Junior soccer teams battle wind & rain

With heavy rain in the South West, and 100mm of rain falling in Margaret River from Thursday, it was a cold, wet and muddy affair for most of the Football Margaret River teams.

Our pitches were the worst hit, but luckily were deemed playable.

Hopefully we get some sunshine this week to dry things out for this week’s games!

The U7 Falcons headed to Busso to take on GMAS Giants.

The pitch was in perfect condition allowing both sides to run freely and score great goals.

The team kept running despite umbrellas and jackets flying over the pitch as we were all reminded what a down south winters day is like!

Every player deserved POD today but special shout out to Estelle and Finn.

Stormy skies and heavy rain were no match for the determined U7 Ninjas, who travelled through it all to face off against their Busselton opponents.

Despite the weather, the pitch was in exceptional condition, and Ninjas had just the right number of players, including one sub, to kick off an action-packed morning of soccer.

Busselton came out with a strong defensive game, putting real pressure on Ninjas throughout the first half.

But that didn’t hold the crew back.

Goals came flying in from Mack, Eli, Vinnie, and others.

Eli earned POD for his consistent efforts all season, while Mack stood out to both coaches – for his gameplay and his major improvement on the field.

On a wet and windy day, U8 Messi Kids played Dunsborough Warriors in a hard fought affair.

Some great persistence in very trying conditions saw Margaret River triumph.

POD went to Quinn who scored a couple of goals.

The wet conditions on game day didn’t stop a great match from unfolding, with U9 Legends XI putting in an amazing effort despite the rain and slippery field.

Moose opened the scoring early, slotting in the first goal and giving the team a strong start. The early lead set the tone for a competitive and evenly matched game.

Both sides worked hard in the tough conditions, keeping it tight throughout with some strong defence and midfield battles.

Hutch played a key role in attack, scoring two goals to bring the score to 3-3.

His efforts gave the team a real lift and kept the pressure on.

George was awarded POD for his consistent effort across the field. He worked hard applying practice drills, had great game awareness and compassion for fellow players.

Battling the elements was all part of the fun for the match between MUSC Panthers and U9 Mavericks at Churchill Park on Saturday.

Rain didn’t hamper proceedings and the Under 9s looked like they were having a lot of fun!

Otis Clifford earned himself POD.

The rain held off for most the match as the U10 Strikers went up against the BCFC Possums at Churchill Park.

The Strikers had a new game plan going into this match and from the first whistle, it was like watching a much more senior team despite having no subs.

They were all spreading out and moving the ball around the pitch beautifully. In the second half of the match, the team work and passes from the Strikers put continual pressure on the oppositions defence and goals resulting in scoring three amazing team-effort goals.

At the end of the match, Coach Dane said the team played and worked so well together that everyone deserved the player of the match.

This week the U10 Dragons travelled to Busselton to play the GMAS Braves. After a challenging match last week, the Dragons came back with a renewed sense of focus.

The first half was off to a quick start with the Dragons hitting the back of the net early. Their midfield worked tirelessly to control the pace, linking up well with both defence and attack. Braves tried to keep pace and had a few shots on goal but every one of them was skilfully saved by the keeper.

In the second half, Dragons continued to play tactically and were able to spot gaps in the Brave’s defence and used that to their advantage.

It was a fun match, with the Dragons seeing how much their gameplay improves when they communicate and work cohesively as a team. POD was Leighton, who kept a clean sheet in goals in the first half and then came out on fresh legs in the latter half of the game and scored a few goals and all with a smile on his face.

The U10 Serpents faced off against fellow Margaret River side the Wasps in torrential rain that turned the pitch into a treacherous slip-and-slide battleground, but despite the challenging conditions, the Serpents showed admirable resilience and held their own against their local rivals.

Thiago stepped up, volunteering to take the goalkeeper’s gloves for the first half and producing a string of crucial saves, while Sasha found her stride as the match progressed, maintaining composure throughout the game.

Both players’ outstanding contributions were recognised with joint Player of the Day awards.

The U11 Roos played at home against the DTFC Stingrays. The ground was muddy but everyone did their best in the cold conditions. The best advice to the players…. If you want to keep warm – run!

A great game the Roos kept up a great defence in the second half. POD was Annabelle.

U11 Storm proudly wore their yellow shirts onto the muddy soccer pitch this week with a wet and windy game against Capel Wolves.

Storm are showing their training is paying off with mastering the simple stuff and finishing the game in style.

POD was Sunny Nilsson-Linne for doing a great job in the middle.

The U12 Breakers scored early in a tight match against the DTSC Fury.

The Fury came back in the second half to seize the win. Isla is back in the game after a year off to take out POD along with Will who impressed with accurate passes under pressure.

The U12 Stars had a tough and well fought game against the well drilled BCFC Blades, despite the torrential rain and strong winds.

The Stars tried their best and showed great team work even when the score was against them, they kept going and showed a great fighting spirit.

Typified by Freddy Dargue who shone in goal, making some outstanding saves to earn himself Player of the Day.

Facing the Vasse Cobras, it took the U14 Warriors a little while to get into it.

Cobras scored three goals early in the first half and looked to be running away with it.

Warriors came back fighting and had a strong second half. In the end, the Cobras defence proved too strong and they kept the final score to 3-2.

Angus was named Player of the Day.

The U15 Tigers took on the GBFC Seasiders in what turned out to be a fast-paced and fiery match.

Despite the rough weather, both teams showed determination. The game was physical, with tensions running high.

Although the Tigers went down 7-3, they played with heart and teamwork.

Riley was deservedly named POD for his outstanding goalkeeping under pressure.

YL Blaze left the dark clouds behind them to head to Busselton, where the sun was out.

A couple of shots from Blaze were saved by the Seasiders keeper before a great passage of play gave them their first goal.

Henry took a great dive for a Seasiders attempt, but the ball went just past his fingertips to equalise the score. Seasiders soon scored again.

Another great show of teamwork gave Sonny a shot, but it was just wide and over.

Scarlett’s tackle game was strong with some great sliding tackles throughout the game.

A corner in the Blaze defence goals and a header by Sid gave Kade great run up the pitch, but was not able to convert.

Digby took a long shot, but that was saved by keeper.

Scarlett had another great tackle in the box. Blaze had another shot, but went just wide. A Sonny-Poom combo came close, but not close enough.

In the second half, two more Blaze shots were saved. William was solid in defence while Digby and Charlie worked hard to chase down the ball. Sonny made plenty of runs and created opportunities, and Kai moved the ball around well. Then a long high bomb went over Henry’s head to give the Seasiders another goal.

With 15 mins to go, Blaze finally got their second in the net. A few minutes later they had their third, but it wasn’t enough and the clock ran out giving the Seasiders the win.

Poom won “Tackle of the Day” and Scarlett was awarded Player of the Day for her awesome form, great tackles and performing at her peak.