08/09 Boys Schedule and Match Reports

[Jensers]

You can find the 08/09 Boys Soccer Schedule Here:
http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/scedresultb.htm

Stay tuned to this thread for Match Reports!

[Jensers]

Royal Jamboree

Royal
Connell
Wahluke
Warden

A Jamboree doesnt tell you a whole lot, but it is a good opportunity to give the boys a run out. The boys played well - had a few hiccups, but generally looked organized and played to their strengths.

Wahluke vs. Connell - 0-0
Royal vs. Warden 0-0, Royal won in PK's
Warden vs. Wahluke 0-0, Wahluke won in PK's
Royal vs. Connell 1-0

Royal's goal came on a cross/shot that was deflected off of a Connell defender. The goal came in the first half, and the boys held on to the lead in the second half.

All of the teams look like they will be tough this year so it should be an adventure once again.

East Valley at home on Tuesday the 17th.

[Jensers]

Royal 1 vs. East Valley 0
Non-League Match

Stats:
http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvseastvalley.htm

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Things looked really good in our first full 80 minutes of play. The match was very open and flowing and the boys created a lot of chances. The only time we played East Valley while I have been the coach was in the old CWAC during my first year in charge, and they absolutely trounced us 5-0. They simply overpowered us and pinned us into our own half.
This time around we were ready for a battle and are extremely happy to have seen a marked improvement.

The boys worked hard to win the ball, played to our strengths, kept possession, and created a number of great opportunities on goal.

By in large, East Valley was kept in the match by some great play from their Center Back and their impressive Goal Keeper.

There was a couple of dubious non-calls. The linesman flagged for an obvious goal line hand ball, that the center refused to acknowledge. In addition, the first half was called as Luis Esquivel was 1v1 with the GK and entering the Penalty Area.

Regardless the match was a good one, and as a friendly we went to Penalty Kicks simply for the experience and Jesus Ceja, in typical fashion, came up big for us in the goal.

[Jensers]

Royal 4 vs. Naches 0
Non-League Match


Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvsnaches.htm
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We hosted Naches - it was a beautiful day and the boys played well once again. Naches is a physical team but we were able to play quickly away from pressure and score goals on the break. All in all a great match and we made it out healthy so it is a good result.

[Jensers]

3 Matches this week:

Royal 0 @ Highland 4
Non-League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalathighland.htm
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We played in Highland and it is the normal hard, narrow, crowned surface, freezing cold (literally) and blowing like crazy. We didnt learn a thing and all it told us is that it is difficult to win in Highland in those kind of conditions. The game was perhaps not as bad as the score suggests. We hit the upright twice in the second half, and each time the ball rebounded across the face of goal behind the goalkeeper, missing by the narrowest of margins. Highland went route 1 all first half by wasting no time in sending the ball forward to the penalty arc, and with the wind in their favor and their speed up front we had a difficult time dealing with it.



Royal 10 vs. Mabton 1
Non-League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvsmabton.htm
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This is Mabton's first year, but they have some talent and should improve over the years. We moved things around and pushed defenders and freshman up top for the majority of the second half.



Royal 7 @ Goldendale 0
Non-League Match

Stats (Not Complete as They Do Not Have Power at the Field):

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatgoldendale.htm

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Goldendale has a larger group of players this year that put out a lot of effort and continue to stay in good spirits regardless of the score. They pushed forward up to the final whistle. Goldendale is a haul, and so I am glad we got the job done and put that trip behind us.

[Jensers]

Royal 3 vs. Cashmere 2
Non-League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvscashmere.htm

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We only had one match during Spring Break vs. Cashmere. Cashmere started their program this year, but they have some good talent and I am sure that they will be tough in years to come.

The result is a good one for us because we were able to pull out the win under very difficult circumstances. The game was Tuesday and it was cold, gusting up to 50 MPH, and occasionally raining/snowing. It was a horrible day for soccer, but the boys sorted out how to attack and defend regardless of the environment. Second half we had the wind in our face, and even though we conceded 2 goals, we scored 1 and had 3 great opportunities at a wide open net right at the death.

This was another great growing experience for our young team.

Shaq Ledezma, Luis De La Rosa, and Elias Corona Scored for the Knights.

We are away to Granger Tuesday (Non-League) Home to Chelan Thursday (Non-League) and Away to Warden Saturday for our first League Match.

[Jensers]

Royal 1 @ Granger 1
Non-League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatgranger.htm

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Played in Granger.

Once again, we struggled to get adjusted to the narrow field. Granger's field is much like Highland's so it was good to have another match to get things sorted out a bit.

The boys played well once they settled in, but we have a few boys carrying some knocks so we had a difficult time converting chances.

The boys played tough and were able to stop the Granger attack second half. All-in-all we are happy with the draw considering that we made a few mistakes and were short handed. A good learning experience going into league play on Saturday with Warden.

[Jensers]

Royal 1 vs. Chelan 2
Non-League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvschelan.htm
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Our first home loss of the season. Chelan was a solid team and I was impressed with their organization. They have a large number of seniors on the squad and it is obvious that they are comfortable playing together.

