Werder Weekly 2008 - March 7

Photographs from today are in the Werder Weekly slide show

Date

March 7, 2008

Participants

Dominic Hutchinson, Simon Hutchinson, Kevin Nieman, Wayne Smith, Steve Tucker

Report

For the first time in this year’s Werder Weekly Dominic Hutchinson played his father Simon. The elder Hutchinson had most of the possession but could only score one goal, in the tenth minute of the second half. Having been frustrated for most of the game by Dominic’s massed defense and defensive flicks Simon pushed the ball through a rare gap in his opponent’s defense. While Dominic was making a defense flick Simon shot the ball that went under the goalkeeper. Dominic attempted to push the ball to the side with the goalkeeper’s rod but could manage to knock it into the far post and the ball bounced off the post and into the goal. The younger Hutchinson did manage a number of breaks and to force a few corners, but he could only manage one shot on goal that required Simon to save with his goalkeeper.

Steve Tucker was clearly tired tonight and it showed in his play as he was not his usual aggressive, breaking at speed, self.

This was probably the reason why he was beaten 3-0 by Wayne Smith. Tucker kicked off at the start of the game and then missed the ball with his second flick. Smith controlled the ball for the next seven minutes, including several corners, before he finally scored. The shot was ramped off one of Steve’s defenders and flew over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms. Wayne’s second goal was scored later in the first half. The ball was outside the penalty area with a “bunch” of figures around it. Tucker thought Smith was going to touch-up before shooting, but Wayne shot through the mass of figures to drive the ball into the goal, taking Tucker by surprise. The last goal came in the second half. Smith passed the ball up the right wing to a figure resting where the shooting line touches the right touch line. The ball stopped right in front of the figure allowing Wayne the opportunity to score before Steve could get to his goalkeeper.

Kevin Nieman dominated the first half of his game with Dominic Hutchinson but he could only score one goal as he was constantly frustrated by Dominic’s blocking flicks. Nieman’s goal came midway through the first half from a shot he did not think would go in. He ramped the ball of one of his opponent’s defenders and was surprised when it went over the goalkeeper and into the top of the goal. Dominic pressed forward early in the second half and equalized with a shot from the left side that went by the side of Kevin’s goalkeeper. The remainder of the second half was not as one side as the first had been. Nieman still had the most of the possession but could not break through Dominic’s defense.

Simon played a more attacking game that he normally does against Smith and it paid off as he had most of the possession during the first half, but was unable to find a way around or through Wayne’s defense. The amount of possession was reversed in the second half with Smith having 60% of the play as the game was played out in the middle section of the pitch between the two shooting zones. The only goal of the game came midway through the second half. Simon conceded a free kick to the right side of the penalty area. He blocked Wayne’s flick following the free kick, but Smith’s next flick chipped the goalkeeper and flew into the goal at the near post, taking both players by surprise. With less than two minutes left in the game Simon’s break and shot took Wayne by surprise, he just managed to grab his goalkeeper and push the ball away in time.

It took Smith only eleven minutes and three seconds to ‘mercy’ rule Dominic 4-0. All of the goals came from quick breaks and Dominic struggled to be able to concentrate on goalkeeping as Wayne shot while he was making defensive flicks.

For the remaining 15 minutes Smith played Simon in a ‘scrimmage game’. Wayne’s first goal came early. The right side of Simon’s defense had pushed forward into the middle of the pitch. Smith pushed the ball into this space and chipped over the goalkeeper. The second goal was a repeat of the first with Simon’s defense too far forward leaving a lot of open space for Wayne to push through to shoot and score.

A first half goal from the right wing was enough to give Nieman victory over Tucker. It was almost a tie after Kevin stranded his goalkeeper in the second half. Steve shot and the ball struck a defender that was positioned at the top of the ‘D’. The ball popped up and the defender flew goal wards, stopping on the goal line. When the ball came down it struck the same defender and stopped on the goal line just in front of the post.

“This was the most even 5-1 game I’ve ever seen,” was Smith’s comment after beating Nieman. At one point the number of shots on goal was 5-5, but Wayne was leading 5-0. Kevin’s just kept hitting Wayne’s goalkeeper, and at the other end Smith scored with every shot. Finally, on his seventh shot on goal, Nieman scored.

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