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Due Date: Monday following weekend's games.
Week 2 (January 21st & 22nd)
Lo Stadio Olimpico, Italy
The Italians took home the victory on their home field as both teams
were looking for their first win. Lazio's manager was quoted after
the game, "Both teams should win the sportsmanship award. They
played a clean hard game, with few fouls. I thought we played tough
and wore the short-handed Olympique squad down. We had great teamwork
with our passes and footwork." Olympique's manager said after
the game, "With a valiant effort of all 5 of my players we
were out- run. We played good hard futsal but we tended to get winded
with no substitutions. We had an excellent goal scored by Jack and
our keepers; Travis and Dannoe did a wonderful job. They all hustled
to the ball and worked hard on passing."
BayArena, Germany
This match-up of the two very powerful German squads proved to be
as exciting as the pre-game buzz. Leverkusen jumped out early as
they often do. As the game moved along the Royal Blues showed why
their record last session was no joke. Their individual tackling
skills were beautiful to watch. The difference of the game might
have been the finishing skills of Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen's
manager Dnartso was quoted, "We put the ball in the net - enough
said. Our keepers did an excellent job and made two spectacular
saves late in the game to preserve the shut-out. I was very proud
of the entire team as I thought they played hard. My congratulations
to Schalke 04 for a well fought game." Bayer Leverkusen moved
up to fourth in the standings and is tied with Blackburn Rovers
for the fewest goals allowed with 2. They host the legendary Olympique
Lyon next Saturday at home.
No match report submitted by Schalke 04.
Olympiastadion München, Germany
Bayern Munchen got the victory, but the Chelsea coach could not
have been more pleased with the play of his team. "I know the
result is not what the boys wanted, but they played a top notch
club very evenly for most of the game and this effort is something
we can definitely build on", said Chelsea's coach.
Newly acquired Casey Schwee came off the bench and provided Chelsea
with some sound defense and good touches at midfield. This was Casey's
first game with Chelsea and club management was very pleased with
the way he fit in with his new teammates, proving the team's efforts
in acquiring the talented midfielder well worth it. As always Chelsea's
Cody and Carson "freight train" Collins proved to be a
dangerous tandem; however, in this match, Bayern Munchen's keeper
was on top of his game and Chelsea was unable to find the back of
the net despite many quality shots. This was a well played game
with many highlights for both sides and each club could come away
from this match feeling very optimistic about their own team's prospects
in the future.
No match report submitted by Bayern Munchen.
Goodison Park, U.K.
It was another sell-out crowd at Everton for this highly anticipated
match. Despite the passion with which these two clubs play each
other it has remained very much a friendly, but intense rivalry.
Both clubs came out strong and showed productive ball movement,
but it was Everton's Jordan Shaw who got the first score on a breakaway
right down the center of Liverpool's defense. Liverpool made several
adjustments and tightened up defensively after that. For much of
the first half it was a fast paced game with each side moving the
ball up the field effectively; however, both defenses were quick
to recover and denied these high powered attacks clean shots on
goal. Finally Liverpool's Jefferson Lu "J Lu" got his
team a much needed goal, with the help of Ian Cameron and Erik Stanislav,
who provided some beautifully played touch passes up field. Shortly
after, Austin Cornett found the net for Liverpool with a quick strike
"in traffic" right in front of Everton's goal. Never one
to be left out of the highlights, Bill "the Blaze" Bovard
gave Liverpool one more score on a strong run and finish towards
the end of the second half. Even with Liverpool on top 3-1, Everton
was undeterred and kept up its relentless attack, and got itself
one more well-earned goal before the final whistle. This was a well
played game with both sides improving their play as the game went
on. Everton is new to the league and will no doubt improve as the
season progresses. Liverpool will have to play even better in their
next match against Everton if they want the same result.
No match report submitted by Everton.
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán,
Spain
(Taken from the Rangers Website)
The Rangers were unable to get any kind of scouting report on Sevilla.
They are new to the league, so the Rangers had to play with little
or no knowledge about this team.
At the start of the game there was some confusion and disorganization
on the part of both teams. However, shortly into the match the play
began to flow. The Rangers were banging away at the Sevilla net
minder the entire game, but with nothing to show for their efforts.
