Playing in a persistent, driving rain made for an ugly game when Xtreme took on neighbors and rivals Arlington Forza. It was one of those games where the weather would be a factor – slowing players down, making them cold and wet, making the ball slippery, and likely ending in a low-scoring victory for a team that wouldn't necessarily deserve it.
The first half opened with Arlington controlling the ball well for the first 10-15 minutes, and Red had trouble stringing together long strings of passes. Arlington, hoping for one of those sloppy goals early, played aggressively, with 3-4 forwards in our end. They skillfully kept themselves onsides, when Eli and the Hammer would push the Red line up.
Because of Arlington's skilled passing game, Red's mids were forced to spend a lot of time assisting the defense, which made the home team's offense slow to get started.
Taxman had a nice breakaway midway through the first half that could have resulted in a goal, but the Forza keeper challenged well and made the save.
As time in the first half was winding down, Arlington was awarded a corner. As time expired they took the corner, and the slick ball somehow squirted into the goal at the near post, the visitor was up 1-0.
During the halftime the rain picked up and the temperature dropped, but despite the unpleasant conditions and the overly physical play of some Arlington players, Red came out in the second half ready for action.
And they would deliver. At 40 minutes, Eli took a corner kick that she laid perfectly into the crowded and slippery box. Hollywood received the ball, settled it, drew two defenders and the keeper's attention, and then slotted a perfect ball to the left side to waiting Taxman, who pounded it home for the tying goal.
The game continued to rock back and forth, with Forza playing hard and attacking up the flanks. This tested the Red defense and Dani now in goal, but it also created opportunities for Red breakaways, which Space Ghost, Happy Feet, and the Taxman were fed on several times.
The physical play was escalating with White not being shy about using their hands to hold the fast breaking Red offense, and several times The Professor found herself embroiled in a shoving match with a frustrated Forza player behind the play and on Forza throw-ins, but none of the officials took note.
Sledgehammer earned the team's first ever regular season card – a yellow for a tackle that from the referee's perspective looked reckless, but was probably not worthy of an actual card. The ensuring free kick resulted in a Forza goal, but luckily, scored by an offsides player – so the score remained knotted at one.
At 61 minutes, Arlington once again put numbers in the Red penalty box and the striker did a nice job of drawing the defense and Red keeper (now Happy Feet) to the left side, she then flicked the ball right to a charging mid who was able to easily tap the ball in for a go-ahead goal. It was, frankly, the only truly earned goal in the game for either side.
Red worked hard to tie the game again, with Hollywood hitting the post and Taxman rocking the crossbar, but Arlington was disciplined and protected their lead well.
Then, as time was running out and Red was taking a corner, the player with whom the Professor had been tangling all afternoon lost her cool and actually punched the Professor in the stomach right at the edge of, or inside the box.
For some reason the referee, who had already called 6 fouls for each team and awarded a yellow card, decided not to award a free kick or a penalty kick. Instead, he had the players shake hands and made the play a drop ball. A stunning end to the game with full time running out just moments later.
Red looks forward to visiting Arlington in November to close the season out and even the score. The loss dropped Red to 3-3 on the season and wins for two other teams in the division dropped Red out of first place and into third.
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