From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon May 11 2009 - 12:23:54 EDT
A strong home debut
Posted By Hugo Rodrigues, SENTINEL-REVIEW
Monday, May 11, 2009
The city's newest men's soccer team bounced back from an early one-goal
deficit to win its home opener 4-1 against Eritrea-Meseret FC Saturday.
This is the first year for a second Woodstock Soccer Club men's team,
who play in the Western Ontario Soccer League's third division.
Saturday's game was the second of its young season, the first being a
1-0 loss on May 3 against Assyrian Chaldean played in London.
"We're a young team, made up of a lot of high schoolers," player Mark
Jez said.
As he explained it, the success of a revitalized first-division team in
2008 led to enough interest that there were enough players of varying
experience and skill to field both a premier team and a new squad that
enters the league in the third division.
"With the third-division team in place, it becomes a solid base for two
teams... and gets players ready to go the premier team and fill spots
there when needed," Jez said.
Saturday, Woodstock had a sluggish start in the cold, windy conditions
at Cowan Park's Guarantee Field, jumping on the attack early. Eritrea's
first trip to the opposite side of the pitch caught Woodstock defenders
off guard. That left Eritrea's Solomon Gabriel open and he took
advantage.
Woodstock evened the score in the game's 20th minute off a corner kick,
the ball landing at Denis Hernandez's feet in the box, where he got a
rolling shot past the line.
Sergy Solonenko would get a beautiful breakaway chance to pull Woodstock
ahead at the 40-minute mark but he lofted the ball over the crossbar.
"We came out slow, but as the game progressed we were able to pick up
the pace," Jez said. "Once we gained control of the midfield we could
develop our chances and start to wear down the other team."
The go-ahead goal came at about the 60-minute mark, off a shot lofted
into the box. As Eritrea goaltender Hurvy Woldemicael reached for the
shot, he fumbled it and it landed at Bobby McCutchen's feet, who
dribbled it into the next. The game's last two goals came off hard shots
to the top corners of the net, with credit to McCutchen and Cam
Handsaeme.
Emotions on the field started getting pitched as the clock neared the
end of the half. In the dying minutes of the game Eritrea's Steve
Mathison was red-carded off the field, arguing with the referee the
whole way. In the parking lot after the game, the team's players
continued to complain about the refereeing.
"I thought we played well," Eritrea coach Mebrathu Gebredingle said.
"Mostly, we just weren't that organized. It's only our second game in
the league, so we're improving every game."
Fellow coach Solomon Fessahatsion credited Woodstock's talent, noting
his team got to the point it couldn't get an opportunity to score.
Given the transient nature of the third division composed of teams new
to the league, returning teams and those relegated from the league's
second division, and the transient nature of players within teams, every
season is almost like playing in a brand-new loop. Jez said that would
mean a balance of feeling out opponents on first encounters and
continuing to develop their own style of play.
"It was nice to see today the way we were passing and playing the
attacking style of soccer we've worked on in practice," Jez said.
Click link below to watch Eritrea-Meseret FC video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2h52AvrZvQ
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2h52AvrZvQ&feature=channel_page>
&feature=channel_page
http://www.oxfordreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1562657
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