The Sevilla keeper came up with one save after another. Late in
the first period Sevilla had a break away and crossed up Blair Archer,
the Ranger keeper, and scored the games first goal. The period ended
with Sevilla clinging to a one goal lead.
The second half saw much of the same play. The Ranger team was living
in the Sevilla zone, but the Sevilla keeper continued her brilliant
play. Finally, late in the game with time running out the Rangers
were able to break through and score, tying the match at 1-1. The
equalizer goal was scored by Bridget Hake. The buzzer sounded before
play could get started thus ending what was one of the most exciting
games of the weekend. The entire Ranger club played their hearts
out as usual and Coach Wilson was heard saying "these girls
just never quit, that is what I like about them. The hard work really
paid off".
No match report submitted by Sevilla.
Parc des Princes- Paris, France
With a day time high of 50 degrees, Aston Villa came to Paris for
a rousing game of futsal. With a superb defense, Aston Villa tried
to contain Lindsey, Melissa, and Caeli from scoring, but PSG's tenacity
won out. Next week PSG hosts Sevilla at 7:45.
No match report submitted by Aston Villa.
London Times –
Borussia Dortmund and Highbury Gunners ended their match in a 5-5
tie. The Gunners found themselves in a 0-2 hole in-front of their
home crowd in London. Marshall Anderson notched 2 goals before half
to get the fans on their feet. The game got interesting in the 2nd
half. Highbury went on top with a PJ Anderson strike off the Dortmund
GK’s head and rolled across the line for the third goal, or
did it? Instant reply will be talked about this off season by the
OFL. The Dortmund team rallied around their unfortunate events to
take the lead 5-3 against the loud crowd. The Gunners were not done
yet. Aaron Carmen received a ball on the right side and finished
it near post. The crowd drew louder- then the Sniper took control.
John Koch dribbled through three defenders and buried it as he brought
the house down. Highbury squeezed out with a point at the end of
the day. The Gunners are unbeaten this year and will take on AC
Milan on Friday at 9:15pm. Highbury upset Milan at San Siro last
session with a 2-0 win. You can bet they won’t forget about
that one.
Deutsche Sport Article
"A very fast paced match as both teams had the lead on many
different occasions. Both teams showed the determination to win
and never let down. Highbury Gunners scored a controversial goal
on a ruling from the "fake-indoor guy", evening the match
at 4. Dortmund's coach's sense foul play as hints of bribery was
in the air between the Gunners team and officials. The Dortmund
team will file a formal protest. Still in shock the Gunners added
another quick goal to take the last lead. Dortmund pulled themselves
back into the match to tie the game for the final score. Fans from
both squads where not disappointed as the game was a thrill to watch."
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Volkswagen Arena, Germany
Another improvement from the first week; as new players are adapting
to the style of game. An impressive attacking style was adopted
for the 2nd week and proved to be successful. Although Palermo never
made it easy for us the players continued the attack and the scores
followed.
No report submitted by Palermo.
Philips Stadion, The Netherlands
(PSV Website)
PSV roared out to an early lead as Matt Pritchard and Sean Casey
found the net early to help build a four-goal advantage for the
hosts. "Our boys looked sharp early. They were getting to the
ball first and creating some very good chances," Esurk Nayr
declared. "Our pace reminded me of that fantastic '87-'88 PSV
side that bested Benfica in the final. But all the credit to Juventus
for their effort in the second half. Although we didn't get the
result we wanted, I understand that several boys did get phone numbers
from their opponents...so I guess the day was not in vain."
(Juventus Website)
What a great game with Juventus chalking up their first win of the
season! They came back from a 1-5 deficit at the half to win the
game. Goal scorers included Christie Shaffart (2), Jaeda Roth (2),
Anna Calgaard (2), and Emily Morton, Ramona Sudbeck, and Abby Larson
each contributing one goal each. The team played extremely well
against a fabulous PSV Eindhoven. The "Man of the Match"
honors went to LJ Schenkelberg.
Ewood Park, U.K.