We are still suffering from the injury bug and we put some players into the lineup for the first time so it was good to get a look at them in a match like this one.

We changed things around for the last 15 minutes and we cut the lead to 1. We then hit it upright and the crossbar, but failed to grab the draw.

@ Warden Saturday.

[Jensers]

Royal 2 @ Warden 1 (SO)
LEAGUE MATCH

Stats (Stats Not Complete Because They Do Not Have Power at the Field):

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatwarden.htm

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First League Match of the season and it was a tough one with Warden. We had a tough time converting our chances, and our passing was lacking in accuracy. The boys created a lot of chances and it would have been harsh for us to lose the match as we controlled most of the play.

It is a good sign following the Chelan loss that the boys were able to get the win in this match even tho they didnt play that well. It says something about their resolve and ability to handle the frustration of performing below expectations.

Warden is a must win for us so I am pleased with the result. Jesus Ceja came up big for us again in the goal for the SO, and all 3 of our PK takers converted to win the best of 5 Shoot Out by a margin of 3-1.

The boys are going to need the character they have gained from these kinds of matches as we face Wahluke at home Thursday, and Connell away on Saturday.

[Jensers]

Royal 1 vs. Wahluke 2
League Match

Stats:

http://rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvswahluke.htm

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A tough battle and a close result. Wahluke controlled much of the first half and pressured our back line with aggressive and physical play, and they finally forced a mistake from one of our centerbacks - A ball squeezed behind the defense and Wahluke put it away.
2nd Half we played much better and started to apply some pressure and get more time on the ball. The pressure created a good number of fouls that we were able to take advantage of. We played a free kick into the box and Elias Corona was fouled by the Wahluke keeper, resulting in a PK that Luis Esquivel put away.
It stayed 1-1 till 8 minutes from time when a Royal player turned to clear a ball about 30 yards from goal only to have the ball rebound off of the referee and the deflection dropped favorably to a Wahluke player who took two touches and put an impressive shot past our GK.
We pushed forward and searched for the equalizer, but Wahluke packed bodies behind the ball and successfully defended the lead.

Tough loss, but a good showing from the boys.

[Jensers]

Royal 0 @ Connell 1
League Match

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatconnell.htm

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A hard fought match with a strong Connell side. First half we were surviving in an effort to try and push forward, and we narrowly avoided conceding a goal. Second half we switched things around to match up better defensively and we were able to keep most of the Connell chances outside of dangerous areas, but the constant pressure on the defensive organization lead to a fatal mistake in the closing minutes that provided the go ahead goal.

[Jensers]

Royal 3 @ Ki-Be 0
League Match

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatkibe.htm

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Got back to winning ways tonight at Kiona-Benton. We played all of the bench and many of the JV players so it was a good chance to give different guys a look. The win ends the first half of league play and the knights finish with a 2-2 record.

Saturday we have a bye. Tuesday we face Warden at home in a must win match to secure our place in the district tournament.

The match against Warden will be followed by Wahluke Thursday, and Connell at home Saturday.

On the West side of the district there have been some interesting results that are clearing up the picture for districts.

A Little Background:
The district is broken up into East and West. East = Wahluke, Connell, Royal, Warden, Ki-Be. West = Highland, Granger, Mabton, Goldendale, Naches.

It appears that Granger will claim the #2 spot from the West. By winning the #2 spot, Granger will also win home field advantage in the first round.

From our side, the battle for first place will be decided Saturday with the match between Connell (3-1) and Wahluke (4-0). Regardless of the outcome of this match, if the results stack up the same in the second half of the league season, the highest postion we can finish in would be 3rd place. The best we can hope for is a loss for Connell Saturday, and then a pair of wins for us at Wahluke and vs. Connell. This situation would put us on an even point total with Connell, but because of the number draw Connell would claim the #2 spot.

(Just for the record - a Split League, the W-L point system, and the number draw are all terrible ideas)

[Jensers]

Royal 2 vs. Warden 0
League Match

Stats:
Will Be Posted Wednesday Morning

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A huge sigh of relief as the win puts one foot into the district tournament. Another loss for Warden, or a win for us vs. Wahluke, Connell, or Ki-be will settle any doubt.

Warden was obviously aware of the importance of this match, and they played well. Warden tried several different formations and player changes as they searched for the equalizing goal, but we were able to match them defensively while exploiting weaknesses that developed as they pushed forward.

A goal in the first half from the left side forced them to tighten up the defense in an effort to keep us from scoring a second, but when they finally had to open the game up to get forward in the final 15 minutes a goal from the right side was enough to break their resolve.

The Royal defense and GK can celebrate another clean sheet and a solid save, and the attack can be happy that they found goals against a stubborn Warden defense that was doing everything they could to keep them out of dangerous areas.

We now look forward to Wahluke Thursday, and Connell at home Saturday.

[Jensers]

Royal 0 @ Wahluke 3
League Match

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatwahluke.htm


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We never really got going in this match. The boys did reasonably well for the most part, but it was obvious that mentally they had poured everything into the match with Warden. We had a few good chances, but didnt ask a whole lot of questions. This loss sealed our fate at the #3 seed from the East.


