Sunday, May 13, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
W.I.S.E. 3 Kalawak 3
The WISE came back from behind three times to draw with Kalawak in a friendly match, which we perhaps should have won by a margin of double figures.
The match will be best remembered for the plagues of mosquitoes that invaded the pitch throughout the match and caused me and other players plenty of discomfort. Normally I forget one thing, most often than not a change of socks, but tonight I forgot my mosquito repellent and that was a big mistake...
As the sun set behind the trees up at Bordeaux Lac, we kicked off and played with 10 men for the first half because the other team lacked players. They took the lead and held that until half time, but we equalised shortly after the break. They took the lead once again after I was beaten one-on-one for the second time that evening, before we equalised yet again.
Their third goal was just a case of evasion. From a corner, the ball fell to the feet of their attacker whom just kicked it as hard as he could from literally a few yards out. And OK my job is to keep the ball out of the net, but if I hadn't moved my head, I'd most likely be missing half my teeth and have a pair of shattered glasses!
We scored a third to tie things up, but we should have scored at least six or seven more, with two open-goals amazingly missed, the post hit three times and a few other chances that somehow were missed. In the end, it was only a friendly, but we never really got out of first gear and the mosquitoes were a real pain. I hope the cup final is played in the daytime...
My competitive record (to date) [friendlies in (red)]:
Played 11 (2) - Won 7 - Drawn 2 (1) - Lost 2 (1) - Conceded 13 (5) - Clean sheets 3
Labels: WISE
Friday, April 06, 2007
FC Magudas 0 W.I.S.E 1
The WISE continued their amazing unbeaten-run with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Magudas, to book themselves a place in the cup final in May.
On an unusually warm evening, we travelled out to St Médard-en-Jalles to take on Magudas FC at their ground, which strangely felt smaller than the ones I've played on before... this time though I did not have a pond in my six-yard box! We started with a 3-5-2 formation instead of our usual 4-4-2, which meant that by crowding the midfield, their only source of attack came from long balls over the defence, which I was able to clear up with ease.
At the other end, we had a few chances to score ourselves, including one great chance which fell to Simon, who despite beating the defender for pace was unable to lift the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper. It was goalless at the break, but early on in the second half, we got the goal we were looking for (and deserved), with Pieric slotting the ball home across the goalkeeper to complete an excellent flowing move from the WISE.
With a goal lead, and about half an hour to go it was now my job to make sure we held on to this lead; which is more than can be said for my attempt at catching a long hoof into the air, which I managed to mis-time my jump for and shoulder the ball away to safety! From then on I was much more careful when collecting the ball, and had to catch the ball at head height shortly afterwards from a Beckham-esque free kick.
Heading into the match I was still hesitant when it came to coming out to collect corners and crosses as I'm not the tallest goalkeeper and am often overshadowed by the opposition attackers. But I guess it's just a confidence thing as shortly after saving the free-kick I came out to collect a cross from the left hand side at neck height and then from a cross from the other side.
We had a left-of a bit later when one cross beat my defenders head and was met by the head of the attacker, who somehow missed the target when it would have been easier to score. It wasn't all Magudas though, we still created chances and had the crossbar been a little higher, a 40 yard screamer from Tom would have settled the match in spectacular style.
However, with little time left, Magudas pushed more men forward and I had my own set of "fans" arrive behind my goal. Five or six (didn't really pay much attention) teenagers parked their scooters up behind my goal, lit up and started chanting insults and joking around. This was to be a real test of my concentration in the final stages of a match! I have conceded stupid goals late on in the past, but this time I was determined not to, and this time I did not. This was largely thanks to a save my made, one of the best I think I have made in a WISE shirt.
A cross came in from the left hand side, beat the defenders and headed towards an unmarked forward at the back post. With my confidence high, I must have thought that I could have caught it as I charged off my line with arms in the air. The ball reached the attacker before I had got their though, but his header came straight at my head and I just remember putting my hands up to protect my face, but I managed to push the ball away and then rush to collect it before it left my penalty area.
