Sudbury earned a home game against a tough Harvard team from the North division, a team Sudbury had seen in the preseason for a friendly the past two seasons.
The visitors capitalized on a few breakdowns to create scoring chances, but Pat held firm in the Sudbury end. The Sudbury forwards and midfielders appeared rundown and a bit lethargic coming off the high of the previous week and could not sustain any significant pressure on the Harvard defenders or keeper.
Harvard finally broke through around 10 minutes into the second half to take a 1-0 lead on a great run and feed from a pair of speedy forwards. Sudbury attempted to mount an attack over the remainder of the half, but Harvard's talented defense and midfielders created a shell and held their advantage with timely clearing passes and staunch tackling.
Final score - Harvard - 1, Sudbury - 0
It was of small consolation that Harvard went on to win the championship by defeating Peru Sport, who won their semifinal game against the other North division playoff club.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Game 10 v. Peru Sport - 6/13/10
Sudbury took to the pitch at Haskell Field for the final regular season game of the Spring. A win, and Sudbury would gain promotion back to Division 4 for the Fall, and host a playoff game. A loss, and Sudbury would finish in 3rd place, miss the playoffs and remain in Division 5 for the Fall.
The hosts took their mission seriously as the crew came to play with determination. Anthony got the scoring started off a nice feed from Danny. Leo then took a long ball from Steve, beat a defender and walked in alone on the keeper for a 2-0 Sudbury lead.
The defense held tough against a skilled Peru Sport club and Pat held firm in goal as well, making several key saves. Leo later added his second goal of the match and the score held for a 3-0 victory, promotion and a home playoff game the following week.
The hosts took their mission seriously as the crew came to play with determination. Anthony got the scoring started off a nice feed from Danny. Leo then took a long ball from Steve, beat a defender and walked in alone on the keeper for a 2-0 Sudbury lead.
The defense held tough against a skilled Peru Sport club and Pat held firm in goal as well, making several key saves. Leo later added his second goal of the match and the score held for a 3-0 victory, promotion and a home playoff game the following week.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Games 6-9 Updates
Game 6 v. Whaling Port FC
Sudbury began the second half of the schedule looking for revenge for an opening week loss to the club from New Bedford.
Sudbury took control of the game early and carried the play, eventually taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Erik D. and Leo. The visitors came back however, scoring twice on corner kicks in the final 10 minutes to leave Haskell Field with a tie. It was a difficult collapse for Sudbury and 2 points lost that could end up costing them at season's end.
Game 7 v. Rovers FC
Fresh off a disappointing draw against Whaling Port, Sudbury hoped to shake off the result and bring it for their game against the visiting Rovers. The game was tight throughout, as the 0-0 score at halftime was the result of up and down play on both ends. Pat C. made a terrific save on a Rovers penalty kick to keep Sudbury knotted with the visitors.
The second half proved difficult for the hosts however as Sudbury could not capitalize on a variety of chances in the offensive zone and Rovers were able to find the back of the net on a few defensive lapses by Sudbury's midfielders and forwards. Sudbury continued to apply pressure, creating additional holes for the Rovers quick forwards to exploit and the final score ended at 3-0 for the visitors.
Game 8 v. Norfolk FC
Sudbury took the field at Haskell for a third straight home game and were in dire need of a strong performance to stay near the top of the table. The hosts delivered that performance and then some with a strong game against the struggling club from Norfolk.
Anthony C. scored twice upping his team leading total to 4 goals. Erik D. scored his 3rd of the season. Jeff notched his 2nd. Steve C. found the back of the net twice and Kai rounded out the scoring on a nice finish of a Pat C. feed, who was taking a few minutes out of the goal to play the field.
Terrific ball movement and setups on most of the goals as six different players (Hori twice, Leo, Anthony C., Danny, Kai and Pat) notched assists on the scoresheet as well.
Game 9 @ Boston Gunners
Sudbury traveled to Cambridge to face the Gunners on the turf at Danehy Field and looked to continue their strong season. The hosts were unable to field a squad however as only 5 players in green showed up for the schedule 8 am start and Sudbury was awarded a forfeit victory.
