Soccer Futsal @ Waltham Y, Thursday Feb 14-- I score 2 goles
We played from 810-1000 PM. There were four teams: the orange, the green, the red, and the grays; I was on the grays. I felt that we had the worst players. That could be because our players have not practiced as much or worked as much on their fitness, but the fact remains. In fact, seems I always end up on the team with the worst players, the team which features the lowest level in terms of how well the players know each other. That's because usually, most of the teams are composed of pre-existing cliques of friends who knew each other before signing up for the soccer, and then there is one team composed of stray cats like me who signed up as individuals and who never knew any of the other players in the league, before the league started.
We played five minute games, I played in nine of them. The goals were 6 feet wide and 4 feet high. The court was approx 50' wide and 94' long. The ball used, was a heavy Futsal ball.
For angles at which the ball moved to me and away from me, I use here fighter-pilot lingo, based on how a clock looks. 12:00 means straight ahead; 3:oo means from my right; 6:00 means from behind me; 9:00 defines a point to my exact left.
Game 1:
I were at the chuffin' left-win' posicion, right, as I were in outdoors futbol in secundaria school. Right. A passe came me way from about 4:30. Yer can't 'ave a knees-up wivout a joanna. I dribbled the bola forwards towards the opponent end-linea once, right, and then took an 'ard left-footed 40' shot. The bleedin' ballon entered the chuffin' goal at a point aproximadamente 1 foot inside del bloomin' post ter the goalie's right, right, about 3 feet 'igh, it were a goal, on mi first posesion de la evenin'.
Also: a right-footed short-distance shot of mine missed the upper corner to the goalie's right by 2'; a passer telegraphed his intent to pass me the ball long before he passed it, the pass was behind me, I stretched out my right-foot backwards, I was not being peppy, the defender stripped the ball away.
Game 2:
I chased down a pass that bounced once before I shot it, the hard low 28' shot was 8 feet wide of the post to the goalie's right, my team-mate told me that I had time to control the ball first. I made a perfect chip on a corner kick, the ball reached an apex of 14', landed at the feet of a team-mate 40' away, he shot it drop-kick style. A hard low one-touch shot I took missed outside the goalie's left goalpost by 1'. A long roller pass came to me from 5:00, the defender was right on top of me, on the first touch I moved the ball a short distance in the 1:00 direction, the defender got the ball.
Game 3:
A pass came to me from 5:00, I dribbled forward once Y made a short accurate roller pass to 11:00. A roller pass came from 5:00, I made a good one-touch roller pass inwards to 3:00. A ball rolled slowly my way from 2:00, I took an extremely hard, low 1-touch right-footed shot 36' from the goal, the ball missed outside the post to the goalie's left by 1 foot, Jose who works for the company that makes passports complimented me on the shot, gave me a high-five for it.
Game 4:
Several bad decisions by team-mates resulted in me not getting a pass. A slow roller came my way in front of the enemy goal, for some reason I leaned backwards as the ball came to me, my one-touch right-footed shot missed outside the upper corner to the goalie's left by 2'. I ran a slant in the 1:00 direction, an excellent low roller pass came my way, on the first touch I dribbled it forwards well and simult controlled it on the first touch, but the goalie was right there, very close to me, and knocked it away, my collision with him accidentally caused him to scream in pain.
Game 5:
My team's defacto captain was Carlos from Peru. He is the Y-volunteer who organized the soccer league. I get the feeling that he is not happy that Director Bautz allowed me to sign up for the league late after I wrote Director Bautz a long letter. This Capitan Carlos De Peru, told me to drop back to play defensively and that we would then counter-attack. I obeyed him. Then I saw little action. I blocked a shot, kicked away an enemy pass that came my way. I dribbled a defender by stopping a lead pass that came from 4:30 with the sole of my left-foot, the defender flew by me, I had him completely dribbled, there was a hoot of approval from a player on the sideline, but then I passed off.
