Xtreme Grabs Third Straight Win

We've written in this space about the better team not winning the game so many times it's almost too many to count. Well, on this overcast, warm Saturday, once again, the better team would not win the game. Fortunately, Xtreme was not the better team today.

Red, the visiting team, got off to a quick start – immediately pressuring PWSI Courage 98 Black and moving the ball well. Just three minutes into the game, Big Foot would challenge a Courage player in the midfield and come away with the ball. She'd fake a long shot and nudge the ball to the outside and lope up field, gaining 20 yards before finding Happy Feet inside the penalty box. She'd take on two defenders and draw the keeper to her, then perfectly slide the ball to the Taxman, angling into the box from the left side. The keeper didn't have a chance.

The teams then traded several good scoring opportunities until the 22^nd minute when Sunshine connected with Hollywood in the midfield. She'd send a ball ahead into the penalty box where Space Ghost, the Taxman, and Happy Feet had created a numerical advantage for the Red team. The Courage keeper made the initial save on Space Ghost, but the ball got away from her. Taxman pounced on it and shot, but another Courage player deflected it. As the keeper scrambled to get control of the ball, Happy Feet emerged from the pile and pounded the ball home. An ugly play, but a great example of how the Red now doesn't quit and keeps moving forward until they hear that whistle.

Courage, trailing 2-0 then tested Sharky in goal with several well-engineered plays that got them behind the Red defense. Sharky stood tall and the Courage strikers shot wide several times, keeping the score 2-0 for the visitors.

At 33 minutes, some sloppy passes from both teams in the midfield resulted in a ping pong game. Courage began to break through their own active zone and had numbers on Red when The Hammer made her presence known, stealing the ball and freeing the Red offense that transitioned more quickly than the Courage could. In the ensuring, jailbreak Happy Feet, Taxman, Hollywood, and Sunshine charged at and through three defenders. Happy Feet got a beautiful shot off and the keeper made a stunning save, but she couldn't hang onto the ball and it landed at Taxman's feet. She drove it into the back of the net, but the STAR's flag was waving – he called her offsides.

One minute later, Red then framed the free kick that the Courage keeper took, and Taxman plucked it out of the air. She settled it down and blasted it over the keeper before she could get settled again, it was 3-0 for the visitors.

The second half was a very Courage half. They moved the ball well, stringing together several 7+ pass sequences, and controlling the pace of the game, making Red chase and putting Sharky to the test several times.

Although Red had difficulty stringing together long passing sequences, what they did do well was position themselves. Courage would start a long play in the back of the right side, work the ball through the midfield, and try an attack from the left side. But the Red Defenders consistently "made like wall" and shut down the attack.

At 65 minutes the home team would get behind the defense and penetrate the penalty box. Sharky made a sprawling save – her 12^th of the game, but the rebound was hard to control. A Courage player was in the right place at the right time and she was able to blast the ball to the far post. It was 3-1.

On the following kick-off, Red quickly lost the ball to the now surging Courage who could smell another quick goal. But The Hammer would have none of it – she chopped the ball away from the attacker and made a short pass to Hollywood on the far side. Clearly angry the shut out had gotten away from them, Hollywood charged the length of the field, taking on and beating player after player. With support flying in from the near side, she split the defense, and carried the ball into the box all alone. She beat the last defender and ripped a laser at the near post. The keeper dove, but the ball sailed past her and hit the back of the net crisply, making that sound that strikers and fans love to hear.

The fans rose to their feet, but Hollywood did not celebrate and the referee was indicating a goal kick. As the Red fans were preparing to light their chairs on fire and toss them onto the field (there were more than a few questionable offsides calls that went against Red), we learned that there was a hole in the side of the net and the ball had entered the net through the side. Hollywood confirmed it – no goal.

Time ran out soon after that and Red stole the win, 3-1, to claim sole possession of first place in the division.

Red notched 87 passes in the game and only linked four or more passes together twice. They were awarded three corner kicks and surrendered 10. They committed four fouls and suffered five.

Make no mistake, Red played hard for the entire game, and if anyone deserved to steal a win it was them. They showed aggression and hunger, and this formerly sleepy team that never put up big goal numbers now has the most goals (13) and best goal differential (+9) amongst all 36 teams in the four WAGS Division 5s. But cross-county rival McLean waits in the wings; Xtreme travels to Linway Terrace on Sunday. The last time the teams met, McLean won convincingly. We'll see.