Movember November and Travel

Its been a while since my last blog as its been a busy month.  With the season over and the players starting their off season strength and conditioning program Coach Irizarry and I have been traveling most weekends hitting the recruiting trail.  After a trip to Surf Cup in San Diego last week and a nice visit to good friend and Alumni Andy Drykaman and his family and good friend Simon Yeoman who hosted me it was back to the east coast.  A brief couple of days in DC and I left for Florida this weekend to attend the USSF Academy showcase.  As we search for the next GW soccer players for 2013 and beyond I am happy with the progress so far and hopefully we can close the deal on some players we are recruiting and get the 2013 class finished off.

Off the field the players are working hard in the gym and all the injuries we had during the season seem to be recovering so I am looking forward to the Spring and getting the boys back on the field.  Academically I am optimistic that this semester will be a good one for the team as we strive for excellence in the classroom.  The players also gave their time to help for thanksgiving by collecting a thanksgiving basket and I'm not sure they knew where half the items were on the shopping list but they got it done so good job lads.

This month has also seen me grow some facial mayhem known as a mustache in aid of Movember in the hope to raise some money for Mens Health Issues as many around the world do the same.  Today is the last day so tomorrow I will be facial hair free although I have become attached to the tash I'm looking forward to the kids recognizing me again and being free from funny stares and comments.  Its all for a good cause so it was well worth it although next year I may not have the strength to carry the mustache again.  You can still make an online donation to my account if you haven't already and no donation is too small or too big.  Jonsey Fundraising

I will leave you with a picture on my last day of Movember and in the next few days will post some video interviews of the separation of the tash and pre and post tash interviews.

Magic Moment of the Day
Getting back to the hotel to put my feet up and know that after this weekend I get to be at home with my family for at least 2 weeks.

Thank You Seniors and Post Game Thoughts

This evenings game was the last game of our Fall season and we hoped that we could end with a win but unfortunately it wasn't to be.  With Charlotte needing to win to claim the regular season A10 title we were not going to give it up that easy after winning it last year.  I thought our dreaded curse had hit again when Higgins and Ross colliding in the pre game warm up but luckily they both recovered to start the game.

We started slow which put us under pressure from the start.  Just under five minutes and we had given away another silly free kick and we paid the price from the resulting restart to go down 1-0.  After still being under pressure the players showed a resilience that has not been there in many games to absorb the pressure and finally get a rhythm of our own.  I felt the penalty decision was well deserved after a spell of attacking pressure from ourselves and Rudolph playing his final college game slotted the ball into the back of the net after sending the keeper the wrong way on the PK.

Second half was more of a defensive display and occasionally playing quickly on the break and looking for set play situations that had caused so many problems for them in the first half.  It seemed that the game would be heading into overtime when Charlotte found the back of the net to take the lead and see them to victory with less than 5 minutes to go.  OUCH!

A disappointing end to the season but I was very proud of how the guys played today and thought we at least deserved a tie.  It was unfortunately the last game for our seniors, Rudolph, Abaie. Almodovar and Ripperger-Suhler and a big thank you goes out to them for all their efforts throughout their careers at GW.  I am already looking forward to playing with them next year in the alumni game and I hope they have enjoyed being part of the program.

Now its time for our 7 hour bus ride home, lots of movies and hopefully a nap

Magic Moment of the Day
Our seniors!!!!

Back on the Road and Movember

With Coach Pasquinelli not able to be at practice on Thursday due to a broken toe (so he says) I was able to work with the GK's for the first part of the session and dedicated the majority of the time too working on crosses.  An area where I think all our keepers have struggled with this season and an area where we need improvement for the game Saturday.  With Almodovar back in the mix we have 4 goalkeepers fit which is almost as many as the outfield players.

During and after practice today (Friday) the number of players fit for a short moment had increased by one but by the end of the short session we had lost a keeper with Farrell not being able to shrug off the injury that kept him out last week, Aberiajn pulling out due to a hamstring injury that will see him remain at home and Khan is still out after last Fridays injury.   We did get Sandland back so the final score is
Fit GK's 3 -  Injured GK's 1
Fit Players 14 - Injured Players 6
For these last few weeks I have changed the definition of fit otherwise we would only have ten 100% Fit field players:
"FIT"
 -someone who could possibly play for longer than 15 minutes
- has an injury but is going to try and play anyway.

