October 22, 2000
Bumrushers at VFC

Let me hype up this game: both teams with no losses on the season, each with 2 ties, in the first game we tied each other. The winner of this game would be in the front running for the division championship. Sounds pretty good huh? Well it was. Our team had 3 guys out of town, one who noshowed, and then another who has stopped playing due to school. So basically we were gonna have up to 12 people there. That's where it starts….

It was a beautiful day for soccer with high 70 degree temperatures. We started the game off with 9 people. They started with 4 subs. Just over 5 minutes in we got our 10th player. More than 15 minutes later we got number 11 to show up. For the first 25 minutes there was no real threats on goal for either team. Just a bunch of bouncing balls being sent to far or off line which made it to the keeper for each team. We nearly broke through when Winters was popped to the ground like Keyshawn Johnson and jumped back up to take a corner from the right side. The ball made its way to Pat who shot the ball heading for the top right hand corner of the goal which missed by just inches.

Our next good chance came when Art won a sent ball who stayed running with the play even when he passed it off. Davis from the left sent the ball to the middle. Art still making his run told Dennis to leave it. He guided the ball to him and Art took a shot which went way over the post. Minutes later Winters was making a run down the right side of the field and sent a ball that the keeper had to jump to stop and nearly had his momentum pull him into the goal. Unfortunately, the goalie knew what he was doing and even though over half of his body was across the goal line, the ball was outstretched not in the goal.

The best chance for a goal from either team happened minutes from half. Art won another ball sent for a VFC player, gave it off to Robert, who sent the ball for Davis. Davis was bringing it toward the left middle when he centered the ball to Dennis. After settling himself Dennis took a shot on the upside of a bounce. The ball hit the upper half of the crossbar and went rolling away.

Going into halftime the score was 0-0. We were feeling good. We had been playing a good game and our defense was really shutting them down. Of course VFC was playing well also. Finally, we got our sub for the rest of the game.

The only difference in the first half play and the second half play was that we changed sides. Other than that it was about the same. Any chances that VFC had on goal we thwarted away from our awesome defense. They just didn't give up anything. We had a few good chances on goal. VFC had less. they had 2 decent chances on goal. Their best chance came when one of their forwards got loose and was on a breakaway, sorta, and shot very wide. Another was when one of our defenders had a ball take a crazy bounce on him and the VFC forward one timed a shot which went straight to Baxter.

We had a couple of shots that were less than a foot off the target in this half. Again, Dennis hit another post. This time it was the right post, that came from a centered ball from Chris. Close to the end of the game Robert was going for a loose ball with one of their forwards. They were both going for the ball. Robert was a step behind. Their feet got tangled up, the forward fell down. Somehow Robert didn't get a red, not even a yellow. But I guess we should've expected that, considering the ref only gave 1 yellow the whole game when there should've close to maybe 5. And the only one he gave was to Sam, who tapped the ball to the opponent. Go figure!

The last chance for a goal came on a free kick. The ref's watch was going off letting us know it was the last chance. Pat sent a ball to the goal which the goalie knocked out which prompted the ref to blow the final whistle for a 0-0 tie.

To tie 0-0 is something special, especially considering we are amateurs in D4. Being the unofficial championship game, I think it lived up to the occasion. Usually after a tie I will personally feel like we should've won that game and then been a little dejected. But this one I wasn't. I asked my guys to play their hearts out and they did. We had the better chances on goal. VFC had maybe 2-3 decent chances. Of course we had 2 balls hit the post and then near 5 others that were just a foot off. I do think that we should've won but I also know that we played a great game.

Each team played a good game to neutralize their opponents. Each ball was contested on both sides. No room for error was given. If there was an error, ball to the other team. This was an awesome game to be a part of. Once you play one, you will know. Both teams deserve to be promoted at the end of the season. Too bad only 1 will make it. Hopefully it will be us. We will have to beat Arsenal twice and hope that VFC loses to either Rage or Kodiak, who each have a chance to beat them. Of course, we will play like VFC will win.

So to end I say, GO RAGE and KODIAK!!!!!!

Dennis Thompson