The two teams were set for a great match today! Mother Nature made
it very challenging -- below freezing temperatures and a howling
wind from the north! Both teams fought through the weather conditions
in the first half and played a defensive minded game. In the second
half, the Blackburn Rovers struck first early with a great pass
to the front of the net and a GOAL! Immediately after, FC Barcelona
caught fire and scored two quick goals! FC Barcelona had received
Daniel Shonka on waivers and his goal and assist turned out to be
the difference. As soon as the whistle sounded the streets of Barcelona
were once again flooded with joyous fans as they celebrated their
team's second victory of the session. The annual running of the
bulls was even called off as the people of Barcelona celebrated.
A fan on the street said, "After no wins last season, we thought
this only to be a dream, but it's all true - we have won again!!"
Blackburn's manager said after the game, "Great game and great
teams! Everyone is looking forward to more success this season!"
Manchester News-
The city of Manchester was treated with 40 minutes of fast pace
brilliance from beginning to end as Old Trafford and Waterford United
clashed in Week 2 of the OFL. The 65,000 fans walked out of the
stadium in disbelief after the Blues of Waterford United made a
surging come back late to tie it 4-4. The start of the game was
all Old Trafford as they jumped into 2-0 lead. Ameer Pinto received
a pass from Eric Winkler for the first goal and Trip Duden won a
50/50 ball on the 18 yard line and buried it for the second goal.
Marshall Anderson, on loan from Highbury, scored the third goal
in the match and he made sure that wasn’t the last you heard
from him. Before the break, Duden had another rip off the lower
right post and Damian Watson cleaned it up to make 3-1 at half.
Waterford made an adjustment at halftime as they brought the always
dangerous PJ Anderson out of the net and put him on the field. He
gave the spark that his team needed, but not before Pinto scored
one through the goalkeeper’s legs to increase the lead to
4-1. The Red Devils relaxed after the fourth goal, a bit too much
if you asked their coach. Marshall Anderson saw his chance to catch
Old Trafford off guard, and that he did. Josh Christensen was earning
his payday with save after save, but the shots kept coming and coming.
Marshall Anderson had an assist and two late goals to even it out.
Pinto did respond with right footed blast off the lower left post
that brought ooh’s and awe’s to the fans in injury time.
It was Alex Araya’s first game since being introduced as the
Red Devil’s new acquisition to the team this season. Old Trafford
extend their unbeaten streak to 7 games. They Session I Champs will
host Inter Milan on Friday night at 8:30pm. The last time these
two teams met was last session in week 2, when Inter took Man U
to the woodshed in a 13-1 game.
(Waterford United Website)
Going into the game knowing that Old Trafford had won 9 out of their
last 10 games, Coach K watched hours of game film to determine if
there was a weak spot in their team. The first half plan worked
perfectly (let them jump out to a lead and get overconfident). With
PJ in the box Coach K knew that PJ would be able to let some goals
get by without making it look obvious. The second half plan was
almost perfect: Spider-man Zach in the box and Graham The Force,
back as defender. With a hat-trick by Magic Marshall, a dish, dash,
and smash by PJ the Intimidator and a great goal by Hurricane Hunter
the game was coming to Waterford. With a late charge by Harrison
& Brandon (the bash brothers), the game was almost won. A tie
was well earned as Waterford had 4 players serving a suspension
for fighting in a Pub in Dublin.
No match reports submitted.
Rugby Park, Scotland
The rookies of Kilmarnock took a strong lead in their second-ever
futsal game with scores by 4 of the 5 players in the first half.
The first half ended 6-1 with scores by Mike (2), Matt (2), Kenny
(1) and Tyler (1). A much better showing then last weeks pounding
loss. The second half quickly turned into a different game with
Crystal Palace pounding the men of Kilmarnock with 5 unanswered
scores. Tyler was able to get an early score in the second half,
but the lack of productivity in rest of the game nearly ended the
chances for their only win. Kode ended the game as Keeper and kept
the seemingly unstoppable Crystal Palace from spoiling the win.
Crystal Palace's manager said after the game, "At the start
of the game Kilmarnock started off strong as they took over Crystal
Palace with a lead of 4-2 at the half. In the second half we came
out with a lot of intensity. Both teams played a great game."
