LOSS: 1-2 vs Celtic: Badgers Slip Up Against Celtic To Start The Season

After a balmy week in the tropics, and and an upcoming summer-like week in Austin, winter was back for a few days to greet the Honey Badgers on the opening day of the season. With an 8am game and temps critical zone for Ciro’s internal engine, the Honey Badgers looked to start off the season with a win after several months of hibernation.

Unfortunately, the game-day roster was already looking thin with a third of the team out of town, injured or just plain sick. Not the start to the season CRU was looking for, but they would make do.

In addition to the sub-freezing cold at game time, there was a wreck on Americans Favorite Highway and also the marathon traffic to deal with, so starting with a full eleven players would be a challenge. The Badgers fielded 9 players to start the match, but several folks trickled in after the start of the game including Big Dave, Peterson and…… lo and behold after a year on the shelf, Chris G!!!

The Badgers were doing okay playing down two men, absorbing the Celtic pressure and getting out of trouble. Ciro went on a mini-man-march with the ball as he covered a lot of ground east and west, and the Badgers were generally doing well as reinforcements arrived. Unfortunately, one of the reinforcements would have to be permanent as Jefe went down early with an ankle injury, forcing him to watch the majority of the opener from the sidelines.

Jeff Z and Big Dave also tweaked some ankles, but they were able to continue.

Ciro was first up to make a big play, as his 20 years of standing on the near post for corner kicks finally paid off as he reacted quickly to head an incoming ball away to safety.

From the right back, Chappy put in a nice slide tackle which got the Jefe stamp of approval from the sidelines. Studs down for 2024.

As the Badgers grew to eleven, and an eventual thirteen, the game started to follow the usual back and forth, but Celtic struck gold early after Cameron Road was at full strength with a low shot on the right side of the box to take the lead. It was rough to give up a goal so early, but having it scored by a player named Dragon made it slightly more tolerable.

Another player who was back in the mix was Nasty Nate, who slotted in back at defense as well. His tenacity and calm on the ball was an asset to the back line. Jeff Z was also having a great match in the heart of defense, tackling with abandon.

With Jesus and Adam on the wings and Gianluca and Derek up top, the Badgers were trying to make some inroads at the business end of the pitch, but things just weren’t coming together.

And then, at the other end, CRU gave up a very “Cameron Road” goal as the ball bounced around inside the box and narrowly escaped being cleared by Nate as Celtic went up 2-0 at the half.

Oranges, but like, who had fingers and two working thumbs warm enough to undress them?

The second half was better for the Honey Badgers as they tightened up on defense, and got moving up front. Nate hit the post with a powerful driving shot from 40 yards that still rings in the ears of all creatures great and small hidden in the tree line. (either that, or the ball painfully rolled like a sloth on one of Derek’s cookies until it graced the side of the post on it’s leisurely way out of harm’s way). Either way, it was almost the goal CRU needed to get back in to the game.

Derek and Gianclua also combined to almost get their heads on a Peterson free kick but the sunny side of the pitch thwarted their plans.

The Honey Badgers did get on the board with a goal as they were causing havoc inside the Celtic defense as Gianluca charged down a ball causing the Celtic keeper to clear it into the backside of his defender for an own goal.

The Badgers were back in business, and looking to tie things up to salvage a point.

During the second half, Cameron Road got treated to just how lucky they were to have Chris G back on the pitch. He was a constant guided missile of speed at the back charging down balls, and he made several mad dashes to the other end of the pitch to help out on offense. So glad to have him back in the mix!

But the clock struck midnight for the Honey Badgers as they were unable to grab another goal and had to start the season as many of the Fall games ended up, very close losses. With more players headed back for next week’s nooner, the Honey Badgers will look to kick of their Revenge Tour ’24 in earnest.

Man-of-the-Match: Tough call between the trio of awesome defenders: Nasty Nate, Jeff Z and Chris G…. but having Chris G back on the field after nearly a year off was too good to pass up. Well done Chris!