SG Soccer: The Gods Must Be Cranky

Our semi-final opponent, MVR, was going to be a challenge despite their fourth-place league finish, as they were much tougher than their winless record would suggest. Their defence is fast and tough and hard to beat. In fact, we only scored one good goal against them a week earlier (their goalie had a rough game and gifted us the other three). This time, their goalie played well. Scoring was tough.

 

But the 2025 Spartans had turned a corner. Everything we’d been working on all season started to work at the same time. Awesome in every phase, including our best warmup ever. Constantly threatening attack. Impenetrable defence. And, most importantly, the most dominant midfield performance of the year. For the first nine minutes, Massey did not even make it into our half.

 

We were rewarded for our consistent offensive pressure with a 1-0 halftime lead, doubled our advantage with 20 minutes left, and closed out the game without drama. Seriously, everybody was great, especially Haiden, Etsuho, Julia and Hailey, who all played their best games of the season. I left that field knowing two things:

1) we had become the class of the league, and 2) if we played the same way in the final on Wednesday, only bad luck could keep us from hoisting the playoff trophy for the first time since 2021.

 

The good news is, we once again outplayed our opponents (Galt). The bad news is the soccer gods did us dirty. Despite a 70-30 edge in possession; despite 6 corner kicks vs 2; despite out-chancing them

18-4; despite taking the lead twice; despite dominating the overtime, somehow, we found ourselves in a twilight penalty shootout. And just like in 2023, we came out on the losing end of that cursed soccer coin flip.

 

Damn. We were SO good. We’ve come SO far. One month ago, Galt beat us 2-1 in a game they clearly deserved to win. But since then we’d improved so much, especially on D and in the midfield, again led by Players Of The Playoffs Julia and Hailey. Except this time, Galt was awarded two direct kicks from outside the box and brilliantly converted both of them over the wall and under the crossbar. That was it. That was their offence. Those two set pieces. But it was enough to negate our two hard-earned goals, and despite spending most of the game pressing their defence, we couldn’t find that one move/shot/finish to score the winner.

 

As for the shootout, I’m not talking about it. Shootouts and me do not have a good history.

 

So yes, it still stings. $#@%! soccer. Where the better team on the day often loses. 

 

I know what I need to do, of course. I need to focus on how far we came. How we stepped up these last three games, when it mattered most, how we legit earned that #1 ranking. How we trusted the process, kept learning, kept improving. How much better we are now than the disorganized, motley crew that started Y-passing at that first September practice 8 weeks ago.

 

This is, of course, what matters. I know this. I know what’s important, and what to focus on going forward.

 

Just give me a couple more days to get there… I’ll be better by Athletic Assembly – I promise!

- Coach Van Dyke