A hoofed clearance up field and then a small period of possession play was all that was left and the final whistle was blown. The WISE had held on to the win and we are now in the final of the cup! The date for the final is apparently the 13th May but this may have to change as half the team is not in France! I myself am in London, but hopefully a date can be finalised soon so that the others and I can compete in our first cup final! Allez les WISE!
My competitive record (to date) [friendlies in (red)]:
Played 11 (1) - Won 7 - Drawn 2 - Lost 2 (1) - Goals conceded 13 (2) - Clean sheets 3
Labels: WISE
Saturday, March 31, 2007
AS Chambery 1 W.I.S.E. 5
The WISE ended the league season on a high with a comfortable win away from home at Chambery.
The match was in fact a re-run of the cup fixture played three weeks ago (I didn't play as I was in Paris), 1-0 to the WISE was the score-line that night, but tonight we scored a few more goals as Simon returned to the team.
Of all the pitches I have played on, this one was by far the worst, as I had an ankle-deep lake in my 6-yard box! Fortunately, I never had to dive into the water but I did concede another goal, typically, when we were dominating the game and should have been in the lead. It was a good strike, I really thought that the shot from my right hand side of the penalty area was sailing over the bar, but unfortunately for me it did not but I struggled to get a hand to it anyway. It was a good goal but again it came against the run of play.
Once again though, Simon came to my rescue, scoring from a corner after the ball bobbled around the area. There is some debate about whether it was an own goal or Simon's but it did not really matter. I managed to keep the scores level 1-1 at half time, after managing to back-track and save a lofted shot from a corner right underneath my crossbar.
We started the second half brightly and should have had a penalty, when the defender handled in the area. Not to be tonight. But we soon made it 2-1, with Tom scoring in the top corner from a few yards. Simon then made it 3-1 with a cool finish from a few yards to keep him way ahead in the race for the Golden Boot, and then Atle made it 4 shortly afterwards tapping home after Momo had hit the post faced with an open goal from out wide.
I had very little to do in the second half except come out and gather a few long balls, and despite being totally in control of the game, we still wanted more goals. The fifth eventually came and after Simon had a rush of blood and was subbed off, the match was brought to a close.
With only one defeat since Christmas, we have gone on a superb unbeaten run, which has surely meant the WISE are in the playoffs. Next Friday is the semi-final match of the cup, so for now, the season is not over yet...
My competitive record (to date) [not including friendlies...]:
Played 10 - Won 6 - Drawn 2 - Lost 2 - Goals conceded 13 - Clean sheets 2
Labels: WISE
Saturday, March 24, 2007
W.I.S.E 2 A.B.C.Amis 1
It was by no means a pretty match, but the W.I.S.E., in what was the final home game of the league season and penultimate of the season, came away with the deserved win to strengthen their chances of making the playoffs.
Playing for the last time at our "home ground" at Bordeaux Lac, I didn't touch the ball at all for the first half hour of the match and was frustratingly beaten after 25 or so. A long throw-in beat the defence leaving the striker one-on-one, and he chipped it over me and tapped it home from a metre or so. This was really annoying as I was hoping for another clean-sheet like I achieved in our previous meeting back in December (click to read report).
I got my first touch just after the half hour with a shot from wide on my right that was straight at me, and then had to charge out of my box to prevent us going further behind. Before their goal, we had all the chances and really should have been three or four goals ahead, and now they had scored it felt like we would never score!
However, from a corner, Jack got his name on the score sheet, and then from a Jean-Greg free kick (complete with Roberto Carlos style long run-up) Tom converted the rebound to take him to only one goal behind Simon in the scoring charts. Both our goals came just before half time and that was the way the game ended. Thankfully!
It could've been much different though and I nearly was embarrassed seconds into the second half when a shot from all of 35/40 metres took an absolutely horrible bounce and leapt up over my head as I rushed out to gather (thankfully I was just about able to push it over the bar). I had a much busier second half in comparison with the first, and had to leave my goal a few more times, which got more and more difficult as the rain worsened and turned my penalty area to sludge.
