|
Site Admin
Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 12
|
Plano Labor Day Invitational Tournament- 11v11 - Girls U11 Gold
Plano, TX
Semi-Finalist
09/01/2007 - Bracket - TSC 97 Red 1, Solar 97 Montemayor 0
09/01/2007 - Bracket - TSC 97 Red 3, FC Dallas Youth Black 1
09/02/2007 - Bracket - TSC 97 Red 1, 97 D'Feeters 1
09/02/2007 - Quarter-Final - TSC 97 Red 2, TSC 97 Black 0
09/03/2007 - Semi-Final - TSC 97 Red 1, FC Dallas Youth 3
***************************************************
TSC 97 RED ADVANCES TO SEMI-FINALS IN PLANO
PLANO, TX --They say everthing's bigger in Texas. And they were right. The fields are bigger. The format is bigger. The tournament accepted team lists are full of big name clubs with big-time reputations. The average player height is somewhere between a Sycamore and a Redwood. Nontheless, with Oklahoma-sized hearts, the TSC 97 Red girls chucked their way to the Semi-finals in the U11 Gold division of the Plano Labor Day Invitiational tournament held Sep 1 - 3, 2007. In their second ever 11v11 tourney appearance, coach Matt Blackwell's team shined on their athleticism and strength against four salty Texas squads and a group of fierce home-town comrades.
In their tourney opener at gallant Pizza Hut Park TSC Red took to slick morning fields and struggled early to make solid ball contact against a healthy-sized, strong Solar 97 Montemayor team. TSC dominated time of possession and shots on goal but only posted a solo score - this a photo-finish capper off a fifteen-yard dash that ultimately was the deciding margin of one to zero.
Game two pitted TSC against a reasonably-sized FC Dallas Youth Black gang that came to play. After grinding away most of the first half and having a goal called back for offsides, a sliding toe poke through a goalbox bee-hive allowed TSC to sneak in their first score. Once settled down and dialed in, TSC was able to strap on another pair of goals while giving up only one to win 3-1 at Carpenter Park.
Sunday morning found TSC again at Pizza Hut Park and back in the land of Texas giants against the D'Feeters 97 girls, who fielded a few players no less than a full head taller than any TSC 97 player, ( some parents and coaches as well). But height was no formidable obstacle for 97 Red who held their own, negating the size advantage with quickness, speed and tenacity and a heaping helping of teamwork. After giving up a first-half free-kick goal proxied by an ill-called foul in the box, TSC Red answered with a second-half score. When the game finished in a 1-1 tie, TSC had sealed their Quarterfinal bid by winning Bracket #2.
It was a sea of familiar faces and voices in the Quarterfinal contest at High Point Park, as TSC Red battled with Wildcard #1, also known as TSC 97 Black, coached by Mike Parker. The mid-afternoon fourth game was hard fought by both teams with TSC Red slipping in a couple of goals to vanquish their clubmates 2-0, advancing Red into the Semi-finals.
Monday, in the Semis at Russell Creek Park, TSC 97 Red met a very good FC Dallas Youth squad. TSC darted out early with a streaking sideline strike on goal that just missed wide and then dug into the trenches. TSC held the fort against a quick-steady opponent who took control of the middle and launched assault after assault on the TSC backfield from short and long-range. After twenty-five minutes of solid first-half defensive play, TSC was twice caught out of position to its detriment. FC Dallas posted two breakaway goals served off stellar long cross-field balls that took the TSC defense completely by surprise. Early in the second half, an egregious non-called midfield foul set FC Dallas up to execute on another pitch-perfect cross-combination, further deflating 97 Red, down three to nothing. But TSC bolstered its Lion pride and spoiled a goose-egg by stringing together a skillful give-and-go. The over-exposed FC Dallas goalie watched helplessly as the ball rolled in erasing the shutout. TSC ended the game and its title run with a 1-3 loss, finishing the tournament with a 3-1-1 record. FC Dallas Youth was later beaten by Solar 97 Red 4-0 in the U11 Gold final match. |
|
|
