Game reports February 17:
Age/Gender: U11 Girls
Location: SportsPlex
Result: W 7-1
Players: Erin, Marayna, Laura, Ava, Lauren, Nicole, Hope, Shiloh, Brooklyn, Mia
Goal(s): Lauren, Brooklyn, Ava, Mia
Player of the game: Ava
On defense, the Dutch Lions had a good performance. The girls were aggressive on the individual duels, very supportive, and showed moments of good pressure and cover not allowing the opponent to create many scoring chances.
Offensively, the team displayed good dynamic and correct decisions on the ball. Quick passes and combination play allowed the team to play using the width and depth of field and it created good chances to score, involving the whole team in the attacking process.
Coach Paulo said after the game “The team played well today. The girls are showing confidence maintaining the ball and teamwork trying to recover the ball after losing possession. Another aspect that was very positive today was to see the girls drop the ball when they have no solutions to move forward and starting the play from the back using the width of the field, switching the point of the attack”.
After the game, Coach Paulo nominated Ava as a player of the game and quoted “Ava played very well and showed some confidence today. With a good positioning on the field, helped the team to find the balance between offense and defense. She had some good passes switching the field and showed confidence at the moment to shoot on goal”.
Age/Gender: U12 Girls
Location: Kingdom Sportscenter
Result: W 6-1
Players: Brooke, Alexis, Maddie, Hannah, Morgan, Camlyn, Audrey, Mallory, Dulcie
Goal(s): Camlyn, Alexis, Hannah, Mallory
Player of the game: Alexis
The DDL U12 ladies were victorious tonight despite facing adversity. Missing several key players, they were able to be successful both offensively and defensively. Their back line, lead by Audrey, played with aggression and simplicity. Once the ball was won, they immediately began to build their attack by creating options and finding the feet of their midfielders and strikers. Goalkeepers Brooke, and Morgan came up with several saves to limit their competition to 1 goal.
The ladies continued to be incessant in their attack as four players recorded goals in tonight’s match. This week, they maintained a possessive style of play. Their creativity and combination play lead to several scoring opportunities, of which they capitalized on six.
After the game coach Katie had the following to say: “Though the girls were short on numbers, I am very pleased with the outcome of tonight’s game. I feel that we were able to grow as both individual soccer players and as a team. Several players played out of their comfort zones and they continued to show collective tactical growth.” In conclusion, coach Katie said "Today we've nominated Alexis as the player of the match. Alexis positively impacted both our offensive and defensive pursuits this evening by playing with strength and composure. She put an end to several of the opposition’s counterattacks and was able to connect her passes away from pressure. Alexis was also successful in tallying two goals in tonight’s match.”
Age/Gender: U12 Boys
Location: SportsPlex
Result: L 6-3
Players: RJ, Gabe, JR, Mick, Julian, Jake, Justin, Connor, Owen, Billy, Aaron, Ryan
Goal(s): Aaron, Connor
Player of the game: Connor
Defensively, the Dutch Lions did not have a good start to the game. The opening minutes of the game revealed some lack of confidence and aggression. With the course of the game, the team showed some improvement and the game was becoming increasingly physical, something which the Lions responded very well.
Offensively, the Lions showed some good intentions and it was possible to see that the team feels confident with the ball and is able to increase the speed of play with good passes and combinations. The Lions created several opportunities to score, but unfortunately, weren’t efficient at finishing.
Coach Paulo said after the game “Despite the end result, the boys showed a great attitude and effort through the game and I would say that it was our best game so far and it’s important keep the same attitude for the next games and we have to start from the beginning of the game. On the ball, I liked the confidence that the boys showed trying to increase the speed of play.
Coach Paulo nominated Connor as the player of the game and was quoted “ Connor had a good performance today. His positional understanding and field vision were very important for us and allowed the team to keep the ball efficiently and increase the speed of play several times, assisting his teammates and he also scored a great goal today’.