Games 6 & 7 (two games played in a row):
A couple of my attempts at long chip-passes both went astray-- the ball came my way, I stopped it, then attempted to chip it, but the chips never reached an altitude of more than 3; I think both errors were due to me becoming fatigued and rushing the chip attempts. Towards the end of game 6 Captain Carlos moved me back to play no-hands goalie; Capt Carlos was talking and acting as if our defeats were my fault, and that the solution was to move me back. I felt that actually, the only times when we had had a chance to win, were the times when I was playing left-wing and shooting (majority of my shots were missing by 1 or 2 feet but such is the roll of the dice). I told Carlos (correctly), that we had been losing because players on our team repeatedly made bad decisions re where to pass. Often I was wide open but did not get passed to, the ball being passed to some less open person in a less advantageous position instead. Often though I was wide open, the player with the ball dribbled instead, the end result being simply the other team getting the ball.
Games 8 & 9 (two games played in a row):
I dribbled three defenders in a row-- first I cut past one defender inwards at a 45 degree angle; then I cut past a second defender to the defender's right, by cutting towards the goal; then I dribbled past a third defender, to the defender's left (I sort of threaded the needle between the 2nd and 3rd defenders); but the dribble that pushed the ball by the third defender pushed the ball too hard-- I felt the mistake was a result of fatigue. A chip pass I made got to the receiver because he hustled hard to reach it, but it was went about 15' to the right of where I wanted ot to go.
Then I scored the most incredible gol of the entire season. I were in the bleedin' middle of the bleedin' corte, in front of me goal, right, and 81 feet from the bloomin' enemy goal. An aereo bola came mi way. Right. I 'ad the mockers put on it wiv me chest, right, so that it bounced at me feet. I'll get out me spoons. At aproximadamente the chuffin' same time that it bounced, I lofted a long 81' chip-shot towards the bloomin' enemiga goal. The bleedin' bola reached an apex of 23', sailed over the bloomin' goalie's surprised 'ead, and entered the enemiga goal at a point just below the 4' 'igh crossbar, for a gol. I'll get out me spoons. The bloody bola did wot I intended it ter do on this shot, right, but I felt afortunado because the bola almost 'it the ventilation pipes at the bleedin' ceilin' and then on its way dahn, right, almost 'it the basketball 'oop that were above the bloody enemiga goal.
General Notes:
1) Seems that watching the Futsal videos, has resulted in me shooting too quickly and not dribbling enough. The top-level Futsal in the videos is such that one has to rush things because the defenders are quick and professional.
2) When I am tired and rush a chip-pass, I tend to kick the ball too hard, while at the same time I kick it improperly.
3) I felt this game illustrated how I am the best shooter in the league: my left-footed shots are harder and more accurate than anybody's shots, and my right-footed shots are as hard and as accurate as anybody's shots (this on top of the fact that last week I showed how on sprints of about 30' I am faster than anyone in the Y soccer programs);
4) Apparently the doing lots of reps on calf-raises, while keeping the weight lifted to bar + 70-90 lbs, is having a positive impact in terms of how long I can play before pain in the calves and the soles of the feet begins to impair my performance;
5) though the calves/soles pain problem is continuing to improve, my general wind-power was not what it was a week or two ago, as a result of which my defense, dribbling, passing and off-ball running was impaired (surprising how much lack of wind can throw off dribbling and passing);
6) I can dribble in this league impressively, if I attempt to, but I am still being too polite about passing off (again, this is not top level pro Futsal, it is practice not competition, so I should dribble more than the players I watch on video);
7) If the goal had been the size used at the Oak Sq Y, or the size used in regulation official Futsal, I would have scored 4 or 5 goals this evening (such was also the case last week).
8) Seems that at least half the 'errors' in these indoor Futsal games are a result of the fact that during high school I was a left-wing on my schools outdoors soccer team, and that this resulted in strong formation of habits, habits which continue even now-it's as if I have become an improved, stronger, faster, ambidextrous version of what I was in high school, which has left me with habits that do not quite fit in in indoors Futsal. For examples: my outdoor-soccer formed instincts are to move in a straight line towards the enemy goal when dribbling by a defender, whereas in indoors Futsal lateral movement sideways is more important; my instinct when receiving a pass is to on the first touch move in the direction of the enemy goal, whereas in Futsal the players per square-yard density is so high that such movement, even when fluently, gracefully and excellently executed, often results in the ball immediately being blocked by a defender.