We should have had a penalty, when Jack was tripped inside the area, but in the end, it did not matter. We had won again, and now face Chambery in the final game of the season next Friday. Currently it looks like anything but a loss would mean we reach the playoffs...
My competitive record (to date) [not including friendlies...]:
Played 9 - Won 5 - Drawn 2 - Lost 2 - Goals conceded 12 - Clean sheets 2
Labels: WISE
Friday, March 16, 2007
Parempuyre CA 2 WISE 3
A goal with the last kick of the match meant the WISE came back from 2-0 behind to leave Parempuyre with all three points, a result which now means the WISE sit equal third in the league. On a surprisingly warm evening, the WISE totally dominated the match and deserved the win, although I myself am disappointed with my shocking 10-minute spell at the start!
I'd barely touched the ball before I was picking it out of the net. I misjudged a ball that was bouncing across my 6-yard box, it skidded off the grass past me and left their attacker with a simple finish at the back post. I have had better starts... Only a few minutes later it was 2-0. The ball fell nicely to their striker from a corner and with the help of a big deflection, he lashed it past my left hand side from 6 yards. Oh boy.
Determined not to concede again, I rushed out of my goal on more than two occasions and succeeded in averting the danger. What followed was simply amazing. We got a real gift from Parempuyre in the form of the most bizarre own goal I have ever seen. As far as I can remember, I don't think the defender was under any pressure but he turned and volleyed the ball 30 odd yards back towards the keeper, who of course couldn't use his hands, kicked at it wildly, missed and watched as the ball went into his net! It was an absolute freak own goal and I really hope I'll never have to face a back-pass like that!
The goal lifted us as a team, and suddenly shots were raining down on their keeper left, right and centre. Jack and Remy both missed golden chances with headers and Tom perhaps should have done better and hit the target from the edge of the area. 2-1 at half time.
Second half started in the same manner as the first half ended, it was all WISE. After beating pretty much half the opposing team Momo perhaps should have squared the ball instead of going for goal himself, but we had to wait until 20 minutes from time for the equaliser - Tom finally beating the keeper when put through one-on-one.
I only had one thing to do in the whole of the second half and that was to save a header than came right at me, but despite all our pressure and chances it didn't seem like we'd get that winning goal. However, it did come albeit with the final kick of the match. Ben, who again had another superb game, was put through one-on-one, fired a shot on goal that came back out off the underside of the crossbar and fell kindly for him to convert the rebound.
3-2 it finished, and things are looking up for the WISE! With three league matches left of the season, we lie in equal third place (a mere 16 points behind the runaway leaders Lacanau), and have a semi-final match in the cup competition in the coming weeks. Allez les jaunes !
My competitive record (to date) [not including friendlies...]:
Played 8 - Won 4 - Drawn 2 - Lost 2 - Goals conceded 11 - Clean sheets 2
Labels: WISE
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Ultramarines 2 WISE 2 (match abandoned after 78 mins)
Some play football to relax, but the majority of the matches I've played in have become so fiercely competitive that there is always at least one (near) fight. Tonight though, it was a bit different. The match was abandoned...
We were originally scheduled to play this match on Friday 16th Feb but it was put back until tonight so that the English players of our team were in France and so could play. The fixture meant we had to travel away to their pitch, which no joke is actually worse than what we have to train on, and that is saying something! Our training pitch is pretty much a block of sand and so the bounce is unpredictable at best, but tonight the pitch was as hard as concrete and trust me it hurts to dive onto!
We got off to a terrible start and were soon 2-0 down. The first goal was not one of my proudest moments. The ball was lofted into the air from the right hand side down near the corner flag, I rushed out to catch it and would have except totally lost the ball in the glare of the spotlight. I nearly had the ball in my hands but was clattered by the onrushing striker, who buried the loose ball. I personally thought it was a foul but then again I should have done better.
The second though wasn't much better. Their winger cut inside from the right wing and hit it left footed along the ground towards my bottom left corner. I dived down and got a finger to it but again it was not enough. Honestly, one of these days I will instinctively dive down with two hands. This is another of the occasions when I would not have conceded if I had.
