9/16/12 Game 4 Photos

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9/16/12 Game Recap (4-0 Win)

Luis celebrates his goal

Elite 03 Black trekked to South San Jose on Sunday to take on the Almaden Mercury at Bret Harte middle School. Elite continued their habit of jumping out to an early lead, then clamping down defensively. The boys converted four scoring chances into goals, en route to a 4-0 win.

Luis scored his 1st goal of the season in the 7th minute of the contest, taking a feed from Amit on the left side then pin balling a shot off the Almaden goal keeper from just outside the left post. The Mercury keeper tried to come out and challenge the ball, but Luis’ shot found the back of the net.

Amit added a tally in the 11th minute, after receiving a Just W pass from the right side. He carried the ball across the top of the small box and chipped home the goal from between the posts.

Nathan cuts back on a defender

Manas made it 3-0 in the 16th minute, gathering a feed near the penalty dot from Justin W, then pivoting toward the goal and tucking a shot just inside the left post.

Elite just missed on a flurry of shots in tight after Justin W worked the ball deep into the right corner and sent a cross to the front of the net. Taishi bounced a shot off the Almaden keeper to start the sequence, then Ryan rang a shot off the right post before The Mercury defense was able to corral the ball and clear it to safety.

Jonathan and Nathan patrolled the outside midfield positions and repeatedly fed balls to the forwards, setting up a number of nice crossing attempts.

Justin W crosses a pass to the box

Amit rifled a shot that deflected off the left post and into the goal in the 21st minute, after Nathan took a crossing feed and navigated through traffic before sliding a pass to the front of the small box.

Ryan, Josh and Nathan combined their efforts in goal to earn the team’s 4th shutout of the season.

Key Accomplishments —

-- Possession – The boys continue to controls games by commanding possession of the ball. Wider positioning allowed them to maintain possession longer, because it spreads the defense and makes it more difficult for these defenses to force turnovers.

-- Overlap Runs – The boys began to employ overlap runs, which requires a trailing player (typically a full back or midfielder) to activate to a forward position by overlapping past a teammate that is in control of the ball. While the defender is drawn to the ball, the overlapping player become a passing option that is also carrying momentum past the defender.

Development Areas —

-- Right of Way – When two players from the same team have an opportunity to gain control of the ball, the player who can best clear it from danger, or best attack on offense has the right of way, or the right to the ball. Players need to recognize who is best suited to control the ball and yield to their teammate if they do not have the right of way.

-- Transitioning – The opposing team created several offensive chances, because the midfielders were not transitioning quickly enough. In cases where there are only two defenders, the opposition can generate odd-man rushes as a result of poor transitioning.

-- Dribbling with Head Up -- As the boys mature as players, they must develop the ability to dribble the ball with their heads up. This will allow them to scan the field and make better (and timely) decisions on what to do with the ball. Keeping their heads down places their visual focus on the ball and eliminates the ability to identify what the defense is doing.

9/15/12 Game 3 Photos

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9/15/12 Game Recap (6-0 Win)

Nathaniel fights for possession

Elite 03 turned in another solid performance on Saturday, knocking off the Alpine Strikers MP Blue squad in a 6-0 decision. Playing on turf for the first time, Elite put on a scoring clinic at Terminal Field in Menlo Park to push their season record to a perfect 3-0. Five different players scored, showcasing the offensive talent up and down the lineup.

Elite wasted no time getting on the score board, when Amit deposited a ball in the Strikers goal 3 minutes into the contest. Taking a feed from Justin W on the right side, Amit beat a defender near the top left corner of the 18 and snapped a shot home from 12 yards out to give Elite the quick 1-0 lead.

Manas made it 2-0 8 minutes later, by tapping home a deflection after Jonathan bounced a shot off the Strikers keeper. Nathan started the scoring sequence by feeding the ball from the right corner to Jonathan near the top right corner of the 18. Jonathen pivoted toward the goal and ripped a shot that the Strikers keeper was able to get a hand on, but not control.

Celebrating Jonathan's goal

Manas added his 2nd goal of the game in the 14th minute, pulling the ball out of a scrum and snapping a shot from 8 yards out to the low right corner.

Jonathan scored his first goal of the season in the 17th minute, taking a long diagonal feed from Josh on the right side, before sending a laser on net from 16 yards out.

Taishi tapped home a deflection in the 21st min after Nathaniel took a ball at midfield and carried it up the slot and firing a shot that the Strikers keeper partially deflected. The ball trickled to the left post were Taishi redirected it into the goal for his 3rd tally of the season.