Age/Gender: U13 Boys
Location: SportsPlex
Result: L 1-2
Players: Collin; Evan; Noah; Mathew; Enrico; Robbie; Tommy; Dimitri; Dominic M.; Nick
Goal(s): Robbie
Player of the game: Robbie
On defense, the Dutch Lions young boys had a pleasant performance very focused and organized, they worked well with each other pressuring the opponent and closing the spaces in their defensive half of the pitch. It was also really positive to see the team adjusting their defensive organization after losing the ball possession with quick transitions.
On the ball the boys showed confidence and great composure. They moved the ball around well looking for the through balls and the width to unbalance the opposite defense. Even under pressure the young lads never lost their focus and the right intention to play. A good amount of chances were created however the team showed a lack of effectiveness and objectiveness in this last moment to revert the score.
Coach Bruno has the following to say after the game "I really enjoyed the match today, despite the score I think the boys played well. We were very organized without the ball, and very comfortable with the right intention to play when we had the ball possession. I think the movement off the ball needs to become more effective, giving the ball carrier multiple pass options, something we will keep working on during the next couple of weeks" concluding coach Lopes said" Today we nominate Robbie as player of the match, he was always involved connecting the game from the back, very confident on the ball and helpful on defense"
Age/Gender: U14 Girls
Location: Kingdom Sportscenter
Result: W 4-3
Players: Erin, Camille, Muriel, Ema M, Alicia, Rachel, JJ, Katie, Emma P, Shelby, Nicole
Goal(s): Alicia, Rachel, JJ
Player of the game: Muriel
Offensively, the Lions were excellent in the counter-attack situations and made the most of their 2v1 and 3v2 opportunities by creating scoring chances on the opponent’s goal. The Lions also did well in their offensive transitions by providing support and options for their teammates in the attacking third. To be more effective in the attack, the Lions need to have more communication in possession and have to continue to increase the speed of play on the ball.
Defensively, the Lions maintained their defensive shape and did well making quick decisions to press the ball or to contain the space. The Lions did a great job tracking their runners in the defensive transition and continue to cover each other when their teammates are in 1v1 situations. The Lions need to improve their positional awareness when the ball is on the wings and constantly need to shift in more to stay compact.
Coach Shane was quoted after the game, “I thought the girls played well today and I was very happy with our mentality throughout the game. It was a tough game playing against a competitive Real Bellbrook team and the girls reacted well after losing the lead multiple times. My girls maintained their focus late in the game and continued to defend well and secured the victory with two late goals.”
Coach Shane nominated Muriel as the player of the game for a tremendous game defensively and was always in the correct position to recover the ball back for her team. She has a great work ethic, very coachable, and has adapted well as a new player on the team.
Age/Gender: U14 Boys
Location: Kingdom Sportscenter
Result: L 5-0
Players: Caden, Teddy, Kyle, Elijah, Hunter, Ethan, Silas, Luke,
Player of the game: Silas
Offensively, the Lions are improving on their strength with the ball in their 1v1 situations and are much more confortable to take on a player. The high pressure from the opponent made it difficult for the Lions to maintain possession of the ball but had positive moments with their individual skills throughout the game. The Lions need more movement off the ball to provide options for their teammates and also need to increase the numbers of player in the attacking half.
Defensively, the Lions have improved tremendously on defense and are much more effective in containing their opponents and picking the right moment to step in and win the ball. The Lions maintained a solid defensive shape with a good amount of numbers behind the ball, which made it difficult for the opponent to break them down. The Lions need to be more aggressive in their tackles and need to make better decisions with ball after it has been recovered in the defensive half.
Coach Shane was quoted, “I was satisfied with the U14 boys effort in todays game. It was a much more competitive game than the first time we played this team, which proves we are getting better as a team. Small improvements each game in our attack and defense will benefit us in preparation for the spring season.
Coach Shane nominated Silas as the player of the game as he created our most effective scoring opportunities and did well recovering on the field to help his team defensively.