The quality of refereeing was shocking to say the least. I reckon even Graham Poll would have done a better job. One minute a push was a foul and then the next minute it suddenly was not a foul. I thought we were being hard done by (the referee was provided by the home team), but apparently our winger Harold used his hand to control the ball in the move which resulted in Remy thumping the ball into the back of the net via the inside of the post and the keepers' heels to make it 2-1.
2-1 it was at half time, and we began the second half as if we were winning and in control of the game. Unfortunately, we had lost Simon to an ankle injury late in the first half so our tactic suddenly became solely reliant on the counter attack, so hopefully the injury will get better soon. Tackles began to get more and more physical and we equalised with a half-volleyed effort from Tom direct from a quickly taken throw-in early on. Soon after I made a save I was proud off; I was caught horribly wrong-footed by a deflected shot but managed to jump up and claw the ball over the bar. Amusingly this resulted in a Blanc to Barthez show of affection from my defender Eric (for those not in the know, during World Cup 1998 in France, Blanc kissed Barthez on the head after making a crucial save).
Then it all kicked off. A free kick for the Ultramarines was fired in towards goal. My defender Eric went to clear the ball and from where I was I thought he did. There was shouting and screaming from the Ultramarine players and I learnt later that apparently the ball had bounced up and hit him on the arm. I did not see this myself, but he was inside the area and so if this is true then it should have been a penalty. The referee gave it, and pretty much everyone in WISE colours was protesting about an earlier incident that wasn't given [the Ultramarine keeper punched away a back-pass under pressure from our striker].
Meanwhile, I was preparing myself for the penalty, I have a good record with them (I have never conceded one) so I was confident. I knew he was going to hit it to my right from the way he placed the ball, but the argument was still going on so he could not take it. In the end, he just ran up and hit it, and blazed it over the bar (to my right). He shouted something (I didn't catch it) and followed the rest of his team off the pitch.
Whether they walked and so forfeited I do not know. Will the match be declared a draw? Will it be a marked down as a void match? Will we have to replay it? I do not know, but either way this was probably a blessing in disguise. We only had 13 available players tonight, and even lost Simon to an injury. I'd fancy us to beat them if we have to replay it, although knowing how heated a replay would be would we ever get a result?!
Labels: WISE
Friday, February 09, 2007
W.I.S.E. 1 Lacanau F. LO 2
At first glance losing 2-1 to free-scoring top of the league appears a good result. However, the score doesn't reflect the game, in which we dominated for a large majority of the match and had more goal-scoring chances, yet I managed to concede (once again) right at the very end meaning we didn't come away with at least the point we deserved.
It was a home match, up at the Lake on what cannot be described as a pitch. It's supposedly a "all-weather pitch" but it's more like grit, or as I call it "a beach". The bounce is horrible and unpredictable in places and I think it was that which meant Lacanau were unable to play the game they wanted to in the first half. I was called on to make two saves, both of which were straight down my throat, and we had a goal disallowed for offside and could've scored a couple of times in a first half which we controlled. 0-0 at half-time.
Unfortunately not long into the second half, they scored. The ball made its way across the top of my penalty area to the winger who was totally unmarked. I decided to do what I thought was right and charged out, but he dummied me, took it around my outside and fired a left foot shot into the net. Admittedly it was a good finish, but we didn't really deserve to be behind in the match. Wasn't that way for long though, as a spillage from the goalkeeper at the other end from a free-kick gifted Simon another goal - his third in consecutive games.
We came close to grabbing another from a Beckham-esque free-kick that could not have been more than a few millimetres from the top left corner and a few other chances. But it wasn't to be, with just less than 5 minutes left their defence played a long ball forward, defender missed judged the bounce and suddenly the striker was one-on-one. Someone shouted for me to come out and for some reason I did. I was never going to get there and eventually stopped half-way leaving the striker with the simple job of lobbing me and stealing the points. Why oh why did I listen!?