Next up: v. Peru Sport - Sudbury (6-2-1) hosts first place Peru Sport (7-1-1) in a battle for first place and promotion. If Sudbury wins, they host a playoff game and are promoted to Division 4 for the Fall. If Sudbury loses or ties, Peru wins the division and are promoted and Sudbury needs a Whaling Port loss or tie in order to make the playoffs.
Sudbury took control of the game early and carried the play, eventually taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Erik D. and Leo. The visitors came back however, scoring twice on corner kicks in the final 10 minutes to leave Haskell Field with a tie. It was a difficult collapse for Sudbury and 2 points lost that could end up costing them at season's end.
Game 7 v. Rovers FC
Fresh off a disappointing draw against Whaling Port, Sudbury hoped to shake off the result and bring it for their game against the visiting Rovers. The game was tight throughout, as the 0-0 score at halftime was the result of up and down play on both ends. Pat C. made a terrific save on a Rovers penalty kick to keep Sudbury knotted with the visitors.
The second half proved difficult for the hosts however as Sudbury could not capitalize on a variety of chances in the offensive zone and Rovers were able to find the back of the net on a few defensive lapses by Sudbury's midfielders and forwards. Sudbury continued to apply pressure, creating additional holes for the Rovers quick forwards to exploit and the final score ended at 3-0 for the visitors.
Game 8 v. Norfolk FC
Sudbury took the field at Haskell for a third straight home game and were in dire need of a strong performance to stay near the top of the table. The hosts delivered that performance and then some with a strong game against the struggling club from Norfolk.
Anthony C. scored twice upping his team leading total to 4 goals. Erik D. scored his 3rd of the season. Jeff notched his 2nd. Steve C. found the back of the net twice and Kai rounded out the scoring on a nice finish of a Pat C. feed, who was taking a few minutes out of the goal to play the field.
Terrific ball movement and setups on most of the goals as six different players (Hori twice, Leo, Anthony C., Danny, Kai and Pat) notched assists on the scoresheet as well.
Game 9 @ Boston Gunners
Sudbury traveled to Cambridge to face the Gunners on the turf at Danehy Field and looked to continue their strong season. The hosts were unable to field a squad however as only 5 players in green showed up for the schedule 8 am start and Sudbury was awarded a forfeit victory.
Next up: v. Peru Sport - Sudbury (6-2-1) hosts first place Peru Sport (7-1-1) in a battle for first place and promotion. If Sudbury wins, they host a playoff game and are promoted to Division 4 for the Fall. If Sudbury loses or ties, Peru wins the division and are promoted and Sudbury needs a Whaling Port loss or tie in order to make the playoffs.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Game 5 - 5/9/10 @ Peru Sport
Sudbury was looking forward to a match with their fellow leaders atop the Division 5 South table but the hosts could not secure their home field in enough time to schedule the match. The resulting forfeit gave Sudbury a 2-0 victory as the team got to enjoy Mother's Day with their families.
Next up: v. Whaling Port FC.
Sudbury seeks revenge for the week one loss as the struggle for positioning at the top of the standings increases in importance each week.
Next up: v. Whaling Port FC.
Sudbury seeks revenge for the week one loss as the struggle for positioning at the top of the standings increases in importance each week.
Game 4 - 5/2/10 v. Boston Gunners
Coming off two straight victories, Sudbury was geared up for the 2010 Spring home opener against another new opponent to the OTHSL, the Boston Gunners.
The hosts controlled much of the play in the first half but could not manage anything on the scoreboard as the Gunners defenders were able to stave off any consistent pressure.
In the second half however, Sudbury came out with purpose and started creating more chances. Five minutes into the half, Ryan took a beautiful ball down into the corner, made a defender miss and sent a perfect cross to the middle where Andrew came streaking from his stopper spot and buried the goal for a 1-0 lead. It was particularly sweet for Andrew as he had a scary moment in the first half where he collided heads with a Gunner player on a contested head ball and had to leave the game for a spell with a bit of a gash. Taped up and ready to go in the second half, he gave Sudbury a lead they wouldn't surrender.
A few minutes later, Sudbury continued the pressure and Afe was able to flick the ball ahead to Anthony who beat the keeper for his second goal of the season.
Sudbury's defense of Erik, Andrew, Ivan, Steve and Peter were strong all morning as the Gunners barely had any chances against Pat, who only had to make a few saves for the shutout.