Onto something else as I'm sure you're fed up of hearing me complain.  I have finally gone for it.  With it being Movember I have decided to become a MoBro for the month and try and grow a moustache to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancer and mens health issues.  I hope to give you photo updates every couple of days so you can see my progress and hopefully make a small donation.
DONATE NOW!!

We have just got back on the bus from another top drawer restaurant choice by Coach Irizarry called Darryls.  As we finish the ride down to Charlotte with an over full belly I write this Blog on the bus I cannot tell you after last week how happy I am that this is our last away trip.  I am disappointed for the players and myself that this will be our last game as it means we have not been successful in achieving some of our goals and playing in the post season but I believe we have achieved many goals and we will build on that moving forward.

Magic Moment of the Day
Holleran putting the moves on Coach Irizarry, he has recovered and I have to commend him on his choice of restaurant for dinner.

Good To Be Back In DC

Its been Monday since my last blog but if feels like a week ago with the past few days trials and tribulations.  Our 415am start yesterday for a brisk walk to the metro in St. Louis found us getting our 2 flights to get back close to DC or at least 5 hours away in Raleigh NC.  3 rented mini vans later and the long drive saw us back at foggy bottom about 730pm and the end of a stressful 2.5 days for me trying to get the team home.  Practice today was delayed an hour too give the guys some added sleep time although many of the guys were up for morning classes.

Seeing the devastation on the TV from NY, NJ and DE and other places and knowing some players had homes seriously damaged by Sandy made the trip no easier knowing that DC had been lucky to avoid the chaos and madness that these areas will face for days/weeks to come but a reminder that there are always those less fortunate than yourself.  I hope these areas recover quickly and my thoughts are with those that were taken by the storm.  I was just upset that I couldn't get home to my family and all the problems that we faced to get home.  It puts things in perspective when you see the news and what others are facing in the days/weeks ahead.

Back to today and practice was very light to get the trip out of our legs and see how the many injured guys that could not travel were doing and whether they were on the road to recovery to play this weekend.  A light jog and some agility work followed by a 7v7 was the order of the day and despite running 3 laps myself in the warm up I still could not find my legs to play in the game.  Its been a hectic 6 days for most of these guys and I liked the enthusiasm they still had for the session today leading up to the game Saturday against Charlotte ranked #21 by the NSCAA and going for the A10 regular season title.

I was still shattered getting home today but managed to put on a smily face for Halloween and the chance to take Cerys Trick or Treating in the local neighborhood.  I have to confess that I didn't dress up this year but when asked I told people I was dressed as a soccer coach without going into detail about the season and past few days and no more questions were asked luckily.

Looking forward to getting back on the field tomorrow and doing a Brendan Rodgers making the field my office and having those little conversations that matter and make players feel good about what they can do for themselves and the team.

Magic Moment of the Day
Waking up next to Liz, Cerys and Dylan.

Hurricane Sandy

On the East Coast with most people taking cover and trying to escape the incoming storm I feel like a storm chaser as I have worked frantically to get back home to DC.  With flights cancelled again today my efforts turned to getting back south of the city to Richmond and now Ralkeigh, NC where hopefully we will fly into tomorrow to bus back from Raleigh and get back home.

Stuck in St. Louis for another day, a beautiful day actually and quite different to the weather that is battering our east coast home so we had to get out of the hotel with cabin fever setting in.  A walk to the St. Louis arch after breakfast got us some fresh air and a walk through the city.  Our injury situation couldn't get any worse so the players decided to have a game of tag football (american football that is) underneath the arch.

Just before we were about to set off back to the hotel the dreaded message came through and our flights had been cancelled.  With check out at 1pm and with no transportation to get around I decided to change hotels to move downtown to where we could walk to get dinner this evening with lots of options close by unlike the hotel we were staying in previously.  Another logistical nightmare to deal with but we did it and looking forward to dinner this evening at Charlie Gitto's a few blocks away.

