Fresh off their perfect final day at the Bull Run Tournament that vaulted them into second place and earned them trophies, the Red squad made the final trek of the season up into northern Maryland to take on LUYAA Black Venom without two key players – First Aid and Hollywood.
Would the missing Center Mid and Center Defender create a boulevard down the middle that Black Venom could exploit? In a word, "no."
The Red team showed that their hard work all season gives them the depth they need in these situations – Sharky and The Hammer filled in brilliantly for Hollywood, and Sunshine had her game of the year, closing the First Aid gap with the Taxman.
Down subs and facing a fully loaded home team, Red's game plan was to slow the game down and use their passing skills to make Black Venom wear themselves out. But Red had some difficulty getting their game going and Black Venom had a slight edge on ball possession in the first half.
Additionally, a center referee who expected the girls to come out and play with dolls and braid each other's hair was stunned to see the physical level of play from the Red team, particularly the Professor and the Sledgehammer. He assessed Red for 5 fouls (and one off-sides) in the first half alone, while the home team only earned one foul in the first half. On four occasions during the game he would call players to him and advise them to "settle down" – and with those verbal cautions, Red would avoid our first cards of the season – though the Professor was surely on the bubble for her domination on the left side.
Happy Feet turned in a spectacular performance in goal in the first half – turning away all 16 shots she faced and earning herself another half a shut-out; the half ended 0-0.
During half time the squad made their own adjustments – telling each other they needed to be better to the ball, make quicker decisions, and not let Black Venom take as many shots – and the difference showed immediately.
Red went on the attack, pressing the Black Venom keeper from the start. A long punt from Sharky sent Taxman tearing up the middle with the Venom keeper challenging. The two collided and went down, well out of the goal, but Taxman was first to her feet – got another shot off that the keeper saved, and then got her own rebound, she executed a little shovel pass to Sunshine who was streaking in from the left side, and it seemed she would score – but her shot went just wide right.
Moments later, at 45 minutes, Black Venom would break the scoreless tie with a break-away goal.
Their jubilation would not last. Red didn't come all this way to lose in Maryland.
At 53 minutes another booming punt from Sharky would find Space Ghost on the left side. She trapped the punt and dribbled up field, past two defenders, and straight at the challenging keeper. But when Space Ghost has a head of steam built up, little can stop her, she scored her fourth goal of the season, tying the game.
And then the Red machine kicked into gear, determined to take these three points. Big Foot and the Hammer blasted shots from distance that made fans on both sides gasp with the Hammer missing the crossbar by two inches and Big Foot sending the keeper sprawling.
Then at 57 minutes, Happy Feet, freed from goal and terrorizing the right side all second half, used her foot skills to draw several Black Venom players to her, leaving Sunshine wide open outside the 18. Happy Feet passed to her and Sunshine lofted a ball up and over the keeper, but just under the crossbar – Xtreme was on top 2-1 with 13 minutes to go.
Red began working the clock, holding the ball in the corners and not just sending the ball out, but rather, sending it "way out." More than a few Black Venom parents probably woke up itchy from shagging balls Big Foot and the Professor kept sending into the poison sumac circling the field.
Red also began playing a tight defense, with all players checking back – notably Grace who in just a few seconds went from taking a pass from the Sledgehammer and taking a shot, to jumping back in to foil a Venom breakaway down our left flank.
At 65 minutes Black Venom overloaded the left side and successfully drew our players over, leaving Big Foot and Sharky alone to defend the right side. Unable to clear the ball, Red fell into the Venom trap and the home team was able to cross to a waiting defender. She got a shot off which Sharky saved, but Red was outnumbered in the box and Black Venom was able to put the rebound away to tie the game back at 2.
With only five minutes to go, Red went back on offense, controlling the ball and trying to break the tie, with a handful of quality shots on goal. In the end the Black Venom keeper was up to the task and the game ended in a hard fought draw.
Xtreme 98 Red ended the season 6-6-2 (4-5-1 in league play) with 10 points in league play which "tied" them for sixth place. Reported goal differential of -12 moves them to eighth place (out of 11). Had the forfeit not been forced on the girls, they we would have finished with 13 points for sole possession of 6th place and a goal differential of -7.
Xtreme heads into the off season with club wide tryouts looming, a quick break, and then back to the pitch to welcome new team members for summer work outs and friendlies. If your team is interested in summer scrimmages, please contact us.
Well done, ladies.