Editor's note: There was some confusion as to the final score of
this game. After checking with two sources that tallied the goals
on actual physical pieces of paper - Kilmarnock was awarded the
win 7-6. My congratulations to both teams as it was a great game
to watch.
RIVER PLATE
La Bombonera, Argentina
In an excellent game, where both teams took turns dominating the
action, River Plate was able to ride the scoring of Mark Wallace
and Logan Gier and the outstanding goal keeping of Adam Fleming
to a 5-3 victory. After the game the country of Argentina had to
declare a "state of emergency" as the Boca fans rioted
and were demanding that their press release details of the game.
No match report submitted by Boca Juniors.
PORTO
El Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Spain
On a beautiful Saturday morning in Madrid, two quality sides took
to the pitch at the magnificent Santiago Bernabeu stadium to play
this highly anticipated match. Playing only their second game together
after completing several sensational trades, Real Madrid kept the
critics at bay by winning their second match in a row. With only
7 players cleared to play (waiting for several international work
permits to be approved) Real Madrid came into the game wanting to
play aggressive, intelligent Futsal. Real's coach, Andreas Fernandez
Morietes, was very pleased with his team's performance, especially
the scoring output of Headband Hailey. Leading the team with five
goals and the largest assortment of headbands, he was able to give
the team a sense of confidence as they continued going forward creating
many numbers-up attacking situations. In a country known for its
artists and creativity, none were more creative than R. Lynch as
he painted several goal-scoring opportunities and used a pallet
of moves to get past defenders.
Real's management has to think back to the years of 1985-86, when
they won two Champions League titles, to remember such a quality
side as this. Not only can this side get up and down the field,
they have tremendous keepers, as demonstrated by C. Davidson. Porto
kept fighting back, but Davidson was able to make enough saves and
get the ball to our players to help ensure the win. After the game,
Stathis and D. Corn said it best about the continuing growth and
promise of their Real Madrid side. "When you have teams like
Rayo Vallecano and Club Atletico de Madrid playing in your same
city, you have to keep the football exciting and new and our management
is helping us do that by surrounding us with quality players."
Real will have to continue to improve as their schedule shows no
sign of letting up. If they want to give Barcelona, currently in
1st place in the Spanish Liga Primera, a run for their money they
will have to come back out with the energy and team play they showed
this week when they face Borussia Dortmund this Friday.
(Porto review from their local paper)
Porto suffered their first loss of the season in a well-played match
by both teams. Porto gave it their all and played strong in both
the defense and the attack. Jessie Watts did an excellent job in
the goal! Porto scorers included Abby Larson (3), Anna Calgaard
(2), with Caitlin Parra and Emily Morton each scoring one. Abby
Larson was the "Man of Match" with her impressive hat
trick! It was an exciting game to watch with both teams' exhibiting
awesome footskills!
Ajax invaded the San Siro stadium Saturday. Ajax took the
early lead, but AC came back to tie through Abby Jaeger. The game
was a back and forth affair in the first half. AC led 3-2 with Jaeger
gathering all three. The second half found AC Milan alive and flowing.
Kourtney Frank had the second half hat trick, Jaeger added two more
and Haley Berner hit a cracker to complete the six goal second half
onslaught.
No report submitted by Ajax.
Gelredome, The Netherlands
This high scoring match for the battle of the Rhine featured goal
scoring in bunches. Hannover opened with three early goals only
to have Arnhem nearly catch up in the second half. However strong
offensive pressure sealed the win for Hannover. Hannover was paced
with goals by Matt Mahoney, Andrew Hake, and Mick Mulhall. Brendan
McNally led all scorers with five.
No match report submitted by Vitesse Arnhem
Inter Milan ventured into their match with Ajax with a depleted
side. Only one forward was available for the match, and only one
substitute on the bench. Displaying patience and poise Inter attacked
from the back through Megan Weber. Four different players tallied
in the opening half as Inter kept their sheet clean. McCardle, Weber,
Hick and Breanna Keller shot themselves into the record book. The
second half had Ajax coming back with two goals of their own. A
second half strike from Hick kept the final result in Inter's favor.
No match report submitted by Ajax.
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