Werder Weekly 2008 - January 18

Photographs from today are in the Werder Weekly slide show

Date

January 18, 2008

Participants

Adam Carlson, Dominic Hutchinson, Simon Hutchinson, Munir Merchant, Wayne Smith, Steve Tucker

Report

The same six players who played in last week’s Werder Weekly returned to play in this round in Simi Valley.

Dominic Hutchinson won the opening game defeating Adam Carlson, as he had done the previous week. The solitary goal scored was scored midway through the first half. For periods of the second half both players pushed forward to score leaving them without a defense. But neither player could retain possession long enough to capitalize on the lack of their opponent’s defense.

A goal in each half saw Simon Hutchinson beat Munir Merchant in a game where advice was liberally given, thereby stunting the attacking play.

A very early goal from Simon surprised Steve Tucker. A short while later a horrendous defense error by Simon gifted Tucker a shot at an unmanned goal to equalize. Play ebbed from end to end for the remainder of the game, with both players making saves with their goalkeepers, but neither was able to score a winning goal.

Merchant scored his first ever goal in only his third game taking the lead against Carlson. Adam scored less than two minutes later and the game ended a tie.

“Dominic’s defense was good enough from keeping me from scoring more goals,” was Tucker’s observation after his three goal victory over the younger Hutchinson.

“I could have kept him to 1-0 if I did better goalkeeping,” was Dominic’s only comment.

Simon struggled with the sticky surface of the Rookery, which was more suited to Wayne Smith’s game. The ball spent most of its time in Simon’s half of the pitch, and by half time Smith had a two goal lead. During the second half the ball spent a lot of time in the same half as Simon had slightly more of the possession. His goal came midway through the half from a ramp shot off a defender, over the goalkeeper, and into the far top corner of the goal. Smith’s final goal came after Simon had stranded his spare goalkeeper leaving the ball plum center of the goal ideally placed in front of one of Smith’s figures.

Having scored his first goal in his previous game Merchant scored two more in a tie with Dominic. Munir took lead in the fifth minute, and Dominic equalized two minutes later. Four minutes in to the second half Dominic took the lead, and with just two minutes remaining in the game Merchant equalized. “I spent a lot of time coaching Munir,” Dominic explained. “He played really well for a beginner.”

“Dominic did help me,” Munir said and he continued modestly, “I just got a couple of lucky of shots that went in.”

The first half of the game between Simon and Carlson was a nervy affair. Carlson was lucky early in the first half when he stranded his spare goalkeeper. Simon spent two minutes trying to position the ball into a shootable position before missing it and giving Adam back his goalkeeper. Simon did not score until there was just two minutes remaining in the first half. The second came soon after the second half started, the third followed a short time after, and the fourth with just two minutes left.

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