United
Quest Blue
'85 Athena (U-14)
- Fall 1999 Game 1 -
Tied 2-2 vs. DC Starline Flyers
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United
Quest Blue |
This page was last updated on October 19, 1999.
Game 1 vs. DC Starline Flyers:
This was the Quest's first game of the fall 1999 regular season. It also marked the Quest's first-ever game in the Athena "B" division, after having been promoted from Athena "C" after the spring 1999 season.
This was the Quest's second consecutive game against the Flyers. The Quest played well but fell 1-0 to the Flyers last Sunday in the 1999 Atlanta Cup tournament.
The Quest had more of the play in the first half, but couldn't create any dangerous scoring chances. In the late stages of the half, Asha and Amanda created problems for the Flyers down the right side. On one of these plays, Asha crossed the ball toward the left side of the field. Lindsey won a challenge for the ball, sending it to Rachael. Rachael dribbled toward the goal line (left of the goal), turned, then hit a highly speculative shot from maybe a yard off the goal line. She had almost NO angle for her shot, but she somehow got it over the Flyers' keeper and curled it off the far-side goalpost and into the goal. Goal Quest and a 1-0 lead with four minutes left in the half. Incredible!
The Flyers answered with an incredible goal of their own in the last minute of the first half. The play started with a Flyers throw-in near the left-side corner flag. The Flyers played a short throw with a return pass to the thrower. Jillian was there and challenged the ball, but the Flyers' player just beat her to it and hit a long high shot, burying it into the far side netting. This equally amazing goal tied the game 1-1 at halftime.
The early stages of the second half were evenly played. The Flyers had two good chances. They barely missed a goal on a penalty area scramble, then Asha saved the Quest with a "she came from nowhere" clearance on the back-door side when a Flyer player was about to take an open shot on goal. Great play Asha! The Quest had some chances too. The Quest narrowly missed go-ahead goals when the Flyers keeper bobbled two shots, but she covered both rebounds before any Quest players were able to pounce on the loose balls.
Midway through the second half, the Quest started to control more and more of the play. The Flyers launched an occasional counter-attack, but the Quest would come right back and control the ball for long periods of time. Disaster struck with 13 minutes left when the Quest conceded a corner kick on one of these Flyer counter-attacks. The Flyers' corner kick sailed into the goal area. No Quest player stepped up to play the ball, and it bounced right in front of the goal. A Flyer player was there and she only needed to tap it in to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
This was a good "test of character" time for the Quest. The team responded well and started wave after wave of attack. The Flyers defense really struggled to contain the Quest on the right side of the field, and they ended up fouling Quest attackers on a few occasions.
On one free kick, the Flyers wall did well and blocked Alex's kick. Jillian won another free kick from almost the same spot with seven minutes remaining. The ball was just outside the penalty area on the right side, about 10 yards off the goal line. Not a great shooting angle, but a really good crossing angle.
Alex took the kick, easily clearing the wall and putting the ball right into a crowd of people inside the Flyers goal area. Rachael and Amanda went up for a header, the Flyers keeper went up, and a couple of Flyers defenders went up. This looked like a big-time NBA rebound play. The Flyers keeper got her hands on the ball, but dropped it into the crowd. The next thing you saw was the ball bouncing into the goal. The ref credited Alex with the goal, so it must have rebounded off a Flyer player past her own keeper. Regardless, credit the Quest forwards for getting up into the crowd and putting intense pressure on the Flyers keeper and defenders and forcing the mistake. Goal Quest to tie the game 2-2!
The Quest was determined to get another goal. They gave it their all during the final seven minutes, keeping the ball in the Flyers end almost the entire time. But the Quest couldn't create any good scoring chances, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
The tie was disappointing on one level because the Quest outplayed the Flyers. But the Quest had been trailing late in the game, so coming back to tie was better than what could have happened.
Goalies: Sally (1st half), Jessica B (2nd half)
The Quest's fall regular season record is now 0 wins, 1 tie and 0 1osses.
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Created: 09/11/99 Revised: 10/19/99 |