U13 2012

This was the best match of the season. It is not about scoring goals or winning. It is about playing hard and fair. Today almost everyone played hard and fair, and nobody argued with the referee or made calls. Then again, we got the best referee in the league so far.

Mr. Paulo and Misha, the kid who refereed one of our exhibition matches and our tournament (whom I have known and play with since he was 8 years old), are the best referees I have seen in this city. Good referees are the ones you barely notice and don't call attention to themselves. Today's referee is an old (soccer) friend of ours and we even get to speak in Portuguese with him. We had quite a story with him last year in our first match - when he gave us a stern warning right off the bat :-). After the match yesterday  when everyone else was gone we were still chatting about how he had to deal with the police at our last match. We won't forget that one forever (if you don't know the story, it was another wacko parent who caused it). (anyone thinks coaching "soccer" is easy?)


GOOD JOB GUYS! THANK YOU.


Great, awesome playing by the boys today, against some really big tough kids (I call these "anti-LTPD teams"). Those who know my history supporting with LTPD would take great pleasure that our much, much smaller, shorter, lighter players managed to beat them. Last night we had 5 2000-born players, on top of our several  small 1999 players (small only in physical size - they are giants on the field). Isn't it amazing?


Stars go to everyone today, they all played hard. Gustavo saving a goal near the line with a header; Adamo saving some on the run against kids twice his size; Gabriel fighting for and winning balls; Hunter winning balls and running hard back and forth and on the left side, with blood to show and all; Peter playing amazingly hard; and so on and on; in the 2nd half Bonheur was asked to play side by side with V, as two high strikers, and delivered a goal, his 2nd at the U13 level.

Special MVP mentions to Shar for the many saves and for earning his 1st official shutout, and to Venance for several amazing and beautiful passes, and creating the goals. It's lonely up there, and he did his job, with patience and composure.

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