Can you spot the difference between these two pictures? If not, you haven't worn a blue shirt and tried to latch on to a through ball recently...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Spot The Difference Contest
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures? If not, you haven't worn a blue shirt and tried to latch on to a through ball recently...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
MATCH DAY 6/1
Next Sunday's game will either be at Waldwick High at 8:30 (early start - we have to be off the field by 10:30) or at Ramsey High if neither we, nor Ramsey, can field two full-strength teams and we will combine.
This is, as of now, the last game time to be affected and from now on all games will be 9-11am at Waldwick High.
If you are reading this, and WILL be available for the game next Sunday, please add a comment saying so. It will help us keep track (we hope - this is something of an experiment.)
This is, as of now, the last game time to be affected and from now on all games will be 9-11am at Waldwick High.
If you are reading this, and WILL be available for the game next Sunday, please add a comment saying so. It will help us keep track (we hope - this is something of an experiment.)
MATCH REPORT: 5/25
Pre-Memorial Day match report? Or Memorial to the once-mighty Waldwick Senior Soccer Association? You decide.
With expectations high for a good turn-out in glorious sunshine and low humidity, it was the same familiar faces making up the 6-a-side-lacrosse-goals session this Sunday, leaving many fans and players asking: "Why?"
"This is bullshit," said* Keith Hockenbeck. "What more do people want? Beer and strippers? Where is everyone?"
The sentiment was mirrored in the confused faces of the 10 regulars who showed up expecting more (plus Frank's doctor and some other guy who was recruited from the running track.)
The game itself was played at second gear pace at best. The blue team dominated with counter-attacks as the white team huffed and puffed but couldn't get the job done. Frank's doctor managed to pull a muscle with his first touch ("Someone call a doc... oh, wait...) and the injury appeared to affect his hearing and reflexes as he seemed unable to understand/resist the temptation to pick the ball up when placed in goal. He also couldn't produce a note explaining Frank's absence, meaning he was probably fishing down the shore.
Scott Rosner was at the heart of every blue attack, but as the game wore on every blue player got involved. Keith, often sweeping from end to end, scored the most memorable goal of the game when his first attempt bounced post-to-post hockey style before bouncing back to him for a tidy finish. His final tally was at least two, two more than he's ever scored in a full-sided game in 47 years of playing the beautiful game.
Meanwhile the whites refused to tidy up their game with loose passing (Keeble a culprit), a lack of hustle in the final third (again!) and a continued belief that a shot on goal has to be hit as hard as possible with as much finesse as a tackle from John Gilchrist. The blue goal was under-threat a lot less from the white shots than the joggers and low-flying aircraft.
The heat took its toll, even on a shortened pitch, and when the cries of "next goal wins" went up, the blues scored it through their on-loan jogger/winger Carlos. The white team applauded the game had ended, regardless of the result.
FINAL SCORE Blues 9 White 5 (Blues also taking the scorer-takes-all golden goal)
* "said" is used ambiguously. He didn't "say" it so much as "probably thought it."
With expectations high for a good turn-out in glorious sunshine and low humidity, it was the same familiar faces making up the 6-a-side-lacrosse-goals session this Sunday, leaving many fans and players asking: "Why?"
"This is bullshit," said* Keith Hockenbeck. "What more do people want? Beer and strippers? Where is everyone?"
The sentiment was mirrored in the confused faces of the 10 regulars who showed up expecting more (plus Frank's doctor and some other guy who was recruited from the running track.)
The game itself was played at second gear pace at best. The blue team dominated with counter-attacks as the white team huffed and puffed but couldn't get the job done. Frank's doctor managed to pull a muscle with his first touch ("Someone call a doc... oh, wait...) and the injury appeared to affect his hearing and reflexes as he seemed unable to understand/resist the temptation to pick the ball up when placed in goal. He also couldn't produce a note explaining Frank's absence, meaning he was probably fishing down the shore.
