifth in the world, which completely destroyed their “underdog” status. Is the national team stronger than in past World Cups? Most definitely, yes! Are they deserving of the ranking as fifth in the world? No. While they have made huge strides past where they were in '90 and '94, and I'd like to believe they can take on any team in the world, that is simply not the case. They need to play more teams that will give them a challenge; in the CONCACAF region, there is only one team that consistently gives the American side a fight, and that is Mexico. Aside from our immediate southern neighbors, the likes of Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, and Panama do not provide the competition that the U.S. team needs to improve their game. Also--and this has been touched on by numerous other bloggers and reporters--while MLS has been looked down upon by Americans and foriegners alike, the only goal that was actually scored by the national team was by a little-known MLS player: Clint Dempsey of the New England Revolution. And it was an exquisite goal at that! We should be playing much stronger teams, like Germany, Italy, Argentina, even Brazil, if we hope to make a mark on the world of real football.

Where have the die-hard soccer players gone?? Okay, so it rained a little today...okay, it rained all day, but is that any reason to wimp out on pickup soccer? I don't think so! But apparently I'm the only one that thinks so, because for an hour tonight, I was the only person at the field, except for a brief moment when Coach Otis came down, said hi, commented that no one was there and probably no one would come, and then left. I spent the time getting nicely soaked (it's been a while since I played in a good rain), juggling, working on my shooting (probably the weakest part of my game), and dribbling. I took a few practice corner kicks to see if I could curve them into the goal. I hit the first one left-footed, and it fell short, but I took it around to the far side and hit it right-footed, and on my first try it landed perfectly in the far side netting! 'Twas very cool to see. :-) I'd like to get to the point that I'd be able to do that consistently; what a weapon that would be! But anyway, after an hour I was ready to head out, so I peeled off my dripping shirt and changed into another, which was immediately dampened, but not nearly as wet as the first. My other goal for the night was to find an address book to take to schol with me, so I drove out to Wal-Mart. Find an address book I did not. Instead, as I held the door for a few ladies, I met up with Kristen, and we ended up talking for three hours while leaning on a movie display in the aisle! That was muchly enjoyable. When we finally parted ways, I didn't find an address book, but I did find some trail mix, which I'm munching on now. :-D Yummy...for the most part; I think there have been a few overdone almonds which leave a funny taste...

That is one of the best combinations known to mankind--at least the soccer-playing population of mankind. I've been helping out with the rec soccer camps, and yesterday, being the last day of the week, and being somewhat drizzly, I suggested we (I?) show the kids how to do a diving header. Now that was fun. It had rained just enough to make the goalkeeper stomping grounds in front of the goal nice and muddy. On my first attempt, I got up with mud all down my front...and then I did it three more times. :-P There were a few of the kids that weren't too timid about the whole diving-in-the-mud-to-head-a-ball scenario, so Athey and I fed them balls while they tried to time their dives just right. One of the girls kept going down too early and then hitting the ball in with her foot as she rolled. It wasn't pretty, but it was funny. :-) When it was time to herd everyone in for lunch, the inevitable happened: muddy cleat tracks down the hall and into the cafeteria, thoroughly irking the janitors. Whoops. In the rec camps to come, we have to leave our cleats in the entryway to prevent such a thing from reoccuring. The week after next will be something like 1st-4th or 5th grade boys, and the week after that will be the older kids, guys and girls combined. That's the one I'm looking forward too, because then I should be able to actually play somewhat hard!