A quick study hall late afternoon with all the players getting some homework done and we are all ready to get some good food and get to bed early for a 430am start tomorrow.  The players don't know yet that we are leaving that early so I'm sure they will be delighted when I inform them this evening after dinner.

Magic Moment of the Day
Skype call with Liz and the family

Sunday is NOT Funday

Well todays game did not go as we would have liked and after going in 3-0 at half time we really had to  shake things up to get anything from the game.  An improved performance in the second half saw us allow 2 late goal which was not what maybe the second half performance deserved.  That being said it was another day of individual mistakes that cost us goals and unfortunately we have made far too many of them this season.  With one game left in the season I hope the players are still looking forward to the trip to Charlotte and the chance to end on a high and beat a top 25 team.

If things weren't going badly already this season and certainly this weekend then I am about to put the icing on the cake.  After traveling to St. Louis airport our connecting flight into DC was cancelled and we are stuck here for at least another night and day.  What a disaster!! At the airport I was seconds away from losing it with the staff and rude people cutting in line but after an hours wait I was finally at the front desk trying in vain to get the team home.  With no luck tonight on getting anywhere near DC I hope for tomorrow and we get our flights so I can get back to my family as they have to be alone during this once in a lifetime storm/hurricane/tornedo to hit the DC area.  I feel for Coach Pasquinelli also has his wife and children are at home and I know they would feel a lot safer if he were there.

Anyways, one last thing.  When you are playing away from home try and check whats going on in the city that weekend.  This is something I try and do and did do with the St. Louis Cardinals possibly getting in the world series but after they lost I thought it would be a quiet weekend in St. Louis.  Upon our arrival on Saturday I was not delighted to see the hoards of screaming kids in town and it seemed like they were all staying at our hotel, for a Justin Beiber concert.  Just another part of the every eventful life of a coach this season.

Magic Moment of the Day
At least having a hotel with availability to go back to.

Saturday Travel Day

Saturday was a travel day with us leaving the total at 9.30am in Indianapolis for a four bus ride to St. Louis.  The ride went smoothly and we made good time to get to the hotel by 1.30pm which allowed us to get some lunch down town and the players a chance to see some of the city and obviously the Arch which is a great landmark as you drive into the city.  With practice for 2pm I decided that the risk of anyone else getting injured in a light session was enough to cancel it and allow the players to stretch their legs and walk around town.

A great dinner this evening hosted by Seth Rudolphs family and some traditional pork steaks, pizza and desserts made sure the players we well fed and for me overfed for the game tomorrow.  Great hospitality and a great evening for the players to get some home cooking.

We will need all of our energies for the game tomorrow with St. Louis looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Charlotte on Friday and with only 13 outfield players somewhat fit for the game its going to require a huge effort.  At this point I can only put the injuries down to a streak of bad luck I have never seen before so I hope we get a little help from lady luck tomorrow to get us through the game with enough players to finish the game.  That being said, I go into every game knowing that on any given day you can get a result when everything seems stacked against you.  The players should be excited to be playing a team in the top 25 at a great stadium that last year brought us some success in the A10 tournament only to fall short on PK's in the final.

Magic Moment of the Day
Watching Bergkamp and Henry 100 goals for Arsenal on the bus.

Fridays Post Game Words

After Thursdays travel we took a walk on the field after breakfast Friday to stretch our legs and check the field for the game that evening.  After the players had a brief tag football game on the field it was back on the vans and to the hotel to relax, get a study hall done and then go for the pregame meal at 3pm.  Before the pregame meal I got the opportunity to hit Wal-Mart to get some extra warm socks and additional layers as the 80 degree weather when we got here had quickly changed to cold, very cold with heavy rain in the morning and potential for more.

After doing our pre game meeting at the hotel we were ready to travel to the field for our 7pm kick off.  Getting to our visiting lockeroom in the old field house at Butler, which hosts numerous sports, was a challenge.  After final preparations by the players we then had to find our way out of the building which was a disaster.  After a 10 minute walk we were finally out on the field.

