Xtreme Unable to Finish Against McLean

The last time McLean Sprit White faced Xtreme it was the last game of the Fall 2010 season. A win would ensure the green and White would clinch the division. Xtreme said, "no," winning that game 2-0 and knocking Spirit into fourth place. McLean came to Annandale seeking revenge.

The game started in much the same way the last one had – with Xtreme quickly establishing the pace of the game and controlling the ball. The teams probed each other's defenses looking for a weak spot – and finally, at 6 minutes, Red seemed to find one, with three players in the White box and the first quality shot on goal from Space Ghost. But the White keeper stood tall – and Red would test her several more times in the first half – from close range, from distance, and from the left and right. Taxman and First Aid terrorized the green defense and keeper, combining for 16 shots – 13 of them on target. But the keeper rose to the challenge each time, turning away all the Red shots.

At the other end of the field, Sharky also stood tall. She only faced 5 McLean shots on goal and she turned them all away, quickly sending booming punts down the field to put her team back on the attack.

Big Foot and the Professor also helped by building a wall at the half line. They'd run down loose balls and stymie McLean's attempted long ball game. When the rare ball or player got past them, Hollywood was waiting to shut down the White offense, which she did with Xtreme prejudice, blocking a season high 5 shots.

A good Red scoring opportunity came on a succession of two Red corners. Sunshine played a medium ball in to First Aid who teed it back up to her – Sunshine came in on the angle and blasted a ball – on target, but high.

Unlike recent games the girls have played, this one was fairly foul free. Only 9 were called all game, and two of those were simply hand balls. One foul Red suffered gave them a free kick from about 20 yards. First Aid lined up to take the shot and McLean built a wall. First Aid faked the shot, instead connecting with a waiting Taxman who was to the right, outside the wall. Taxman pulled the shot out of the air and everyone tasted goal – but the White keeper was there.

The half would end with the score knotted at nil, but with Red clearly controlling the game and generating more quality scoring opportunities.

But it seemed different teams came out for the second half. Red's passing game was down (47 passes in the first half, 35 in the second), and McLean's forwards and midfielders stepped up their intensity – charging through the Red defenses to create scoring chances. And they tripled their offense from the first half.

Happy Feet faced a White onslaught and she stood tall making exciting saves, effectively tracking shots that would go wide, and mounting daunting challenges to sprinting White players. But there was anxiety on the Red sideline – White was getting too many shots – Happy Feet couldn't stop them forever. And finally, in 41 minutes, that prediction came true. White would pressure from inside the box, and Red was unable to clear the ball. On the third attempt, White scored.

But Red was far from done. At 55 minutes Happy Feet would make a save – one of 15 she was forced to make – and send a directional punt to Space Ghost in the midfield. She'd bring the ball up field and connect with First Aid who would begin to cut across the field, drawing defenders to her. She'd then find an open Taxman on the right side who would beat her defender and take on the charging White keeper. Taxman beat the keeper and sent a hard shot to the near post, but it would hit the post and come back out. Taxman pounced on her own rebound and buried the ball in the back of the net to tie the score and notch her third goal of the season.

Red was reenergized. But it wouldn't last long. Only two minutes later, a White attack would send Happy Feet sprawling to the ground to make a save. But the ball bounced between her hands, and a charging White player would pull the ball away from her and earn herself a go-ahead goal.

With time winding down Red tried to mount an attack, throwing The Hammer, the Sledgehammer, and Grace at the White team, but the Red simply didn't have enough left in the tank and White effectively used the field to run the clock down – adding an insurance goal in the 66^th minute. They would win the game 3-1 and get their revenge.

For the second time in two weeks, Red played an excellent, dominant first half, but then failed to close the game out by not playing a full second half – something the girls will work on during the week as they prepare to host Maryland Rush next week.