"Never mind, it's only part of football", I was told in the dressing room after, but taking the positives, not only did we score, but we gave the team top of the table a real scare. On reflexion we deserved to at least draw, but that’s football, and that's why sometimes I hate it!
My competitive record (to date) [not including friendlies...]:
Played 6 - Won 3 - Drawn 1 - Lost 2 - Goals conceded 7 - Clean sheets 2
Labels: WISE
Monday, February 05, 2007
Pessac SPUC 2 - W.I.S.E. 3
What a difference a weekend makes. After a rather horrible, and to be honest, humiliating 2-1 defeat at the hands of the divisions' bottom club on Friday, I for one was determined to do better this time. I was disgusted that I conceded such a "soft" goal right at the end of Friday's match and so I really felt responsible for the loss - the shot was definitely save-able. However, I hope tonight's result and my performance went some way to redeem that.
Tonight we were scheduled to play our postponed match away at Pessac SPUC, who prior to kick off occupied 2nd spot in the league after notching up 6 wins and 2 draws in their 8 games to date. This match was originally postponed because of the snow but the conditions tonight were hardly much better, the fog was terrific and I couldn't even make out the other goal at the other end of the pitch. So much trouble did I have that I actually played pretty much the whole game without my glasses as ironically I could see better.
However, Pessac scored first and it was one of those moments that I want to forget quickly. I think it was just a hopeful punt at goal but I lost sight of the ball above the spotlights, when I saw it again it was honestly around 30cm above my head, and so I didn't have enough time to raise my hands and it went over me, under the bar and in the net. Such a horrible, horrible goal.
Fortunately we hit back, and quickly. Obviously I was unable to actually see any of the goals but only knew about them from the load shouts of delight from our team. Simon, René and John got the goals. But I put in the best performance I've ever done between the sticks tonight, and played with a level of confidence that I only hope I can continue in all our remaining fixtures. Late in the first half this showed, as I was able to push the resulting shot around the far post after rushing out to meet the striker who'd broken free of my defence. 3-1 at half-time.
I had more to do in the second half as they pushed more men forward in search of a goal. They pulled one back shortly after the break, not much more I couldn't done really, I rushed out to meet the striker 1 on 1 and he placed it under me. But I was determined not to concede again, and after taking Simon's advice and punching a half-volley from outside the area around my post, I believed it was possible. I had to dash out to collect a few more through-balls, saved a free-kick comfortably and saved another with my left foot but we had to withstand a lot of pressure towards the end and s0 the final whistle was a delightful sound - we had done it! Excellent team preformace and I think we fully deserved to win.
Obviously I'm delighted. Annoyed to have conceded such a crazy first goal, but so glad to have prevented Pessac from taking any of the points. All in all it was the perfect preparation for Friday's match-up at home to LACANAU F. LO, who sit top of the table with 8 wins and 1 draw from their 9 games, after scoring a whopping 50 goals and conceding only 13. Should be a good one... Allez les Jaunes!
My competitive record (to date) [not including friendlies...]:
Played 5 - Won 3 - Drawn 1 - Lost 1 - Goals conceded 5 - Clean sheets 2
Labels: WISE
Sunday, January 14, 2007
"Something random could be anything" !!
The phrase "here we go again" comes to mind this evening. Tomorrow (Monday) my lessons start up again for the second semester at Bordeaux 3 - well at least I think they do. Of course, I don't actually know what day or what times they are, or even if all my preferred choices will fit around each other, so I can see this being just as mush as a nightmare as it was back in September...
Neil's now gone back to England after spending what was a very enjoyable week out here in Bordeaux. So now my apartment feels huge, as I'm not forever stepping over an airbed, but so is the pile of washing up that has amounted and continually been put off until now...
We didn't do too bad for a week: we went to a Girondins match, a Bordeaux Union rugby match, ice skating at the Patinoire Mériadeck, shopping (pretty much daily) at Mériadeck due to "fermature exceptionelles", visited all the sites - the Tour Peyberland and even the Cathedral St André, visited the uni (twice) - both times in the hope that lesson times would have been posted up on the boards, and even managed to watch every single episode made of The Office in the space of a few days... Fact!