After a good start to the game in which we competed well the game quickly began to get away from us.  With Khan going down injured and out for the rest of the game and Sundays we adjusted well but knew we were getting frighteningly close to no one on the bench to come into the first half action. 

From a silly free kick for a handball in a dangerous area we paid the price and after a misjudgment by defenders and GK we found ourselves 1-0 down.  A chance to equalize within minutes was wasted and just when it looked like we would go into half time and 1-0 we conceded a stupid corner and from the resulting serve lost spots in our zonal marking at the near post and didn’t jump to compete for the header which found the back of the net for 2-0 just a minute from half time.  Killer blow and terrible time to concede.

With some words at halftime the game plan hadn’t changed much as we had created chances in the first half and one goal and we knew we were back in it.  Then with less then 5 minutes into the second half we saw a shot from distance somehow find the back of the net.  Game plan now well and truly out the window we pushed in vain for a goal but unfortunately found ourselves conceding a PK after another individual mistake in our 1v1 defending cost us again.  A definite PK and things were made worse when Hinners received a yellow card for dissent which sees him miss Sundays game due to suspension through yellow card accumulation.  Disappointing knowing we are already down to bare bones with the number of fit players with what has become possibly the worst season for injuries I have been involved in.

Anyways, we move on with 2 games in conference left again St. Louis and Charlotte with both teams in the Top 25 right now it’s a challenging end to a difficult season.

Magic Moment of the Day

My socks from Wal-Mart worked wonders keeping my feet toasty all night.

Back on the Road

The injury curse which has plagued us all season hit again this morning as Forrest was ill throughout the night and was not able to make the trip after being held at GW hospital for further tests.   Despite asking around the athletic department if anyone wanted to come in his place we were out of luck and would travel without a replacement.  On to Reagan National Airport and the first leg of our road trip this weekend.  Logistically we will be using vans, planes, buses, a coach and shuttles to see us through so fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.

After checking in and getting through security with ease except for Coach Pasquinelli who had a bottle of water in his backpack we were ready to get to the gate and get boarded.  Once on the plane we sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes as they tried to fix Ripperger-Suhler’s seat.  After a technician came and the seat could not be fixed one person had to leave the plane to make room and we were finally ready to take off and get to Indianapolis.  There was no way I was going to lose another player so lucky another fella volunteered to give up his seat.

Once in the air the flight went well and we were in Indy and on the vans on the way to the Hotel.  A team dinner this evening and back to the hotel for an early night ready for the game tomorrow.  With breakfast at 9am and a walk through at 11am its time for me to hit the sack and get some rest.

Magic Moment of the Day

Getting through the first leg of the trip trouble free.

Tuesday Travel Plans

Good to be back on the training field this morning to get the players going again and focused on Fridays game against A10 newcomers Butler University.  The weather couldn't have been better and with us travelling Thursday and missing practice it was good to skip the strength and conditioning session today and use the extra time to stay on the field.

An energetic warm up and quick possession exercise got the players motivated to win each round and the extra efforts put in this week will help us in our games this weekend.  After working on some shape and again focusing in the final third and getting some quality possession and service the session was all but over.

Big weekend ahead not just the games but the travel involved to get to them.  Starting with a flight Thursday to Indianapolis, bus Saturday to St. Louis and Flight home to DC on Sunday.  Alot of planning involved with the logistics but everythings in place so hopefully the trip will run smoothly and the only thing the players will have on thier minds is the A10 games.

Some articles and photos from the weekend
Fridays Report and Video
Sundays Report
Hatchet Interview

Magic Moment of the Day
Everyday the attitude from Painter as he rehabs from his summer surgery.  Always seems to be smiling despite spending more time in the training room than Marta herself.

Weekend Review

After attending the DC United game on Saturday night and seeing them win 3-2 to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2007 I was feeling rather optimistic for our game on Sunday.  Congrats to my friends Benny Olsen and Chad Ashton on getting there and all the DC United players and staff.

