Three weeks of write up in one summary! This journalist apologizes for taking some time off.
Bohemians 4:2 Rusty Plough
Let us return to a simpler time. It was October 23. The Rusties, as always, looked transcendent in their yellow kits. The mere sight of the Trumer Pils logo filled the Plough with a thirst for victory that belied the 9am starting time. The bottom of the table Rusties were playing second place Bohemians. I’d love to give you a detailed play-by-play, but memory fails. What I do recall is that the score was 0-0 in the first half. The Rusties earned a free kick from about the 35. Gerardo Delgadillo hit a beautiful ball across the goal to the left side of the box. Young Andy Warnoff attacked the cross and headed it down back across the goal. The goalie dove to his left, but could only flail at air as the ball nestled into the back of the net. Rusties up 1-0.
Shortly thereafter, Nik noticed that the goalie was playing way off the line. A clearance came from the Bohemians back line, but failed to go very far. Nik intercepted it, looked up, and lobbed the keeper. The ball bounced behind the goalie, and slowly, agonizingly made its way towards the goal. The Rusties held their collective breath, waiting for the ball to be cleared. But, somehow, it crept across the goal line. At half time, the Rusties were up 2-0.
Unfortunately, the Rusties failed to hold the lead. Bohemians got their stuff together and put four goals into the net in the second half. Once again, the Rusties had dropped points from a winning position.
Rusty Plough 1:1 Clayton Wanderers
Halloween was nigh, but the Rusty Plough forswore costumes and, instead, chose to wear the slimming black kit with the Yellow Trumer Pils blazoned across the chest. The team sponsor’s logo could not have been better represented. The last place Rusties were playing fourth place Wanderers. The Rusties were determined not to drop points from a lead. They decided to start a “mixed-age” lineup so that there would be less of a drop-off as subs took to the pitch. It should be noted that David Forsyth, the usual keeper, was a bit under the weather, and so he took the reigns as manager (Moriconi was meeting with his agent in Hawaii).
Unfortunately, the Rusty strategy was ruined when Andy Waranoff received a cross at the top of the box (who was the provider?). He took a touch, steadied himself, and slammed the ball into the upper corner. The plough was up 1-0. This annoyed the Wanderers and they began to be a bit more organized in attack. But the Rusties held strong and Phil, subbing as the GK, made several important saves. 2 minutes before halftime, Nik received a pass from the midfield and was through the defense with a free path to goal. Suddenly, the whistle sounded. Everyone thought that the ref had made a bad offsides call, but at 43 minutes, he decided that he had enough (despite the clear advantage that Nik had going towards goal). The Plough, once again, entered halftime with a lead.
Perhaps it was Forsyth’s lilting Scottish brogue, but the Plough felt confident at half time and decided to stay with the 4-4-2 formation.
It is hard to remember exactly what happened lo those many weeks ago, but the Wanderers were frustrated for the second half. They were convinced that they should be winning and their attacks got more and more strenuous. At some point, they earned a corner kick. The ball came into the box and it was one of those pinging around situations in which no Rusty could get a solid clearance. The ball was smuggled in over the line and the Wanderers were tied.
But, unlike in prior weeks, the Plough did not fold and kept attacking as well as defending. The Rusties were fading a bit and the Wanderers were getting more chances. Just as it seemed as if the Wanderers would achieve their breakthrough, the ref once again decided that 42 minutes was sufficient and he blew the whistle to end the match.
The Rusties celebrated as if they had won the world cup!
MFC Redwoods 0:0 Rusty Plough
Due to rain earlier in the week, the fields were closed all day Saturday. Everyone assumed that they’d be closed on Sunday as well. The Rusties spent Saturday night carousing and frolicking confident that there would be no match (and also comfortable with the extra hour of sleep afforded by daylight savings time). At 9am however, Faucette put out the call “Fields open! Match on.”
Despite the splendor of their yellow jerseys with the Trumer Pills emblazoned across the chest, the Rusties looked bedraggled and foggy-eyed. They even failed to take a team photo! The extra hour of sleep may not have been sufficient to offset the sheer number of rules that had been broken.
As game time approached, the Rusties counted 11 players. There was a 12th, but Patty had to drive all the way back to El Sobrante to grab his boots, which remained near his front door. Furlong was salivating at the prospect of uninterrupted playing time.
The opponent on the day, MFC Redwoods, looked over at the motley crew and assumed they were in for an easy day. Not only did the Rusties have no subs, the right wing was 63 years old and the goalie didn’t even have his own gloves. A romp was assured!
But wait, the formidable 11 came out strong. Within a few minutes a cross made its way through the box where Jeff Faucette’s lovely locks made solid contact. Unfortunately, because he had not yet shaken off his cobwebs from his night of indulgence, his header hit the cross bar and bounded away from goal.
