Saturday, September 21, 2013

Game Day - Saints Win / GW Lose

Well, how quickly your fortunes can change from a great start to the day to a terrible end.  Starting the day at home watching my beloved Southampton beat Liverpool on the TV an upset in many peoples eyes but well deserved after watching the full 90 minutes.  A morning at home with the family some breakfast and premier league soccer what more do you need?  Then it was on to Mount Vernon for a local match up v Navy which we knew going in was going to be a tough game and wow did that come true.

The first half we never really got going and if I was honest we were lucky to be losing by only the one goal.  A technically poor performance and inability to keep the ball kept the pressure on our back 4 and we were never able to recover.  One thing you can control even when your having a bad game is your effort and workrate and I think that many of us today lacked whats needed to be successful as an individual and a team by not quite pushing themselves this in turn gave the opposition more time and space and really forced us onto the back foot.

Having got through the first half 1-0 down I was optimistic for the second half knowing that we could only improve on our performance and with a little luck we could easily get ourselves back in the game.  An improved second half saw us at least compete better and pressure the opposition but Navy goals at critical times put an end to any comeback that we may have had.  Both second half goals came at a time when we were probably having our best spells which was an even bigger blow to take.  As much as it hurts to say it, it was plain to see that today we were outplayed in every department.  Teams can have off days and today we chose to do just that against a well organized team that punished us for doing so.  Not only that but it poured down most of the game so I couldn't even enjoy the weather.

Today is certainly a day when I reserved my post game comments to the players until I have a chance to absorb what just happened and tried to get some positives from the game.  Its back to the drawing board tomorrow and next week I hope to see a response in practice from the players as we prepare for our next game against UMBC. 

Raise High Moment of the Day
Southampton beating Liverpool.


Friday, September 20, 2013

Soccer Tennis / Mind Games

Todays session was again shorter than normal but more intense to get the players ready for the game tomorrow and make sure that our bodies are firing again after a lighter session yesterday.  Main topic was trying to work on some transition play and getting the guys to focus mentally.  Proper preparation for games is paramount to success and as much as we try to prepare our players on the field with technical, tactical and physical aspects of the game, mentally its up to them to get their minds ready.    Pregame rituals differ for each player with what to eat the night before, pregame, sleeping times, superstitions and these are the areas that we as coaches have limited control over.  At this stage of their collegiate careers the players themselves have to know what works for them and have to make sure that when the whistle blows for the kick off tomorrow they are ready to compete.

I know none of our players would do the following but thought it really emphasizes how each individual prepares for games and this is probably one of the weirdest pre game rituals Ive experienced, not that he did this when he was a pro but i think its a great story.  Believe it or not I played on a team with a retired Bulgarian Soccer International who also played in a World Cup Finals.  After showing up for our local amateur men's team he refused to play until he had a Heineken beer and cigarette.  That day no one had picked up some Heineken's for post game refreshments so he left and returned 20mins later with the game already started, drank his newly purchased Heineken and entered the field of play.  Not that I am encouraging this behavior but he was one of the best players I ever played with.  True story!

To promote the game tomorrow I thought it would be a good idea to play a little soccer tennis on the Foggy Bottom Campus right in front of the library.  Obviously with everyone studying before the weekend people coming in and out of the library and the central location it seemed like the perfect idea.  It was a perfect idea until we were kicked off the area for apparently not reserving it.  Reminded me of the old days when I practiced on the polo fields down on the national mall where we would occasionally get kicked off by the Park Police.  We've come along way since having to practice there without a permit 



Hope to see you at the game tomorrow 3pm kick off and free BBQ for all attending.

Raise High Moment of the Day
Soccer tennis on Kogan Plaza


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Recovery Day / Ranalli Video

Todays training session was once again split into two groups with our guys who played over 45 minutes yesterday having a lighter re generation session and the other group getting our FIFA 11+ warm up followed by a 30 minute small sided game.  With the game v Navy on Saturday its a quick turnaround and while one group is trying to get their legs back the other is trying to keep the game sharpeness they will need when their chance comes.

After joining the re-gen group for their light jog which so happened to cover my one mile for the goal the guys scored yesterday I then got a chance to focus on the other group see the other guys play a 6v6 game.  Its a chance for me to see these players and how close they are to breaking into the starting line up and if they are doing that extra work to maintain their fitness.  With Coaches Ouimet and Irizarry in the line up it was always going to a memorable game to watch with the big bear posting up like Shaquille O' Neal and Irizarry zipping around like a trapped firefly.  Goal of the day may have gone to Irizarry after his long distance strike and best battling performance to Ouimet who terrorized the defenders with his movement off the ball and ability to hold off 3 defenders at one time. 

