Blast 4
Lions1
Steve nets 4 in a great team-win for The Blast!
This game won’t make ESPN Sportscenter, but it feels like it should. In a stunning upset that will shake the very foundation of CVSA… well, not really… in an upset that felt really, really, really good, The Blast jumped all over the perennial champion Lions and pounded them for a very sweet 4-1 upset victory.
This game started off hot. With many subs on both sides, this game had far more pace than usual. The Lions found out right away that they were in a fight — just a few minutes in, a scrum on an airball in the Lions’ end resulted in a foul against me, and Steve easily banged the PK into lower left. Just a few minutes later, a little pressure deep in the Lions’ end resulted in an ugly turnover, and Steve pounded in his second, this time from the top left of the box for a 2-0 Blast lead.
The game continued at a high pace on both ends, but the difference was the Blast defense. With Brett in goal, and sturdy defense from Dave, Gordon, Frank, Chris, Sean, Rob, James, and more, the real difference in this game was that we had space to score and the Lions did not.
About 15 minutes into the half, Steve and Dennis worked a few good passes in the Lions’ end. Steve ripped a great shot, from outside the box, curling on target into upper left, for the natural hat trick. The Blast led 3-0.
The half continued at a frenzied pace for the longest 45 minutes I can recall in a soccer game. Both teams subbed liberally, I began to play in hockey-style shifts, making sprint runs for 4-5 minutes and coming off. The half ended without further score.
The second half brought the Lions offense on in force. The Blast midfield came out flat in the second half, perhaps reflecting halftime adjustments by the Lions. The Lions were able to apply a lot of pressure, passing midflield easily and pressing on goal. The Blast withstood the initial charge, with great stops by Brett and the defense, but about 10 minutes in, the Lions found net to pull closer at 3-1.
The game continued as before at a very high pace, leaving me to shorter and shorter shifts, coming off for a breath and then quickly back in. The Lions flooded their offensive end, which also created a whole lot of space in the Blast attack. While the Blast had many promising runs, it was a set play the put the game away. Well into the second half, I took a corner from the right, and Steve found a perfectly spaced run to near post. I curled the cross in and Steve headed it home for a 4-1 lead.
The rest of the game featured continued relentless attacking from Lions, matched by The Blast’s excellent defense. Every time the Lions got a good look or a loose ball, Brett was there for the stop, or the defense was there to clear before the shot.
Finally the ref blew the final whistle and the upset was complete. This has the be the Blast’s best game in my time, going back something like four years. The Lions were tough today, and we pounded them! I don’t think any win has felt this good since I won the 92-pound weight class in the Great Falls district freshman wrestling tournament in 1986.
Congratulation Blast! GREAT WIN!