After Fridays great win and watching DC United spirited performance on Saturday night  it was unfortunately followed by a very disappointing loss on Sunday.  It seems our ability to win 2 consecutive games still eludes us and after giving up 3 first half goals we had a mountain to climb to try and get back in the game.  Despite a much superior possession count in the second half it was mainly in our defensive and middle third of the field as we continued to turn the ball over in the final third.  With 3 games to go we will need to win on the road and probably win all 3 games to advance to the A10 tournament.

After the disappointment of the loss there was some consolation as we celebrated senior day with our 4 seniors.  Pre game presentations where Rudoph, Abaie, Ripperger-Suhler and Almodovar received a framed GW uniform whilst being escorted by family was something to remember.  Post game meal provided by the parents was great as always and the players dressed in shirt and ties certainly added to the occasion. 

Its been a pleasure working with our current seniors and I hope they had as much fun along the way as I have enjoyed working with them.  There is still 3 games for them to continue to leave their mark on the GW program and I'll be hoping they can lead the team to success in our remaining games to keep their collegiate careers going.  

Magic Moment of the Weekend

Senior Day.  Its always a special day, to say thanks for thier contributions to the progarm and celebrate thier collegiate careers.

Post Game

After a busy morning with recruits it took my mind off the game a little and gave me an opportunity not to get too stressed out. With my pre game talk planned out the night before and a brief scouting report already with the players it was a quick recap before the game and then naming the starting line up and getting on with it.

I thought that we played well enough last game to start with the same line up. Collectively as a team we had done well and without the individual mistakes that had cost us last week i thought we could get a result playing the same formation.

After 15 minutes it was obvious that what we had planned was not having the desired effect so a quick change and we started to get a grip on the game. Our goal came from a free kick that we had previously had no success from but we finally had that quality service and despite no one getting a touch it curled into the far corner of the goal.

At half time we knew there was going to be a time in the second half that we would come under pressure and had to dig in and find a way to win the game. It seemed we had found the second goal and a slight cushion only for the keeper to deny Abaie with a great goal line clearance from his header that seemed certain for the goal. Not long afterwards it was Rudolphs turn to to go through 1v1 only to have 3 chances to put it away but failing to do so. At this point I was starting to think it would be one of those days where we would rue our missed chances but I knew Rudolph would have one more chance. When the chance finally came he did not make the same mistake second time around and after a through ball by Abaie and rounding the keeper he finished into the open net to the delight of the crowd, players and staff. With about 7 minutes on the clock there was still some nervous minutes ahead but we were able to get through with the win and clean sheet.

Magic Moment of the Day
Farrell first collegiate clean sheet and Rudolph getting the all important 2nd goal.

Normal Practice Day

Practice Day (with NO Administrative meeting)

6.30-7am Wake up Depending on Cerys and Dylan
7-8am Hang out watching Dora the Explorer and getting a head start on my emails.
8am-8.30am Either Drop Cerys off at Daycare or Drive straight to office (today was straight in) the drive usually involves a phone call or 2 and listening to satellite radio footy shows.
8.30am-9am Check office phone messages review daily agenda, 10 minutes my time
9am-9.30am Review Practice plan for the day with Staff
9.45am-11.45am Practice
Noon-1pm Academic Meetings with players
1-1.30pm Lunch at Mount Vernon
130pm-4pm Office work (return emails/calls/planning/paperwork)
4.15pm Leave for Foggy Bottom Main athletic office
4.45pm Leave for Home

Tomorrow we play Rhode Island who are above us in the conference by one point and have only played 3 games opposed to our 4.  Its a big game for both teams as we find ourselves at the wrong end of the A10 table so we will both be fighting for that win and 3 points.

Magic Moment of The Day
Coach Pasquinelli in Goal keeping them out

Wednesday Wobbles

With the weekend coming up being our last two home games it is important that this weeks preparation and practice  are spot on.  The players already know the importance of the games this weekend so it was good to see the effort in practice yesterday (tuesday) but disappointing today as some players sulked around and their body language was not what we expect from a GW player.  That being said, we got through the session today and managed to come through without any new injuries despite Rudolph pulling up yesterday due to some hamstring tightness we hope he will be okay for the weekend.