9) Don't underestimate the quality of the shots reported, given the distance of the shots. The Futsal ball used in these games is small and heavier than a normal ball, and more difficult to shoot at distance with velocity compared to a normal ball. The Futsal ball, being a low-bounce ball by design, does not bounce off the foot the way a normal ball does.
We played five minute games, I played in nine of them. The goals were 6 feet wide and 4 feet high. The court was approx 50' wide and 94' long. The ball used, was a heavy Futsal ball.
For angles at which the ball moved to me and away from me, I use here fighter-pilot lingo, based on how a clock looks. 12:00 means straight ahead; 3:oo means from my right; 6:00 means from behind me; 9:00 defines a point to my exact left.
Game 1:
I were at the chuffin' left-win' posicion, right, as I were in outdoors futbol in secundaria school. Right. A passe came me way from about 4:30. Yer can't 'ave a knees-up wivout a joanna. I dribbled the bola forwards towards the opponent end-linea once, right, and then took an 'ard left-footed 40' shot. The bleedin' ballon entered the chuffin' goal at a point aproximadamente 1 foot inside del bloomin' post ter the goalie's right, right, about 3 feet 'igh, it were a goal, on mi first posesion de la evenin'.
Also: a right-footed short-distance shot of mine missed the upper corner to the goalie's right by 2'; a passer telegraphed his intent to pass me the ball long before he passed it, the pass was behind me, I stretched out my right-foot backwards, I was not being peppy, the defender stripped the ball away.
Game 2:
I chased down a pass that bounced once before I shot it, the hard low 28' shot was 8 feet wide of the post to the goalie's right, my team-mate told me that I had time to control the ball first. I made a perfect chip on a corner kick, the ball reached an apex of 14', landed at the feet of a team-mate 40' away, he shot it drop-kick style. A hard low one-touch shot I took missed outside the goalie's left goalpost by 1'. A long roller pass came to me from 5:00, the defender was right on top of me, on the first touch I moved the ball a short distance in the 1:00 direction, the defender got the ball.
Game 3:
A pass came to me from 5:00, I dribbled forward once Y made a short accurate roller pass to 11:00. A roller pass came from 5:00, I made a good one-touch roller pass inwards to 3:00. A ball rolled slowly my way from 2:00, I took an extremely hard, low 1-touch right-footed shot 36' from the goal, the ball missed outside the post to the goalie's left by 1 foot, Jose who works for the company that makes passports complimented me on the shot, gave me a high-five for it.
Game 4:
Several bad decisions by team-mates resulted in me not getting a pass. A slow roller came my way in front of the enemy goal, for some reason I leaned backwards as the ball came to me, my one-touch right-footed shot missed outside the upper corner to the goalie's left by 2'. I ran a slant in the 1:00 direction, an excellent low roller pass came my way, on the first touch I dribbled it forwards well and simult controlled it on the first touch, but the goalie was right there, very close to me, and knocked it away, my collision with him accidentally caused him to scream in pain.
Game 5:
My team's defacto captain was Carlos from Peru. He is the Y-volunteer who organized the soccer league. I get the feeling that he is not happy that Director Bautz allowed me to sign up for the league late after I wrote Director Bautz a long letter. This Capitan Carlos De Peru, told me to drop back to play defensively and that we would then counter-attack. I obeyed him. Then I saw little action. I blocked a shot, kicked away an enemy pass that came my way. I dribbled a defender by stopping a lead pass that came from 4:30 with the sole of my left-foot, the defender flew by me, I had him completely dribbled, there was a hoot of approval from a player on the sideline, but then I passed off.
Games 6 & 7 (two games played in a row):
A couple of my attempts at long chip-passes both went astray-- the ball came my way, I stopped it, then attempted to chip it, but the chips never reached an altitude of more than 3; I think both errors were due to me becoming fatigued and rushing the chip attempts. Towards the end of game 6 Captain Carlos moved me back to play no-hands goalie; Capt Carlos was talking and acting as if our defeats were my fault, and that the solution was to move me back. I felt that actually, the only times when we had had a chance to win, were the times when I was playing left-wing and shooting (majority of my shots were missing by 1 or 2 feet but such is the roll of the dice). I told Carlos (correctly), that we had been losing because players on our team repeatedly made bad decisions re where to pass. Often I was wide open but did not get passed to, the ball being passed to some less open person in a less advantageous position instead. Often though I was wide open, the player with the ball dribbled instead, the end result being simply the other team getting the ball.