Before flying back on Saturday, Neil went to watch me play in goal for the WISE, away in Bègles. Our opponents were 3rd prior to the match (we were in 7th (out of 9)) and we managed to beat them comfortably 3-0 in the end, but it could've easily been more.
However, it could've easily been different as very early on in the match I made the mistake of thinking I could claim a loose bouncing ball at waist height one handed, consequently missing it and thinking I'd committed a howler gifting them a goal. Thankfully one of my defenders had stayed on the post from the corner and cleared it off the line, sparing my blushes! I won't be doing that again! But that was another clean sheet and another win for the team, so a good night all round!
I'm a bit worried about my finger that I managed to hurt saving a shot during the pre-match warm-up that has swollen and I still can't move as easily as it used to but hopefully it'll be back to normal ASAP!
OK better get on with the washing up. Then again it can wait...
(Thanks to Eleanor for this entries' obvious yet inspirational words of wisdom, aka the title :-p)
Labels: WISE
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Clean sheet, 5 goals and our first victory - a good night's work!
WISE have finally got our first win under our belts, and what a win. I kept a clean sheet (for possibly the first time ever), we scored 5 goals (2 Simon, 1 Eamon, 1 Tom and 1 John) and we played the other team off the pitch, their home pitch - which deserves a mention as it was grass and not gravel!
Stade Leo Lagrange, Cenon, was the venue for my first away match in WISE colours and I have to admit I was a little intimidated before kick off as the whole stadium was a big step-up from our facilities at Bordeaux Lac. Nevertheless I got my hands on the ball nice and early, their winger skinned our left back on the right flank crossed it in to the unmarked striker who thankfully hit it straight at me - anywhere else I'm sure would've been a certain goal.
But then I didn't have to do anything else until we were in the lead! A great finish by Eamon, taking the ball around the keeper before slotting home, but then I had my moment - a total reflex save high to my left from a corner, denying their striker from no more than 2 metres out. We then took the iniative and an even better finish from Simon, Van-Nistelrooy-esque,who then added another soon after - made it 3-0 at the half time break.
Second half was eventful to say the least. After going 4-0 up, Simon made a clean tackle which then sparked a brawl in which stopped the game for five minutes and resulted in one of the Cenon players being dismissed. Once the game restarted, I soon had a free kick to face from outside the area - I was fully expecting it to be sent towards the corners of my goal but instead came over the wall straight into my arms! After spurning another handful of chances to increase our lead we were nearly caught out by a long ball but thankfully I managed to rush out and avert the danger to keep my clean sheet intact.
We finally did make it 5 right at the death and soon after the full-time whistle blew. 5-0, first victory, for me my first clean sheet, and it was time for a celebration. So it was back to the Connamara for free beer and pizza! An excellent night, an excellent result and I'm still tired this morning!
I hope you're feeling better today Dad. Take care of yourself!
Labels: WISE
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Full match debut: 1-1
Last night I played in goal for the first time for the W.I.S.E. team, at "home" at Bordeaux Lac. Considering it had been raining pretty much all week, it was surprising that it didn't rain during the match, however a strong wind prevailed which made clearing the ball in the first half (for us) a bit difficult!
It was 0-0 at half time but we had the wind behind us in the second half. I had a few things to do, a few backpasses that had me worried about doing a 'Robinson' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8v4oV-8eq4), but their goalkeeper was by far the busier and we really deserved to win with the amount of chances we created. However that wasn't to be. I was annoyed to concede towards the end, beaten by a shot across my body from the right hand side of the pitch - I knew it was going to be hit across me, dived down to my right, got a hand to it but it wasn't not enough to keep it out. Fortunately a few minutes later we pulled level and five minutes after that the floodlights went off bringing an end to the match!
I'm still disappointed to have conceded yet I'm glad we didn't lose - and apparently that was our first point of the season - so it was off to the Connamara for a pint!
Labels: WISE
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