It did not take long for the team to get into soccer mode after the breakfast buffet, as they needed to prepare themselves mentally for the match at 11AM. Once we arrived at the grounds, we headed to pitch 24 for registration and preparation. Our first match was against Muswell Hill FC, a team from London. Light showers started the game but held off for most of the match. The boys from Downer's Grove took an early 1-0 lead on an own goal by Muswell's defense. They used the enthusiasm to carry them to halftime. The second half was a slightly different story though. Muswell poured on the offense, scoring twice within a short amount of time, and adding a third goal during injury time.
.jpg)
After a short break between games, they had their second match against Pro Vision North West, a local squad from Manchester. Pro Vision took little time to take a 2-0 lead into halftime, despite strong defense from the Trojans. Torrential rains in the second half posed a challenge to the Chicago natives, as Pro Vision added two more goals to win 4-0.
.jpg)
Once they changed out of their muddy clothes, we boarded the bus to head back to the hotel for dinner. Afterwards, we headed to The Trafford Centre (yes, they use re instead of er here in England) for an evening of fun. Most of the boys spent time playing miniature golf, while others won prizes at the arcades. Coach Brian bowled with the other adults, rolling a disappointing 54. Wayne won their games with a high of 118. Just before leaving, Mike took a 5-3 victory in air hockey over one of the players but it was a very competitive match. Once gathered, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the next day's games.
No comments:
Post a Comment