Royal 2 vs. Connell 5
League Match

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvsconnell.htm


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The dip in form continued for the first half of this match, and although it was only 1-0 at half-time we were left chasing the play and looked timid at best.
2nd Half the boys came out and showed a greater commitment to getting a result, and they were rewarded with an equalizer shortly after the start of the second half. The boys looked much more dangerous, but were shocked by a goal only 5 minutes later when our keeper lost a ball played into the penalty area and Connell pounced.
Royal Equalized again a few minutes later to make it 2-2 and pushed forward to find the go ahead goal, leaving space at the back that Connell was able to exploit for 2 more goals in quick succession.
The boys showed good commitment for the remainder of the time and despite the loss, looked to have started to find the fire they are going to need to get a victory over Granger in the first round of districts.

Ki-Be at home Tuesday.

[Jensers]

Royal 8 vs. Ki-Be 0
League Match

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalvskibe.htm


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Final League Match of the season and it is good to end it with a win. The win puts us at 4-4 in league play and lands us into the #3 spot going into districts. We are going to have to wait until tomorrow night to sort out where we will be going on Saturday, but it will either be Granger or Mabton.

We made some changes tonight up front and it worked out much better than any of us expected so it gives us some excitement going forward. Granger is a team that plays very direct, and they are difficult to play on their own field due to the fact that the pitch is very rough and narrow. Mabton looks to be a team that has greatly improved since our 10-1 win over them in the pre-season, and the word is that they are also fairly tough at home. Either match should provide a great challenge for the boys, so we are looking forward to the test.

[Jensers]

Royal 3 @ Mabton 2
Districts - First Round

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatmabton.htm


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Districts means a whole new season where anything can happen, and Mabton certainly proved it by giving us almost more than we could handle.

Mabton is not a skilled team, but what they lack in skill - they make up with hard work and commitment. We were at their field which is perhaps 55 yards wide and 100 yards long. This small space greatly favors the hard working team because it is difficult to get away from pressure that is flying in from the Mabton players.

Score was 1-1 at the break. Adam Martinez scored from a crafty through ball played by Luis Esquivel. Mabton had a good number of chances in the first half, but never really looked likely to score unless they found a wonder strike from outside of the penalty area. Their goal came from a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area. A pair of fouls were marked in this same position within a few minutes - the first one well over, and the second slotted into the bottom corner.

Second half found the play going in our favor as Mabton started to fatigue. We made a several changes to try and sort out the best way to get behind the Mabton defense, and one of our subs - a freshman - Eddy Baeza was able to use his pace to beat the Mabton goalkeeper and poke a goal to the far post with about 20 minutes left to play.

From that point on Royal controlled the match and had 3 or 4 opportunities to put the arguement to rest with 1v1's with the Mabton keeper, but the failed opportunities left the result in question.

Fast forward to added time in the 2nd half - Royal were caught coasting in a moment of confusion and Mabton scored to make it 2-2 and force 'golden goal' OT.

OT was fairly uneventful until the closing moments of the 2nd OT when Elias Corona made a run between the Mabton center backs and found himself 1v1 with the goalkeeper, and he slotted it home to give the Knights the win.

The win means Royal will travel to Connell Tuesday and win or lose, will play Thursday at Royal. A win in either match will claim one of the 3 allocations for the state tournament.

Royal at Connell Tuesday at 4pm
Wahluke at Highland Tuesday at 6pm

[Jensers]

Royal 0 @ Connell 6
Districts 2nd Round

Stats:
http://www.rhs.royal.wednet.edu/sports/soccer/rhsboys/stats/2009/royalatconnelldist.htm

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We were excited about this match and we had high hopes of doing something special at Connell because a win in this match would have secured a place in the State Tournament, but it was not to be.

It was always going to be about who could manage the wind without making mistakes and Connell did very well, and unfortunatly we made quite a few mistakes that put us into a hole that we could not get out of.

Connell's first goal was a Penalty Kick - ball played over the top, our keeper came out to get it and the wind carried it away from him and he clattered the Connell attacker that beat him to the ball.

Second goal was a cross that came in from the right side, and once again, our keeper had a problem with judging the ball in the wind and got caught in no man's land when the Connell attacker send a gentle looping header over his head.

Third goal came after our center-back had a ball drop in front of him that he mis-hit, playing to a Connell forward who leisurely passed it into the corner.

During the first half we had a few opportunities, but found it difficult to take advantage of the wind, while also managing the wind in a way that would help us build some rhythm into our play.

Second half Connell had the wind and they scored off of a 30 yard shot, directly from corner, and a free kick. All were fairly routine, but with the added speed and movement from the wind - our keeper was unable to keep them out.

At around 60 minutes played, we brought in much of our reserve players and they worked hard to keep Connell from adding any more insult to the loss.

In the end, I can find no fault with the boys effort or commitment, they were just desperatly unlucky. Connell played in a way that was agressive, but safe, and it paid off because they were able to create confusion while also minimizing their defensive errors.

The loss puts us into the 5 PM match vs. Wahluke here in Royal on Thursday. Only a win will mean we continue on this season, and Wahluke will be looking to rebound after their 3-0 defeat at Highland.

Should be a great match.