About thirty minutes into the half, Sudbury completed the scoring. From his left midfield spot, Leo saw his counterpart on the right side, Ryan, streaking down past the defenders. Ryan took the ball and fired on the Gunners keeper who made the save but Erik, trailing the play from his spot in the middle, potted the rebound into the open goal for the final score of 3-0.
Man of the Match: Andrew
Next up: @ Peru Sport
The hosts controlled much of the play in the first half but could not manage anything on the scoreboard as the Gunners defenders were able to stave off any consistent pressure.
In the second half however, Sudbury came out with purpose and started creating more chances. Five minutes into the half, Ryan took a beautiful ball down into the corner, made a defender miss and sent a perfect cross to the middle where Andrew came streaking from his stopper spot and buried the goal for a 1-0 lead. It was particularly sweet for Andrew as he had a scary moment in the first half where he collided heads with a Gunner player on a contested head ball and had to leave the game for a spell with a bit of a gash. Taped up and ready to go in the second half, he gave Sudbury a lead they wouldn't surrender.
A few minutes later, Sudbury continued the pressure and Afe was able to flick the ball ahead to Anthony who beat the keeper for his second goal of the season.
Sudbury's defense of Erik, Andrew, Ivan, Steve and Peter were strong all morning as the Gunners barely had any chances against Pat, who only had to make a few saves for the shutout.
About thirty minutes into the half, Sudbury completed the scoring. From his left midfield spot, Leo saw his counterpart on the right side, Ryan, streaking down past the defenders. Ryan took the ball and fired on the Gunners keeper who made the save but Erik, trailing the play from his spot in the middle, potted the rebound into the open goal for the final score of 3-0.
Man of the Match: Andrew
Next up: @ Peru Sport
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Game 3 - 4/25/10 @ Norfolk FC
Sudbury was feeling good after a well played game against Rovers FC and took to the fine grass pitch in Norfolk against yet another unfamiliar foe in this new division alignment.
With last week's man of the match Peter nursing an on-again, off-again ankle injury, Sudbury welcomed back the return of a few key players in Mark and Chris, along with the cast of regulars.
Sudbury started strong with Mark, Dan F., Hori and Anthony providing a lot of pressure up front with support from Kai, Ryan, Nabil and Chris from the wing midfielder spots. A few early chances didn't drop but the pressure resulted in a near miss from Andrew running up from his stopper position. Andrew's challenge to the keeper resulted in a juicy rebound to Hori who took his time to loft it over the keeper's head for an early 1-0 lead for the visitors. Minutes later Ryan sent a beautiful ball into the center where Eugene rocketed a head ball that went just over the crossbar.
Sudbury let the hosts back into the game however with some strong play by the Norfolk FC forwards and midfielders and a perfect setup leaving their quick striker all alone with Eric. The Sudbury keeper was strong all day and aggressive on the ball, but had no chance as the hosts tied the game about midway through the half.
The knotting goal set Sudbury's offensive gears running again and the defense of Andrew, Don, Steve S. and Ivan tightened up and didn't allow the hosts much of anything for the rest of the half. Some strong passing from Eugene and Jeff in the middle resulted in a odd man advantage for the Sudbury forwards and Hori touched a beautfiul pass to Anthony who buried the shot and helped Sudbury regain the lead. Sudbury continued the pressure with Steve C. and Ryan helping to keep the ball alive in the offensive end enough for Ryan to center another well lofted ball which landed on the waiting foot of Mark in the closing minute of the half for a 3-1 lead.
The second half was not as productive on the scoreboard, but Sudbury's forwards and midfielders were showing strong signs of getting to know each other with a number of strong runs, near misses and touch and go offsides calls as the hosts barely had the ball in the Sudbury defensive end for the final 45 minutes.
The final goal would come on a burst of speed by Danny up the right sidelines off a feed from Steve C. in the middle. Danny blasted past the defenders, forced the rotating fullback to commit and lofted a perfect pass to Hori in the middle of the eighteen who blasted it one touch past the helpless Norfolk keeper for the final goal of the match.
Overall a very strong and encouraging performance against a tough, hard working and experienced club. The Sudbury lineup shifts around again next week against another team new to the OTHSL, but we're looking for the first home match of the season to be a continuation of the team's recent strong play.