Our Goalkeepers seem to be having the worse luck right now with JP out with sickness and Almodovar leg and finger injuries.  Farrell and Lopez will have another chance this weekend to make the #1 position their own as we have seen the mantle pass along this season for various reasons.

I expected some tiredness this week and last as many players have a very busy academic schedule and knowing how things work I'm sure their time management has seen them cram late night sessions and extra work in over these past 2 weeks to get things done.  Maybe as part of the pre game schedule this week I should designate nap time to make sure everyone gets the rest they need.  An idea I got reading about the Northwestern football team.

Tomorrow is the final session of the week before Fridays game so I will give you my post practice thoughts and pre game preview.

Magic Moment of the Day
Higgins goal off a cross from Hinners

Short Post Game Blog

I have to commend the players on a much improved performance.  A last minute goal is a tough way to lose any game in any sport so I know the disappointment the players will be feeling.  A change in formation to try and get more offense seemed to work especially in the second half but we didn't take the chances we had.  It felt like our goal came at the 8th attempt after coming off the crossbar and finally getting in to go in.  It was a good goal and came after we had just conceded to a set play so the timing and response was perfect.  Unfortunately we would concede to another set play late in the game to cost us dearly.

Its on to next weekend where luckily we are at home again for two crucial encounters against Rhode Island Friday and UMass on Sunday.  There was certainly a lot more positives to take from the game today and I hope the players will feel the same after the disappointment of today starts to wear away.  

Magic Moment of the Day
Team Defending in response to Friday

Saturdays quick note

Back to practice early this morning and 30 minutes of video review was not the best way to get the day going after being up late watching the game again last night.  On the field we definitely had some tired legs but I liked the fact that even the guys who played a full 90 minutes wanted to do a little extra today to get ready for tomorrow.  A little warm up and stretching and then we were into a small sided game to get the players some sharpness for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we play Fordham who had a good result Friday night away from home tying with Charlotte 0-0.  At least the past 3 seasons they have been one of the best teams in the Conference and finished Co Regular Season Champions with us all last year with a 7-2 conference record.  It will be another battle and as a team we have to get going early and compete individually and as a group all oll over the field.  Kick off is at 1pm at Mount Vernon Campus.

After practice it was long day recruiting for me locally for some VA State Cup games.  Some entertaining games with all the passion that is associated with Cup Knockout tournaments.  Good chatting with some coaches I know and haven’t seen for a while but by the end of the day I was looking forward to going home.

Magic Moment of the Day

Walking through the door at the end of a long day

Post Game - At least Wales won

Not a good day at the office.  Probably one of the most disappointing losses of my entire time here at GW.  Unfortunately we were once again unable to start the same back four in consecutive games and knowing yesterday we would be missing Sousa and with Shaban already out we were rocked when we lost Sandland to a freak injury before the game and JP in warm up.  The versatile Holleran moved position again and found himself at left back and Farrell made his college debut in goal.  Despite the scoreline and conceding 4 goals Farrell can still hold his head high as I thought he was one of few positives to come out of the game.  That says it all with our GK conceding 4 goals and playing great and highlights some of the shambolic team defending that cost us goals today.

With us back on the field Sunday it gives us little time to prepare and for us it more like repair as we try and get guys fit.  Like most games I try and get the positives out of losses but today the honest fact is we did not work hard enough and too many players went missing when we needed them most.  Again it was a case of creating chances but not scoring in the second half and giving goals away from areas we had spoken about before the game.

For Coach Farrell of LaSalle whom I happen to like and have for many years it was his 200th career win so again congratulations on achieving that milestone.  We had a good chat afterwards and I like the way he put the 200 wins in perspective "it just shows that you've been doing this a long time"  Probably made it even more special as his son a freshman scored the opening goal for him.

The small bit of good news for me today was that Wales beat Scotland 2-1 in a world cup qualifier and despite having a long shot to actually qualify its a win that stopped a 4 game losing streak.

