Teachers 2-3 8S

 

Having just captured the coveted crown of Homeroom Champions, 8S took on the teachers today… and what a game!

After the first few minutes of cut and thrust with the teams studying each other, the game exploded into life as Maverick got clear on the right and slipped the ball home for a 1-0 lead. The teachers reacted quickly, piling on the pressure, but it was 8S who scored again on the break: the ball fell to Steve on the edge of the area and he rattled it past the goalkeeper and into the corner.

Again the teachers re-doubled their efforts. Chance after chance was created and spurned… and then it happened again! Another breakaway move, started and finished by Lorenzo, to make it 3-0.

Now the teachers team was stunned and looking tired too. But then, just when it was needed, Mr Zukas pulled a rabbit out of the hat, sliding a well-struck shot along the ground and past Rex into the far corner of the net. And there was suddenly hope - a new spring in the teachers’ step! And then it was 3-2, Mr Guarnieri’s expertly-struck volley crashing down off the crossbar and over the line: game on!

8S were hanging on by their fingernails now. All around them, the teachers were crossing, passing, shooting: it was a siege. And then, the latest shot struck a hand in the area and Mr Corcoran blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Chaos! Was 8S just about to be hauled back to 3-3? Mr Paolo stepped up bravely, knowing that this might be the last chance. It was… the ball slid just outside the post and 8S and their supporters celebrated a famous win. 

Homeroom Challenge: F I N A L 7C 2-2 8S

 

A worthy final indeed!!

8S got off to a quick start, Steve hitting the post with the goalkeeper beaten. At the other end, Antonio had a shot but off target to the left. 8S took the lead when Steve headed home Lorenzo’s cross.

Into period 2: Giovanni forced Aurora into a good save and José was tackling and clearing everything that came his way.Diego was next to make Aurora work and, from the resulting corner, Antonio played in Diego but he shot over. Just before the break, 8S won a corner and Lorenzo scored directly with the kick!

So: 2-0 to 8S heading into period 3. Antonio had two early shots but one was wide, one was blocked. Then Giovanni stole a ball on the edge of the area and rolled it past Aurora - 1-1. Soon after, Steve was pulled up for a foul in midfield. From the resulting free kick, Giovanni crossed to Diego and his header made it 2-2! The 7th graders could have won the game too, but Antonio’s shot from an indirect free kick in teh box rattled back off the bar.

Penalties tomorrow!

Homeroom Challenge: SF2 7C 5 - 0 6A

Homeroom Challenge: SF1 7R 0-5 8S

After a 5-0 win in their QF, 7R crashed to a 5-0 defeat against a vastly superior 8S today. Claudio started off between the sticks and denied Steve an early goal but, when Lorenzo blasted one past him, Claudio swapped places with Martti. Before the end of period 1, Maverick added a second.

In period 2, Maverick followed up on Martti’s save from a corner to tap in the third goal and he completed his hat-trick when he latched on to a poor clearance and shot past Martti again.

In the past period, Claudio tested Rex on two occasions but Rex saved both. Lorenzo had a shot parried by Martti but Steve was on hand to make it 5-0. Rex picked up two yellow cards though for unsporting behaviour late in the game: he was sent off and will miss the final.

Homeroom Challenge: QF4 6A 4-2 6T

Enthusiasm a-plenty in this g6 elimination tie, our first chance to study the new players in middle school this year. 6A took the lead in the first period when Filippo cut to the right and fired a well-placed cross-shot into the bottom corner. At the other end, Pier Valerio forced Lorenzo C to make a good save but 6A went further ahead when Noel used his body well to hold off the defenders and then lob the goalkeeper. In the second period, Lorenzo F made it 2-1 from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and then, following sustained 6T pressure, he rifled home an equaliser into the same bottom corner. Going into period 3, the game was nicely balanced but 6A now struck twice on the break, Filippo providing an assist for Lupo for the third and Lupo returning the favour for goal 4.

Homeroom Challenge QF3 7C 2-2 7D

 

This was a derby match played with a hint of desperation and at a fast pace - maybe too fast to allow either side to develop any coherent pattern. Antonio Jr pushed his team forward from the start but Junio, Una and Matteo made a formidable defence and Livia contested every ball in midfield.

Antonio put his team ahead when he pounced on a loose ball and struck it first-time into the back of the net. Lorenzo G’s equaliser came soon after though and was a similar, opportunistic goal. As the play swung from end-to-end, the next chance fell to Giovanni but Sam was out quick to save well. Lorenzo then put his team 2-1 up and Matteo almost made it 3-1, but his superbly-struck free kick crashed back off the crossbar. In the final period, Lorenzo G took over in goal and 7C attacked, determined to secure a draw. They did! Antonio Jr took a corner and fortune deflected the ball off Una and into the net.

Penalties on Monday!

Homeroom Challenge: QF2 7R 5-0 8V

 

An impressive team performance from 7R saw them progress to the SFs at the expense of the older team. In the first period, Lorenzo dominated in midfield for 7R but Freddie tested Martti with a good long-range effort. Claudio came on in period 2 and forced n early save from Ashton. He then played in Gianluigi but his shot came back off the post. Claudio opened the scoring shortly afterwards and then added two more; Lorenzo made it 4-0 and Claudio added a fifth.

Homeroom Challenge: QF1 8P 4-4 8S

 

A top quality game today with 8S racing off into a 4-1 lead before 8P managed to claw themselves back into the game and earn a draw with the last kick of the game.

The first 8S goal was well-worked: Maverick shot, Lucas saved and Steve followed up to score. 8P equalised a few minutes later - another nice goal: Jacopo passed to Gabriele on the right and he fed it inside to Federico who dribbled the defender to score. But 8S sored again immediately to recapture the lead, Maverick lobbing Lucas off Lorenzo’s long assist. Maverick turned assist man for the next goal, setting up Steve for a second, and 8S might have turned around with an even bigger lead only for a great double save from Lucas. In the second period, 8S went 4-1 up when Steve completed his hat-trick and all seemed lost for 8P. But some astute substitutions began to make a difference. Jacopo went off on another long solo run but, this time, he managed to keep the ball and finish the move with a goal: 4-2. Ditto Federico: 4-3. And then, with the last kick of the game and from an acute angle, Federico squeezed a shot in past Rex at the near post to make it 4-4 and set up an exciting penalty shoot-out!