Man of the match: Hori
Next up: home v. Boston Gunners
Monday, April 19, 2010
Game 2 - 4/18/10 @ Rovers FC
The rain and cold weren't much of a factor as the hosts home turf field resisted the nasty spring weather. Sudbury had nearly a full crew show up to Weston and early on the pace of the game was markedly improved by the presence of a number of reliable old faces.
Sudbury took control of the play early, generating numerous chances with Erik, Hori, Danny F. and Anthony putting pressure on the Rovers defense from the two forward spots. Eugene, Jeff and Steve C. held control of the ball in the middle and distributed the ball effectively as much of the first half was spent in the Rovers defensive zone.
Despite the consistent ball control, Sudbury could not capitalize on the scoreboard as a number of chances were struck a bit too late and were either blocked or from difficult positions on the field. On the other end however, Nabil, Steve S., Ivan, Don, Tony and Andrew were solid in front of Eric as Rovers had limited room to maneuver and any shots were from far out and fell harmlessly out of bounds or softly into Eric's capable hands.
Sudbury continued the pressure in the second half as Peter's dogged determination led to a penalty opportunity for the boys in yellow. After Jeff sent Danny on a race towards the goal with a nice pass up the middle, the Rovers keeper made a nice save which resulted in a collision with Danny and a rebound into the oncoming traffic. Peter picked up the loose ball and made several defenders miss before being tackled rugby-style by the keeper. Eugene converted the PK opportunity for the 1-0 Sudbury lead.
His day not finished however, Peter drew another penalty opportunity after chasing down a loose ball in the corner, working through defenders into the middle before being tackled from behind well inside the penalty box. This time Jeff buried the PK and Sudbury felt some momentum with a 2-0 lead.
The hosts weren't content to go down quietly however and played their best soccer of the match in the final 10 minutes as they attempted to get on the scoreboard. A questionable call against a Sudbury defender in the defensive box resulted in a penalty opportunity for Rovers, which they converted to narrow the gap to 2-1.
Sudbury held on for the victory however with some strong defensive play by Ivan, Erik, Steve S. and Don in the back. Ryan, Kai and Leo were strong all afternoon along with Peter as the wing midfielders spots controlled much of the pace for the Sudbury offense.
Sudbury took control of the play early, generating numerous chances with Erik, Hori, Danny F. and Anthony putting pressure on the Rovers defense from the two forward spots. Eugene, Jeff and Steve C. held control of the ball in the middle and distributed the ball effectively as much of the first half was spent in the Rovers defensive zone.
Despite the consistent ball control, Sudbury could not capitalize on the scoreboard as a number of chances were struck a bit too late and were either blocked or from difficult positions on the field. On the other end however, Nabil, Steve S., Ivan, Don, Tony and Andrew were solid in front of Eric as Rovers had limited room to maneuver and any shots were from far out and fell harmlessly out of bounds or softly into Eric's capable hands.
Sudbury continued the pressure in the second half as Peter's dogged determination led to a penalty opportunity for the boys in yellow. After Jeff sent Danny on a race towards the goal with a nice pass up the middle, the Rovers keeper made a nice save which resulted in a collision with Danny and a rebound into the oncoming traffic. Peter picked up the loose ball and made several defenders miss before being tackled rugby-style by the keeper. Eugene converted the PK opportunity for the 1-0 Sudbury lead.
His day not finished however, Peter drew another penalty opportunity after chasing down a loose ball in the corner, working through defenders into the middle before being tackled from behind well inside the penalty box. This time Jeff buried the PK and Sudbury felt some momentum with a 2-0 lead.
The hosts weren't content to go down quietly however and played their best soccer of the match in the final 10 minutes as they attempted to get on the scoreboard. A questionable call against a Sudbury defender in the defensive box resulted in a penalty opportunity for Rovers, which they converted to narrow the gap to 2-1.
Sudbury held on for the victory however with some strong defensive play by Ivan, Erik, Steve S. and Don in the back. Ryan, Kai and Leo were strong all afternoon along with Peter as the wing midfielders spots controlled much of the pace for the Sudbury offense.
Man of the Match: Peter
Next up: @ Norfolk FC
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