Magic Moment of the Day
Wales 2 - Scotland 1

Clash of the Tartans and Pre Game

With todays practice focusing on sharpness and final preparations for the game tomorrow we started the day in the locker room talking over some formation and general tendencies of how we think LaSalle will line up.  Gotta be careful how much you rely on scouting reports as college teams can change their line ups from game to game.  Still, I think there is always information you can use and share with the players so after 20 mins we were out on the field.

After a warm up and some light ball work we were ready to get into a 6v6 tournament.  With the teams selected by injured players Scott and Shaban the teams were announced and each team was given a Head Coach consisting of Abdul Shaban Wenger, Alejandro Almodovar Di Matteo, and Matty Scott Pardew.  The guys were certainly sharp and began with a great strike and goal from Abaie after just 7 seconds on the clock.  That certainly set the tempo for the games ahead and the players responded with a great 45 minutes of soccer.  Almodovar Di Matteo came out on top after his team went 4-0 followed by Pardew and Wenger who struggled to get his team going.

Tomorrow we play Lasalle 3pm at Mount Vernon.  Having played only one game in the A10 so far LaSalle find themselves on the same number of points as us after they overcame Fordham in OT last Friday.  They will have had 2 extra days of rest and with an overall record of 7-2-2 they have shown so far that they are a tough team to beat and very capable of getting results.  Its a rematch of last years A10 semi final game which went into overtime and don't expect anything different this time around as I feel its going to be a very close encounter.  As always for our home games you can follow the live stats online or watch the live stream online if you cannot get to the Vern.

Have to mention its a great day for soccer tomorrow with World Cup qualifiers taking place in all continents and most importantly the highly anticipated Clash of the Tartans Wales v Scotland played in Cardiff.  Both teams are struggling for form so don't expect a classic here but the result could see the end of either managers reign, end either teams hope of qualification and let one nation have the bragging rights until they meet again later in qualifying.  Go On The Welsh!!!

Magic Moment of the Day
Irizarry nutmegs, classic

Family Shout Outs

Apologies to my millions, maybe just a handful, of my blog readers for the past couple of days silence and no updated news from GW.  I have to make the excuse that I have been extremely busy and whilst I enjoy writing the blog at the end of the day at home late at night I have been finding myself putting Cerys to bed and falling to sleep also.  NOT today, a cup of coffee after a very late lunch/early dinner has given me the energy to stay awake beyond 10.30pm so lets hope I have something exciting to tell you?

After the split weekend in opening A10 play we were off from practice on Monday for a much needed rest and treatment day for the players.  Coach Irizarry and I reviewed the video from the weekend and the disappointment of losing is helped by getting a night to absorb what you think happened on Sunday and then seeing there were many positives from the loss that we will take to practice this week. Then it was a rainy night in Rockville to watch a High School game as we look for the next GW Colonials.  At this point I would like to thank my wife Liz for understanding my mood swings and putting up with me during the season.

With 2 days down of practice this week the group have looked refreshed and despite what is a busy academic time for the guys the energy and enthusiasm has not diminished on the practice field.  News today that Shaban will need a face mask to possibly play this weekend after a confirmed nose fracture has me thinking of Phantom of the Opera and the possibility that he will sing the national anthem before the games this weekend donned in face mask and GW cloak.

I believe that you have to push yourself as a coach to make sure that each practice is a little bit different.  Even when addressing the same themes/topics there has to be some part that is new and engaging and keeps the session from becoming routine and mundane for the players. (not sure if thats the correct use of mundane here but I'm going with it)  Its a challenge that I take into every session and planning becomes stealing and using others ideas that I have watched to put my own spin on and make it better.  I can feel the players enjoying practice and thats the best part of my job.