Games 8 & 9 (two games played in a row):
I dribbled three defenders in a row-- first I cut past one defender inwards at a 45 degree angle; then I cut past a second defender to the defender's right, by cutting towards the goal; then I dribbled past a third defender, to the defender's left (I sort of threaded the needle between the 2nd and 3rd defenders); but the dribble that pushed the ball by the third defender pushed the ball too hard-- I felt the mistake was a result of fatigue. A chip pass I made got to the receiver because he hustled hard to reach it, but it was went about 15' to the right of where I wanted ot to go.
Then I scored the most incredible gol of the entire season. I were in the bleedin' middle of the bleedin' corte, in front of me goal, right, and 81 feet from the bloomin' enemy goal. An aereo bola came mi way. Right. I 'ad the mockers put on it wiv me chest, right, so that it bounced at me feet. I'll get out me spoons. At aproximadamente the chuffin' same time that it bounced, I lofted a long 81' chip-shot towards the bloomin' enemiga goal. The bleedin' bola reached an apex of 23', sailed over the bloomin' goalie's surprised 'ead, and entered the enemiga goal at a point just below the 4' 'igh crossbar, for a gol. I'll get out me spoons. The bloody bola did wot I intended it ter do on this shot, right, but I felt afortunado because the bola almost 'it the ventilation pipes at the bleedin' ceilin' and then on its way dahn, right, almost 'it the basketball 'oop that were above the bloody enemiga goal.
General Notes:
1) Seems that watching the Futsal videos, has resulted in me shooting too quickly and not dribbling enough. The top-level Futsal in the videos is such that one has to rush things because the defenders are quick and professional.
2) When I am tired and rush a chip-pass, I tend to kick the ball too hard, while at the same time I kick it improperly.
3) I felt this game illustrated how I am the best shooter in the league: my left-footed shots are harder and more accurate than anybody's shots, and my right-footed shots are as hard and as accurate as anybody's shots (this on top of the fact that last week I showed how on sprints of about 30' I am faster than anyone in the Y soccer programs);
4) Apparently the doing lots of reps on calf-raises, while keeping the weight lifted to bar + 70-90 lbs, is having a positive impact in terms of how long I can play before pain in the calves and the soles of the feet begins to impair my performance;
5) though the calves/soles pain problem is continuing to improve, my general wind-power was not what it was a week or two ago, as a result of which my defense, dribbling, passing and off-ball running was impaired (surprising how much lack of wind can throw off dribbling and passing);
6) I can dribble in this league impressively, if I attempt to, but I am still being too polite about passing off (again, this is not top level pro Futsal, it is practice not competition, so I should dribble more than the players I watch on video);
7) If the goal had been the size used at the Oak Sq Y, or the size used in regulation official Futsal, I would have scored 4 or 5 goals this evening (such was also the case last week).
8) Seems that at least half the 'errors' in these indoor Futsal games are a result of the fact that during high school I was a left-wing on my schools outdoors soccer team, and that this resulted in strong formation of habits, habits which continue even now-it's as if I have become an improved, stronger, faster, ambidextrous version of what I was in high school, which has left me with habits that do not quite fit in in indoors Futsal. For examples: my outdoor-soccer formed instincts are to move in a straight line towards the enemy goal when dribbling by a defender, whereas in indoors Futsal lateral movement sideways is more important; my instinct when receiving a pass is to on the first touch move in the direction of the enemy goal, whereas in Futsal the players per square-yard density is so high that such movement, even when fluently, gracefully and excellently executed, often results in the ball immediately being blocked by a defender.
9) Don't underestimate the quality of the shots reported, given the distance of the shots. The Futsal ball used in these games is small and heavier than a normal ball, and more difficult to shoot at distance with velocity compared to a normal ball. The Futsal ball, being a low-bounce ball by design, does not bounce off the foot the way a normal ball does.
posted by David Virgil at 1:39 AM
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