We have an 8-on-8 league, and last week our game was quite embarrassing. We didn’t show up to play mentally at all, and ended up losing 2-7, and I broke my nose in the process. There were a million and one excuses, but it really came down to the fact that we sucked. I broke my nose on a header that I won against a guy who was a bit taller than me, and was going full bore into my face. It hurt like hell, and it bled about as bad.

One week later, and we come to tonight. The team we played against was a lot better, but they were down a man, and that really helped us out. The field opened up, we had these really fantastic moments of brilliant passing. It was raining a bit, but it didn’t really affect the game I would argue. It was a night that reminds you why you play the game. On to my assist…

We were tied 2-2, and I got a throw-in from Michael Hack. I was at the right edge of the 18-yard box about mid-way up (so approximately at the penalty spot). I thigh trapped it, and heard “Just turn and shoot” out of the background. So, before letting the ball hit the ground, I pivoted, and shot far side upper 90. The goalie probably had a pretty good chance to get a hand on my shot, but a teammate knocked the ball in off of his head just high enough that the goalie had no chance.

It was sexy…

The league that I play in is a competitive co-ed league. I’m gonna go ahead and say that the key component to success in a co-ed league is the quality of the girls on the team. Generally the guys on each team tend to cancel each other out, and so the determining factor ends up being the ladies. So it would be really easy using this theorem to say that clearly our girls just let us down. It was 19-1 after all.

But, in this case, which seems to be the exception which proves the rule, the theorem is wrong.

I love the game of soccer. I love competition. I love how anonymous individuals can together form a group, call it a team, and work together towards a common goal. Soccer is about passion. You don’t have to be the best, but you have to love the game. You have to love the challenge of being one on one versus a defender and attacking the goal. You have to have the patience of a saint in allowing a possession to develop. You have to be selfless enough to make a run off the ball knowing that you’re expending energy with no chance of getting the ball, but hoping that a teammate recognizes the space and makes the appropriate run.

We failed to do that because our individuals didn’t understand the mechanics that make the game beautiful. They weren’t selfless; they weren’t patient; they weren’t passionate. People didn’t run, and then they didn’t sub. People didn’t play defense, and then looked surprised when they didn’t get a pass. The philosophy of the game was that we have more players than they do which means we should be able to outrun them. That isn’t soccer.

Next game we need to start with the basics. Start with defense first. Don’t move up the field unless there’s a reason to. Going up the field because the ball is there isn’t a reason. Understand your responsibility on the field. Know that everyone plays defense, and that playing defense first and holding the game close is more important than making a run, and losing shape or focus. Let’s start there. We’re going to lose the next game, I can almost guarantee it. But from there, we can start to learn how to not lose, and by the end of the season we should learn to win.

The end goal… step on the field to play the game.