Before I end the blog I want to share the words of my good friend Ian Jones who I know stole this from someone else "Trying is looking good while failing, those that win never say they tried, but those that failed do"

Magic Moment of the Past Few Days
Dylans laughter and not knowing why he's laughing

Pre Game Thoughts

Well todays practice went well with the usual aches and pains of the coaching staff being helped by the morning coffee and diet coke.  Just kidding, the guys aches and pains were worked out as best we could with a re-gen session with lots of stretching and movement but nothing too strenuous as we plan for tomorrow.  Except for Shaban who possibly broke his nose with his brave header late in the game to save a certain goal everyone else came through the game and practiced today.  A tough decision tomorrow with more guys showing they are available to play but a selection dilemma I would love to have every game as competition for places is a healthy process to have.

Tomorrow's game sees us visit VCU and another trip to Richmond VA.  VCU are coming off a great 4-1 defeat of 14th nationally ranked Charlotte on Friday night so they will be on top of the world right now.  With only one other loss this season they have proved that their addition to the A10 conference is only going to strengthen the soccer conference further.

For us it was the end of a 4 game losing streak and possibly the hardest victory I have been involved in.  We should be going into the game with a high level of confidence ourselves after that win and knowing the goals we scored we top class.  We know what we do well and I know from Fridays win the lads realized what other things we can do well and what we can achieve if we have the desire to play this way every game.

Magic Moment of the Day
Seeing the players to congratulate them for the last time at get them back to earth for tomorrow

Post Game Blog

The start of A10 play saw us make the trip south down 95 for an evening game v Richmond.  After our previous trip traveling south on 95, a brutal traffic experience trying to get to ODU, we once again set off early to allow for possible Friday traffic and after a good start I was worried this could be deja vu after we grinded to a halt.  Luckily the lanes eventually opened up and we were able to get to our pre game meal stop at 3.30pm just 20 minutes from Richmond University.  Kudos to Coach Irizarry on the selection which seemed great but by half time with 5 people complaining of stomach pains I began to doubt it.   Rudolph seemed affected the most and couldn't start the second half and continued to struggle post game.

After taking in some of the women's game before ours we set off to the locker room to start getting ready for the game ahead.  The players each had their scouting portfolio and formations to review on the bus so it was a just a matter of naming the starting line and assigning set play positions in our pre game talk.  A quick reminder of what to expect and the importance of competing for every ball and we were out for the warm up.

The game started and we were able to dictate the pace of the game and kept possession well with penetration on both flanks.  In the early exchanges we were able to see that our opposition were going to be extremely direct and this would be a night that bravery and resilience would come into play at some point with us having to deal with long ball after long ball into the box and back line.  Then against the run of play Richmond were awarded a Penalty for a dubious handball on Shaban and scored the resulting spot kick to take the lead.  Despite our strong start we were one down and I knew that on a 3 game winning streak and with their noses in front it would be tough to get back in the game.

The tying goal came from freshman Higgins who got in front of his marker to finish with a header from a  great Abaie service and good build up before that.  For the rest of the half we once again dealt with Richmonds attack and build some pretty good moves that created chances and gave us the confidence and belief that we could go on and win it.

A slow start to the second half put us under early pressure and just when it looked like we had weathered the storm and started to get a hold of the game Richmond were awarded another PK this time for a handball on Alexandersson.  I have to say that apart from dunking the ball after he double dribbled it, it was clearly a PK and a good call from the ref.  This time the PK was hit slightly higher and with Almodovar going the right way his one handed save tipped the ball onto the crossbar and out.  Great save and kept us all level.

With just over 20 mins left the introduction of Hinners from the bench proved to be pivotal.  After be denied a penalty of our own Richmond failed to clear the ball and from the resulting throw in another freshman Forrest picked up the ball turned and played a great ball for Hinners to be brave enough to get his head on the cross before the keeper and we took the lead.  This would prove to be the game winning goal.  What followed was some desperation defending on times and guys putting their bodies on the line to not concede another goal.  Rudolph known for his goal scoring twice had goal line clearances and Shaban and Alexandersson held the ship steady to see us through.

If things stay the same with the news that Richmond will drop Mens Soccer it was great to see over 2000 fans there to support their program.  I can tell you it made for a great soccer game with the home fans raising their team time an again with the noise and support that made this Friday night game one to remember.

Magic Moment of the Day
The final whistle and a great team performance to get us off to a winning start in the A10.