The Rusties continued their good play. There were several actual moments of soccer, when the mid played back to the defense, who played back to the mids, and then received a return pass as they made themselves open and available, and then worked the ball up fields. Peter Welch was incredulous as he witnessed this rarely seen display of talent and skill.
Shortly thereafter, Nik bulldozed his way through a Redwoods defender and found himself alone in the corner of the six yard box. He tried to drag the ball to his preferred right foot, but the moist conditions slowed the ball down and he had to hit it before he was fully set. His shot was just left. The Redwood goalie shouted out “We need to do better! He’s not going to miss that again!” The Rusties had several other opportunities. Peter put in a great corner that looked like it was going to be drilled home, but a brave Redwood defender cleared it just before Hudson was able to get to it. A bit later, Gerardo earned a free kick and put a swirling ball at the back post where it barely managed to evade first Hudson and then Faucette. The Rusties had had chances, but could not get a goal.
Defensively, the Rusties were solid. Throughout the first half, they marked well, played a solid offsides trap and prevented the Redwoods from dumping through-balls behind the defense. Akio proved once again that he is both a potent defensive threat and a willing runner. Not only did he shut down the left side, he then made himself available in the attack, running up to support Peter and returning as needed when the Rusties were out of position. On the right side, despite an angry hamstring, Dale neutralized the Redwood winger and was a calm presence in clearing the balk. Roberto, as always was solid and calm.
Furlong, playing the full 45, moved the ball forward, avoided back heels, made one or two too many drag turns, and kept looking longingly at the sidelines for a sub that was just not there.
The ref blew the whistle and the Rusties retreated to the sideline, tired, but pleased with their effort. The Redwoods, meanwhile, were obviously frustrated and sniping at each other. They could not believe that the last place squad, with no subs, not only was tied, but likely should have been ahead.
Jamie Cope had arrived on the sidelines, with an injury caused by someone who kicked him while he was engaging in his other past time. Maybe he needs to recognize how old he really is. And Pat Fisher had returned with his cleats in hand. The Rusties now had a sideline manager and a sub!
The Rusties took the field in the 4-4-2 and prepared for the Redwood attack. And attack they did. Their right back decided to play like Akio and get into attacking positions. Hudson lost several one-on-one battles that gave the Redwoods good looks, but solid support by the back line prevented a goal. The game got more and more physical as the Redwoods got desperate. There were head injuries, body slams and taunting. The Redwoods had the better of the play throughout the half and, about 20 minutes in, they got behind the Rusty defense. The striker took a shot that beat Franco as he came out to close the angle. It appeared that the ball would find the net, but a different Redwood player wanted to make sure, and he tapped the ball in. Unfortunately, for him, he was not only ahead of the defense, he was also ahead of the ball. The ref correctly called the offsides and the Rusties survived. Later, Franco made a smart save by diving to his right and palming a searching shot around the post. He also calmly back-pedaled on a long looping shot and, just as it looked as if it would sneak under the cross bar, he calmly tipped it over.
But the Redwoods were not done, and the Rusties, despite getting spelled by the brilliant Pat Fisher, were tiring. Once again, the Redwoods got in behind the defense. The striker took a shot that was saved by Franco. It deflected back to the striker and caromed forward to another Redwood who buried it. But, once again, the last touch was made by a player ahead of the ball and ahead of the defense. The Rusties still held on.
At this point, some gray-haired guy with a gray beard took the pitch for the Redwoods. He was clearly agitated about the state of the match and he decided to first take out his frustrations by castigating the ref. This earned him a yellow. Realizing that he could no longer yell at the ref, he made a terrible mistake. He decided to insult Andy about his “hair situation.” For some reason, this irritated Andy and gave him a second wind. Nik was dropped into the defensive mid position and Andy was freed up to attack and harass. Just as it appeared that the Redwood’s would finally get their goal, Andy’s new found energy essentially helped the Rusties keep the ball in the Redwoods half for the final ten minutes of the match. Not only did we keep the pressure there, Andy had a shot that hit side netting and Akio had a chance at the death on a corner kick to snag all three points. The Rusties failed to score, but the nil-nil draw felt like a victory.
Despite remaining in last place, the Rusty Plough is the only B division team to have tripled their point total over the past three weeks (lies, damn lies and statistics) and they are now a mere 8 points from safety with 6 matches to play.
“I’ll never complain about playing time again” – Michael Furlong
Golden Boot
- Welsh - 4
- Hudson - 2
- Waranoff - 2
- Faucette - 1
- Wekwerth - 1
- Delgadillo - 1
- Viveros - 1
- Yeo - 1