Scott Rosner was at the heart of every blue attack, but as the game wore on every blue player got involved. Keith, often sweeping from end to end, scored the most memorable goal of the game when his first attempt bounced post-to-post hockey style before bouncing back to him for a tidy finish. His final tally was at least two, two more than he's ever scored in a full-sided game in 47 years of playing the beautiful game.
Meanwhile the whites refused to tidy up their game with loose passing (Keeble a culprit), a lack of hustle in the final third (again!) and a continued belief that a shot on goal has to be hit as hard as possible with as much finesse as a tackle from John Gilchrist. The blue goal was under-threat a lot less from the white shots than the joggers and low-flying aircraft.
The heat took its toll, even on a shortened pitch, and when the cries of "next goal wins" went up, the blues scored it through their on-loan jogger/winger Carlos. The white team applauded the game had ended, regardless of the result.
FINAL SCORE Blues 9 White 5 (Blues also taking the scorer-takes-all golden goal)
* "said" is used ambiguously. He didn't "say" it so much as "probably thought it."
Friday, May 23, 2008
BREAKING NEWS! Howard! Duck!
Howard Post (the guy who wore those sports glasses at Trap that time and cut his nose) is promising to return to action this Sunday after a lengthy lay-off (not nose-injury related.) For those of you yet to meet him, on the field he has some talent and will "fit right in" with the rest of us.
Monday, May 19, 2008
MATCH DAY 5/25
WSS returns to Waldwick High's turf this Sunday at 9am. Joe has suggested the possibility of playing on Monday too. Will post more info as/if it is received.
MATCH DAY REPORT: 5/18
(Adam Keeble was unavailable for this match due to self-inflicted injury involving pizza and Coors Light. Keith Hockenbeck therefore graces the blog in a manner similar to that which he graces the field - smooth, non-nonsense, and with a lack of respect towards Frank.)
No drama, no blood drawn, no physical or obvious mental injuries to report.
Enjoyable 6v6 game under sunny skies on the short field with the sweet aroma of 2-day old mown grass in the air. A new phenomona: Spectators! A league game on the large field was in progress as we filed 2 by 2 onto our smaller pitch. These spectators, too old to play alongside the league players but old enough to identify with the Waldwick Senior Soccer Association, were anxiously dribbling and passing a ball amongst themselves on our sidelines hoping to be called into action but alas, we denied them the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join in. We greedily guarded our field & game *.
It was a high scoring game, fairly even, I lost count of the goals after 8 or so. Notible was a hat trick by Mark Miller ** and several missed scoring opportunites by Vince who seemed to have gathered some rust over the past few weeks. Frank brought along a guest player who was, aptly, his doctor. Fortunately, and as earlier reported, no need for his services were required.
* "You don't pay, you don't play. That's the rule, gramps."
** THE Mark Miller?
No drama, no blood drawn, no physical or obvious mental injuries to report.
Enjoyable 6v6 game under sunny skies on the short field with the sweet aroma of 2-day old mown grass in the air. A new phenomona: Spectators! A league game on the large field was in progress as we filed 2 by 2 onto our smaller pitch. These spectators, too old to play alongside the league players but old enough to identify with the Waldwick Senior Soccer Association, were anxiously dribbling and passing a ball amongst themselves on our sidelines hoping to be called into action but alas, we denied them the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join in. We greedily guarded our field & game *.
It was a high scoring game, fairly even, I lost count of the goals after 8 or so. Notible was a hat trick by Mark Miller ** and several missed scoring opportunites by Vince who seemed to have gathered some rust over the past few weeks. Frank brought along a guest player who was, aptly, his doctor. Fortunately, and as earlier reported, no need for his services were required.
* "You don't pay, you don't play. That's the rule, gramps."
** THE Mark Miller?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Game Review: 5/11
It was all-white on the night when a rare united front saw white and blue shirts merge into some kind of cyan super team to take on a team of young whippersnappers from Waldwick High.
