A rested and hungry Red squad took to the pitch on Sunday ready to take on Maryland Rush in their final home game of the season. The home team fans wanted a definitive win after a disappointing game the week before. Right at the outset, Red took control of the game, moving the ball well and making Rush – down to only one sub – chase them.
With Red's two leading scorers, First Aid and Taxman, tied in goals (3) and battling for the season team title, the Rush keeper was going to have her hands full. And the Red offense got to work quickly, generating quality scoring chances inside five minutes and even producing a fourth and go-ahead goal for the Taxman. But wait – there was the unmistakable sound of nylon whipping in the wind – she was offsides.
The home crowd groaned, but the Center Referee and both coaches agreed: #28 was off and the internal team race remained tied.
Rush countered quickly and generated more than a few good scoring chances with their long ball game. Rush defenders used their powerful legs to send a long ball to their fast striker. She got behind the Red defense a few times, forcing Sharky to turn her shots away or come out to challenge, which she did expertly. The Red defenders also quickly adjusted. Big Foot, Hollywood, and the Professor "made like wall" and shut the Rush attack down – covering for each other and out-positioning the visitors. The Red defense blocked four shots and only allowed 6 shots in the first half, all of which Sharky handled easily.
New addition, Grace, coming off an injury that had her sidelined recently, recorded her first genuine shot on goal and scoring opportunity when she received a pass from Sunshine in the middle and charged towards the net with just one player to beat. The Rush defender planted her feet and took the full brunt of #33, going down in a heap. No foul was called and after the injured Rush player left the field the referee called for Grace to turn the ball back over to the visitors, which she did.
Red continued to move the ball well, notching 65 passes in the first half. One series, at 22 minutes, began in the back with Big Foot stealing the ball from a Rush mid-fielder, sending the ball up the line to Sunshine who bobbed and weaved past a defender and sent the ball into the middle to the waiting First Aid. She deked past the central defender and launched the ball past the Rush keeper. Xtreme was up 1-0 and First Aid pulled ahead of Taxman on the stat board.
But as her name implies, the Taxman is going to make you pay. And just one minute into the second half she pounced on an opportunity. Sledgehammer was pulled down in the Rush box, still managing to get her shot off, which the keeper deflected. The ball came right back to Sister Sledge, who, still reeling from the foul, gave a little side pass to the Taxman who fired a missile into the far corner to beat the Rush keeper. Xtreme was up 2-0 and the leaderboard in the clubhouse was tied again.
The sun came out and stated to roast the players and fans. Caught unprepared for the late game sun last week, Red was determined not to make the same mistake. The girls had a canopy and water sprayer and they kept cool. Rush was not as prepared, and with only 9 players, the heat, and Xtreme's game of keep away, it all began to take its toll on the visitors. They slowed down and were affording Red a long time to move the ball and make decisions. Red was linking together 7 and 8 pass sequences on their way to an 82 pass second half.
Rush did take more shots in the second half, but most were from distance and without a lot behind them. Happy Feet easily stopped the seven shots she faced and used a combination of punts and tosses to get Red back on attack.
Red almost increased the lead to three after a corner the girls played short landed at The Hammer's foot. She expertly teed the ball up for herself and fired a cruise missile at the net that caught everyone by surprise. Unfortunately it was about a foot too high – but the defender who now sometimes appears on offense is clearly hungry for her first goal of the season. Let's hope she gets it in the season finale in two weeks.
The game ended 2-0 – it was Xtreme's second shut out in four wins this season. The squad heads into the Memorial Day break with a full schedule – four games in two days during the Bull Run Tournament. Red will use the games to continue to build on recent successes, and open the game rosters to visiting guests. They'll close the Spring season out on the road on June 5 against LUYAA Black Venom.
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