With the session being a little shorter it gave the players a chance to relax a little more before classes but some players again stayed behind for some extra work.  Probably seeing how it has paid dividends for Ranalli this season as he is constantly hitting extra balls I hope it has the same return for them in the upcoming games.  For me it was back to the office and catching up on some emails and projects, most importantly our Alumni event October 5th.  I hope to have a good turnout for our alumni game in the am followed by our game against Robert Morris and evening reception.



Raise High Moment of the Day
Meet Tyler Ranalli Colonial of the Week Video

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Game Day Blog St. Peter's

The game of soccer can be very frustrating on times and today was one of those times.  After making the trip to New Jersey yesterday on our off day we played a St. Peter's team that was searching for their first win although their record was a little decieving given the teams they had played against and each game was a single goal loss or tie.

With almost everyone fit and available for selection just picking the starting 11 has become difficult.  I'm not complaining as its a good problem to have when everyone is healthy and there's competition for places and the group knows that each game we have rotated guys in to try and keep the high energy and commitment.  Whether guys start or not, when they are on the field they have to be ready and contribute to the team because we have the next guy waiting for his chance.

The first half was a close affair with both teams struggling to find any kind of rhythm and goal scoring chances limited to set plays and speculative shots on goal.  A worrying trend for me was our inability to recognize when to try and play and when to put safety first and make their back 4 turn and defend balls over the top.  In games where our width has created chances by our ability to switch the play diagonally quickly we lacked that today for most of the game and it would cost us in the second half. 

After a scoreless first half it took only a minute into the second for St Peters to find the back of the net. Mentally we were still in the lockeroom and another silly foul and the quickly taken free kick to get the ball out wide found us slow to get there and a service into the box found a player all alone to tap home from 6 yards.  The worst possible start to the second half and as we tried to find our way back into the game we again conceded a goal that we had as much to blame for rather than them earning it.  You can't give goals away and expect to win games and its hurt us both times for our games here in New Jersey. (staying in the same hotel that we stayed at against NJIT was probably a mistake on my part considering we lost that game and I'm very superstitious about these things)

I did admire the fact that we never gave up and after Ranalli blasted home from inside the 18 yard box to make it 2-1 we were in for a 5 minute finale that we would push forward but come up just short.  The goal was a sign of confidence and the extra work he has been doing with coach Ouimet has certainly paid off the last 2 weeks so all credit to Tyler I hope he keeps his run going.  

With the final score 2-1 it was another long ride home.  Back to work and Practice tomorrow as we have to keep our heads up and get ready for a quick turn around and game Saturday v Navy.

Raise High Moment of the Day
Goal from Ranalli or Angel's shorts post game.  The vote goes to Ranalli !

Monday, September 16, 2013

Tragedy hits DC

Practice today saw us open the session for any walk on tryout participants so it was a chance to unearth any players who could add to the squad.  The players went through some 1v1 exercises then into some small sides games and into a full 11v11 game.  It was a good session for the players to work on quite a few aspects of ther games but also get some sharpness for our next game on Wednesday v St. Peter's in NJ.  IT was also another lifting day which saw the guys move straight from the field into the gym. 

Unfortunately the day in DC was dominated by the news pictures and radio coverage on my drive into the city of the tragedy that would enfold throughout the day.  As more and more details became available you couldn't escape the news and horror that happened at the Navy Yard in DC.  Despite being almost 2+ miles from GW the uncertainty and not knowing what was happening in a different part of the city added to the anxiety throughout the day.  No city is totally safe from attack but I felt reassured how quickly the various federal and DC agencies engulfed the scene and secured the area that DC is one of the safest cities. 

As thoughts go out to all those effected by today's tradegy it's also a time to thank all the members of the law enforcement agencies who run head first into these situations and risk their lives while saving others. 

When events like todays happen especially so close to home it really puts things in perspective.  We won't let these acts stop us from achieving our goals and living our everyday lives but today it stopped us for moment and then I knew I couldn't let it defeat us. 



Sunday, September 15, 2013

Determination / No Excuses

After yesterday's win it was back to the practice field for a recovery session and some injury prevention exercises and treatments.  An earlier start than usual due to our GW student athlete retreat saw us on the field at 830 but all done by 915.  No additional or new injuries from the game so we appear to be doing well in keeping the guys healthy. 

Our annual GW student athlete leadership retreat started with all our athletes meeting at the smith center and assigned to teams either  Buff or Blue.  After a brief welcome it was down to Constitution ave and 23rd for a series of team games including relays, tug of war balloon toss to name a few.  My team was 5-0 before our last 2 events where we were blatantly cheated to finish 5-2   a solid performance but we wouldnt be representing the Blue team in the grand finale. 

The highlight of the day, apart from the free lunch was our guest speaker, Kyle Maynard.  I encourage you to google his name and learn some more about the person who really brought home the theme of the day "DETERMINATION" and something I often ask and tell athletes "NO EXCUSES"

Raise High Moment of the Day
Being surrounded by and spending time with our GW student athletes