Justin H capped the game’s scoring after he ripped a shot from 20 yards out that caught the bottom of the crossbar in the 24th min. The midfielder dribbled around a defender before uncorking his long shot, finding the back of the net right before the halftime whistle.

Josh tracks the ball

The game’s outcome was decided early, so the boys focused on their possession game in the 2nd half. Nathaniel and Justin W teamed up to work a pair of overlap runs, late in the contest.

Ryan and Amit teamed up in net to earn the combined shutout. Amit was forced to make a pair of nice saves in net after the Strikers worked the ball deep into the Elite zone.

Key Accomplishments —

- Sustained Offensive Pressure – The boys applied the heat early and often, which resulted in a flurry of offensive chances and eventually goals. This pressure also eliminated any pressure on the defense.

- Unselfish Play – The ability to string together so many offensive chances was largely driven by the boys willingness to distribute the ball. Their pass first approach allowed the team to better spread the offense, which made it more difficult for the opposition to gain control of the ball, and stop shots.

Development Areas —

- Transitions – Once again, the team struggled with transitions from the midfield position after turnovers occurred in the 2nd half of the game. Making the shift from offense to defense in particular was an area that needs attention in practice.

- Dealing with Big Leads – Once the team established their big lead, the focus tailed off. This allowed the opposition to string together a series of good chances on goal. Strong goaltending was required to preserve the shutout.

9/9/12 Game 2 Photos

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9/9/12 Game Recap (5-0 Win)

Manas scores off the header

Elite capped a very productive weekend on Sunday with their second win as many games. The offense came to life, scoring 5 goals in a 5-0 win over SASC Elite Silver at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex. The boys followed up their inaugural win on Saturday by continuing to leverage a strong team attack, which was balanced by strong passing and better formational positioning.

The scheduling oddity paired the two Alliance teams against each other in the first week of existence for both squads. Elite Black grabbed an early lead, then unloaded for 4 goals in the second half to lock up the victory.

Manas extended his team scoring lead with an incredible head ball goal in the game’s opening minute. Amit forced the ball across the goal mouth from right to left after Elite Black carried the opening kick-off up field. He sent a shot that pin-balled to the left post, where Justin H tried chipping a shot on goal. The ball floated to the center of the goal where Manas deflected it to the back of the net from the doorstep.

Ryan drives on net

Both teams would play out the half without scoring, but Elite Black kicked things into gear in the final 25 minutes.

Manas added his 4th goal of the season just 3 minutes into the 2nd half after Justin H launched a corner into the small box. The Elite striker gathered the big corner and pivoted to his right before snapping home a shot from 8 feet out.

A foul just outside the 18 on the right wing setup a free kick 4 minutes later. Taishi put a shot on net, but the Elite Silver keeper made a nice stop on the ball. With it perched precariously near the goal line, a Silver defender tried to clear the ball, but it landed right on Amit’s boot at the top of the small box. Amit hammered home the shot for his 1st goal of the season, giving Elite Black a 3-0 lead.

Ryan setup the next goal in the 38th minute, with a lovely centering feed from the right side after carrying the ball up the slot, drawing two defenders to him, and floating a pass to his left. Taishi received the pass and slipped a left-footed shot just inside the right post for his 2nd goal of the season.

Luis fights for possession

Justin W helped lock down the Elite Silver attack, running down a pair of breakaway attempts in the 2nd half of the game. Nathaniel continued to play rock-solid defense. His defensive timing snuffed out several attempts in the midfield to gain the Elite Black zone.

Amit added his 2nd goal of the game 6 minutes later. He collected a turnover at midfield, then carried the ball up field and throwing a move outside the 18 to beat the last defender. He finished the sequence off by chipping a shot into a wide open net.

For the second straight game, Elite Black’s goalie tandem turned in another blemish free performance. Josh and Jonathan held down the fort in net, extending the team shutout streak to two games.

Amit added a 5th goal in the 44th minute, carrying a centering pass up the field before beating a lone defender and chipping the ball home.

Key Accomplishments –

- Passing – The boys continuing to work well together on their passing. This has allowed them to advance the offense, rather than get bogged down in kick-ball wars.

- Scoring & Defense – The team’s ability to put the ball in the net is a direct result of the defense clamping down on the opposition and quickly moving the ball up field. Defense wins championships!