With both teams playing with home advantage, and a truly partisan crowd (consisting of substitutes), there would only be one winner - the beautiful game.
But the actual winner was the kids. And the only losers were the moms, sitting home waiting for their Mother's Day breakfast in bed that would end up being 1) cold and 2) a Mother's Day brunch at best.
The WSS line-up was the stuff dreams are made of, even with goalkeeper Doug joining the teens and guarding their onion bag (and also raising the average age of their team from 16 to 35.)
While the legendary Blue Wall were wearing white shirts, there was no mistaking the cool, calm, shiny heads of the defensive pairing of Keith and Bobby. Midfield General Ed was replaced by Midfield General Ted. So slick was the transition, nobody noticed. Even the fabled "Tom and Jerry" forward line of... well, Tom and Jerry... was restored. This was truly a day that, in years to come, those who participated would say: "I was there - and I've still got the sun burn to prove it."
The early exchanges were more even than most would have expected. The starting line-up, so familiar with each others' game, refused to let the high schoolers get a rhythm going. The blues took the lead, but parity was soon restored when Tom, skinning the fullback as though it was his own son (it was) skipped through and beat the 'keeper at his near post.
In a day of rare events, something called "half time" arrived, mainly so the kids could get their breath back. The score was about 3-1 to the teens.
After the restart, the score began to slip-out of the WSS's collective grasps. Frank (playing in what can only be described as a "left" position) would blame the lack of coordination and cooperation, with so many changes affected any kind of passing game. Cooler heads would point to the lack of any kind of WSS midfield player for long periods of time along with defenders playing as forwards. While Steve in the WSS goal pulled off spectacular save after save, parrying shots away with his #1 FAN foam-hand-like appendages, he's only one man. The score got to about 6-1 to the kids, and the heat was taking its toll.
But just as the teens had their young legs, acne and wet dreams, the older, wiser heads had the edge in male-pattern baldness, cholesterol and tactics. It was time to get smart.
Critics may well get all preachy about the long-ball punts upfront, saying it's hardly the kind of soccer that wins over the neutrals. Well, bugger the neutrals. When WSS United switched to a more direct route, dividends were found instantly and while there is no "I" in TEAM there is in "WIN" - and these kids didn't realize that.
Scott Perkins, with his height and pace was latching on to booming goal kicks with ease as they soared over nine of the high schoolers eleven players, leaving the WSS with a four-on-two advantage time after time. It was only a matter of time before it paid off. An expert Perkins cross hit WSS #6 Keeble squarely in the right eye socket, then rebounded off a teenage defender's hairless body and right on to Keeble's shoelaces. Bang, thank you, goodnight. 6-2.
The kids of today don't learn, and while they continued to huff and puff, the veterans raised their game still further. Mark Miller continued his streak of covering every blade of artificial turf in every game he plays, and as John "The 10:15 train is now arriving at Platform Shin" Gilchrist scared the bejesus out of the teenagers more than A Nightmare on Elm Street ever did, the tide was turning. WSS captain and player-manager-elect Rocco ignored taunts of "grandpa" from opposing players (including his son, who should know better. Really!) and ripped up the flank like it was so much old carpet. Another defensive lapse, as the kids were probably discussing homework or girls or something, and it was 6-3.
On the back of this momentum, the tide had turned, wrecked the kids' sandcastles, and the neutrals (the people running around the track listening to their iPods) could only see one winner - the WSS Machine. There was only one course of action for the teens to take - surrender. The coach called them off (blaming the "games end after 90 minutes" rule) and gifted WSS United a win by default.
FINAL SCORE (somewhere in the region of): Waldwick High Kids 6, WSS United 8 (including a five goal bonus for the default victory)
With both teams playing with home advantage, and a truly partisan crowd (consisting of substitutes), there would only be one winner - the beautiful game.
