NYS Spring Season 2005 - The Cheetahs, 4-5 Yr. Old Age Group
On March 21, 2005, The Cheetahs showed up for their first practice. I was happy to see that the new kids were a bit taller and bigger than the Tigers. Or maybe it's just because 4 and 5 yr. olds are growing at alarming rates! I figured, if the Tigers managed a no-loss last season, these Cheetahs should be able to do better.
Four kids from the Tigers moved to the Cheetahs for this season. Derrick, my son, and two of his best friends and classmates Mario Garcia, and Odrigo Rivas. All three were Mid-fielders ( or at least, what I want to think of them! ). The other one is Marshaun Davis, a Tigers Defender, who is showing great perseverance in his game.
First day of practice was great! The new-comers Stephen, Ashley, Steven, and Jake immediately showed enthusiasm; they're just so eager to learn and get it on right away! Signs of impatience started showing up nearing the end of practice when everybody wanted to play the game right then and there. So I decided to pair them up for a one-on-one. The result was impressive. Immediately, I recognized each new player's potential and recorded it in my brain. Next practice, I'll be giving them their positions and explain their responsibilities in the team.
posted by Remigio @ 11:39 AM
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April 9, 2005 - First game for the Cheetahs was a resounding win over The Blue Dragons, 5-1. The first game gives the Cheetahs their first win and better confidence as we move on into the season. The Cheetahs did very well for their first game. Derrick scored 1, Odrigo scored 1, Mario, and Mershaun performed exceptionally well as the more experienced players in the team.
Newbees Steven Assef, Stephen Flanagan, and Dejon Jackson played exceptionally well as all three showed good form, adding a point each to the team score, all on the second half of the game. Everyone in the team pitched in on defense, limiting the Dragons' offensive onslaught to only one point. The Cheetahs' obvious weakness was close-range defense against the Dragons, but it was compensated by excellent goalkeeping by Dejon and Mershaun. A stronger offense from the Dragons could have turned the game the other way; however, the strong offensive onslaught by the Cheetahs made it hard for the Dragons to match.
April 16, 2005 - The second game for the Cheetahs gave them their second win this season with an incredible win over the Incledible Tigers, 8-0. The Cheetahs let out an explosive offensive onslaught thst left the Tigers stunned for most of the first half. The second half showed the Tigers gaining some control over the ball but their efforts were stopped with excellent goalkeeping by Mershaun Davis.
The biggest surprise in this game was Mario Garcia's explosive strike against the Tigers, scoring 5 of the eight goals for the team. He was relentless all throughout the game, not giving the other team any chances of regaining the ball once he took control of it.
The other scorers were Dejon Jackson, 1, Derrick Algoso, 1, and Steven Assef, 1.
April 23, 2005 - The Cheetahs continue on the winning streak with a decisive win over the Yellow Jackets, 6-0. We remain undefeated so far, this time Derrick Algoso scored 4 points together with Dejon Jackson (1) and Mershaun Davis (1). Derrick played exceptionally well this time, forcing his way through the opponents defenses with excellent ball-handling skills. At one point, he did a sliding kick to the goal, one of his favorite moves.
Mershaun Davis scored his very first goal since joining us back in January, when we were still called the Tigers. He came in from the right side of the field, caught a loose ball and followed it with a short finishing kick into the opponents' goal. There is definitely a lot of confidence in this team right now. With the way this team is going, I can't wait to see how the fourth game will turn out.
April 30, 2005 - It was another fine day in San Diego as the Cheetahs outscore the KMRC, 4-1. The game started out a bit uneventful as KMRC showed resiliency in their defense, not allowing the Cheetahs to get near enough to the goal to score. It took approximately 15 minutes to finally break into their defenses as Dejon worked his way close enough to score the first goal, with the help of Stephen Flanagan and the rest of the team.
Good job goes to Derrick as he held the defensive position, stopping all but one of many attempts by KMRC to score. A wierd thing happened on the later half of the first half when Marshaun blocked a shooting kick from one of KMRC's strikers but it mysteriously crawled over his shoulder and rolled into our goal, Marshaun chased it like a cat but to no avail...for their only score!
As the second half started, I decided to beef up the offensive by rotating Derrick, Mario, Jake Kincaid, and Odrigo in as Midfielders, together with Steven Assef and Dejon as Strikers. Within a few minutes into the second half, the Cheetahs started dominating the field, allowing 2 points from Mario and 1 point from Steven Assef in the final minutes of the game. The defensive play setup by our Midfielders prevented the KMRC from reaching our goal. We are so far undefeated.
May 14, 2005 - It's our fifth game and we remain undefeated as the Cheetahs beat the Green Goblins 1-0. It was a hard-fought battle as the Cheetahs tried to regain lost momentum after a week off. The lone score came on the second half as Mario, Dejon, and Steven Assef managed to bring the ball into the penalty area. A scramble for the ball ensued after a moment of hesitation from Mario right in front of the goalkeeper, but presence of mind from team mates Dejon and Steven saved the day.
Part of the reason we won was excellent defending from Striker-midfielder Derrick Algoso who kept the Green Goblins away from scoring for much of the time, but special mention belongs to Jake Kincaid who played excellent goalkeeping, leaving the opponents scoreless throughout the game.
May 21, 2005 - The Cheetahs had their first real competition as they force a draw against The Fireflies, 3-3. This game was especially full-packed with a lot of action; the Fireflies matching almost every attack from the Cheetahs. The psychological advantage was with the Fireflies as they managed to exploit a weak defensive play from the Cheetahs and scored the first goal; however, the Cheetahs started showing a lot of resiliency and never gave in to dissappointments. They continued on with the attacks trailing the Fireflies point-for-point.
Special mention goes to Mario Garcia who, showing much consistency lately, managed to score 2 points. And finally the score that tied the game came from Derrick Algoso, who scored an impressive goal from a penalty kick. Derrick managed to score with a single kick that sent the ball over the heads of four Fireflies defenders, their goalkeeper caught flat-footed as it crossed the bars and into the goal. The Cheetahs conceded to a draw, but we remain undefeated! Go Cheetahs!
June 4, 2005 - The Cheetahs played their final game in style as they beat the Blue Dragons for the second time this season, 3-0. The first few minutes of the game was quite uneventful as both teams tried to control the game. The Blue Dragons did well playing defensively with better goalkeeping than before but as the game progressed they started showing some wearyness. This slowly turned to favor the Cheetahs who continually baraged the front of their opponent's goal with consistent attacks.
If there's one thing I noticed with the Cheetahs in this final game, it's the improved communication between the players. At one time during the second half, the team huddled together and said they have a plan. They were starting to think for themselves. The scorers: Mario Garcia, 2 and 1 point from Dejon or Derrick.
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