- Free Kicks - The boys recently worked on direct and indirect free kicks. Their ability to integrate this into the game so quickly has resulted in goals. Amit’s first goal was a direct result of a well placed free kick finding its way to the front of the net.

Development Areas –

- Shooting – Unselfish play is always encouraged, put the team has been guilty of too much passing and dribbling inside the 18. The boys will be encouraged to shoot more inside the “shooting zone.”

- Holding Position – Moving away from their strong positioning in the first game, the boys literally strayed from position in this game, creating traffic and eliminating some ball movement opportunities.

- Transitions – When turnovers occur (both offensively and defensively), players must learn to quickly transition. The team struggled as a whole on transitions, especially when moving from offense to defense. This is most important for midfielders, who are expected to control both ends of the field.

9/8/12 Game 1 Photos

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9/8/12 Game Recap (3-0 Win)

Amit winds up to shoot

The Elite 03 Black era kicked off with a resounding victory at the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex on Saturday. The eleven-man squad made the jump to competitive soccer and started things with a resounding 3-0 victory over the North Valley YSL United. Having made the jump from the recreational ranks this season, the Elite squad performed as if they were a seasoned group that had been playing together for years.

The boys controlled the tempo for most of the game by playing an exceptional possession game. The boys passing and vision were far more advanced than what’s to be expected from a newly formed copper level team.

Nathaniel and Taishi patrolled the backline in the first half, preventing any semblance of an attack in the Elite zone. There timing was impeccable, denying any attack at the midline to keep the ball away from the Sunnyvale net.

Justin W generated the opening half’s biggest scoring threat by racing past two defenders on the right side, before cutting to his left and pumping a shot that narrowly missed outside the left post. Justin H sent a constant stream of through balls to the box from the left side, setting up a number of scoring chances. He and Luis kept the field wide by holding position from their midfield spots. This allowed the other mids and backs to move the ball laterally, which created more chances up the wings.

Celebrating Manas' goal

Elite controlled the ball for the majority of the first half of play. Working the ball in deep on several occasions, the boys traversed the United defense to create several scoring chances, but an absence of shots kept the game scoreless through the first 25 minutes of play.

That would all change after halftime, when Manas took a centering feed from Amit at the top of the 18 and rifled a shot past the United goal keeper in the 28th minute. Perched at the top of the big box, Manas turned after receiving the ball with his back to the net and deposited Elite’s first ever goal.

Luis generated a chance from in tight 4 minutes later, but the United keeper pounced on the ball to deny the Elite forward.

Manas slipped another ball inside the right post in the 37th minute to push Elite’s lead to two-goals. Ryan gained possession of the ball on the left side and slid a pass from his midfield position. Manas gathered the feed then deeked a defender with a move to his left before slipping home his 2nd goal of the contest.

Taishi capped the game’s scoring with a goal in the 46th minute. He carried the ball up the slot from the midline before snapping a 15-yard shot to the lower right corner.

Taishi drives with his head up

Jonathan and Josh patrolled the backline in the second half, denying any chances on their own net.

The 50-minute contest came to an end, and Elite had secured its first win in team history. Both coaches praised the boy’s play, citing a willingness to play a team game as the primary reason for the game’s positive outcome.

Ryan and Nathaniel were credited with the shared shutout.

As will become standard practice for all game recaps, the coaches will provide a set of key accomplishments as well as areas that require development attention. The coaches ask that parents stress these points with their player as a way to reinforce the team’s philosophy and approach to the game.

Key Accomplishments –

- Overall team play was phenomenal. In general, most players unselfishly, which allowed the team to maintain possession of the ball, create offensive chances and deny offensive attacks by the opposition.

- Passing was excellent. Players utilized passing as a way to open up the field, which allowed them to be more creative both offensively as well as defensively.

- Field vision allowed the boys to better anticipate where passes needed to be made, and where to target attacks on the opposing net.

Development Areas –

- Shooting in the first half was almost non-existent. The boys did a great job of penetrating into the offensive zone, but they failed to get shots off when in the “shooting zone.”

- Several players lost sight of the bigger picture in terms of holding position. This led to an imbalance in the way players stood on the field. In a possession game, players must maintain a zone, so that their teammates may release the ball to them. Bunching around the ball is one of the most difficult habits for rec players to break, but this will come in time.

- Establishing a first touch is vital to winning possession and getting a jump on your opponent. Elite is blessed with team speed, but the boys need to utilize that by establishing a better first touch and controlling the ball.