But the actual winner was the kids. And the only losers were the moms, sitting home waiting for their Mother's Day breakfast in bed that would end up being 1) cold and 2) a Mother's Day brunch at best.
The WSS line-up was the stuff dreams are made of, even with goalkeeper Doug joining the teens and guarding their onion bag (and also raising the average age of their team from 16 to 35.)
While the legendary Blue Wall were wearing white shirts, there was no mistaking the cool, calm, shiny heads of the defensive pairing of Keith and Bobby. Midfield General Ed was replaced by Midfield General Ted. So slick was the transition, nobody noticed. Even the fabled "Tom and Jerry" forward line of... well, Tom and Jerry... was restored. This was truly a day that, in years to come, those who participated would say: "I was there - and I've still got the sun burn to prove it."
The early exchanges were more even than most would have expected. The starting line-up, so familiar with each others' game, refused to let the high schoolers get a rhythm going. The blues took the lead, but parity was soon restored when Tom, skinning the fullback as though it was his own son (it was) skipped through and beat the 'keeper at his near post.
In a day of rare events, something called "half time" arrived, mainly so the kids could get their breath back. The score was about 3-1 to the teens.
After the restart, the score began to slip-out of the WSS's collective grasps. Frank (playing in what can only be described as a "left" position) would blame the lack of coordination and cooperation, with so many changes affected any kind of passing game. Cooler heads would point to the lack of any kind of WSS midfield player for long periods of time along with defenders playing as forwards. While Steve in the WSS goal pulled off spectacular save after save, parrying shots away with his #1 FAN foam-hand-like appendages, he's only one man. The score got to about 6-1 to the kids, and the heat was taking its toll.
But just as the teens had their young legs, acne and wet dreams, the older, wiser heads had the edge in male-pattern baldness, cholesterol and tactics. It was time to get smart.
Critics may well get all preachy about the long-ball punts upfront, saying it's hardly the kind of soccer that wins over the neutrals. Well, bugger the neutrals. When WSS United switched to a more direct route, dividends were found instantly and while there is no "I" in TEAM there is in "WIN" - and these kids didn't realize that.
Scott Perkins, with his height and pace was latching on to booming goal kicks with ease as they soared over nine of the high schoolers eleven players, leaving the WSS with a four-on-two advantage time after time. It was only a matter of time before it paid off. An expert Perkins cross hit WSS #6 Keeble squarely in the right eye socket, then rebounded off a teenage defender's hairless body and right on to Keeble's shoelaces. Bang, thank you, goodnight. 6-2.
The kids of today don't learn, and while they continued to huff and puff, the veterans raised their game still further. Mark Miller continued his streak of covering every blade of artificial turf in every game he plays, and as John "The 10:15 train is now arriving at Platform Shin" Gilchrist scared the bejesus out of the teenagers more than A Nightmare on Elm Street ever did, the tide was turning. WSS captain and player-manager-elect Rocco ignored taunts of "grandpa" from opposing players (including his son, who should know better. Really!) and ripped up the flank like it was so much old carpet. Another defensive lapse, as the kids were probably discussing homework or girls or something, and it was 6-3.
On the back of this momentum, the tide had turned, wrecked the kids' sandcastles, and the neutrals (the people running around the track listening to their iPods) could only see one winner - the WSS Machine. There was only one course of action for the teens to take - surrender. The coach called them off (blaming the "games end after 90 minutes" rule) and gifted WSS United a win by default.
FINAL SCORE (somewhere in the region of): Waldwick High Kids 6, WSS United 8 (including a five goal bonus for the default victory)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sunday 5/11 UPDATE
The game will still be at Waldwick High, but start at 8:30 and we will be playing the high school team. First to get there get a starting spot.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Match Day 5/11
This Sunday, WSS plays at Waldwick High School. 9-11am.
On May 18, we play at Traphagen, 9-11am.
On May 18, we play at Traphagen, 9-11am.
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