WIN: 3-0 vs Jugglers – Badgers go Top Of The Table!

It was sweet sweet revenge for Cameron Road today as they leapfrogged The Jugglers to go back into first place on Jefe’s birthday. Jefe was there in spirit, as his physical body had been consuming mushrooms and margaritas since 6am as he received a day off to extend the celebrations. #sakibomb

It was a (shocker) windy-ass day up at NEMP on the dirt patch that passes for a soccer pitch as the Honey Badgers prepared to face the Jugglers on Big Match Sunday. You know it’s a big game in Over 40B when all three refs and linesman show up. The Badgers were going to be a bit shorthanded, but enough gray-haired bodies showed up to provide Cameron Road with one sub for the day.

With Gianluca arriving late, the Badgers lined up with Danny, Chris G, Jeff Z and Guillermo in the back. Ciro, Peterson, Nate and Adam filled out the midfield, while Derek and Chappy started up top while Gianluca kitted up on the sidelines. Gianluca came in as a tactical switch for Chappy after 10 minutes of work.

With the wind at their backs, the Jugglers were attacking for the opening 45 minutes. They were seeing a lot of the ball, but the Badgers were happy to thump it out of bounds long, or spend some quality time shagging balls behind the goal with no real urgency.

Danimal’s booming free kicks somehow harnessed his inner-pineapple powers and were cutting through the wind…. mostly.

Nasty Nate played up to his moniker as he asked questions of a Juggler attacker with a George Constanza-like constant elbow flex. “Why you elbowing me in the chest man, why you elbowing me in the chest man, do it again and we’re gonna have a problem.” Nate was laying down the law to the fiery #11 and letting him know there would be no easy time on the ball this time around.

Surviving the Juggler attacks with the fierce wind, the Honey Badgers were unlucky to cut down an attacker inside Jay’s nest and give up a penalty. The match could go either way depending on what happened next and then JAYBONE SAVES THE P/K! Jay saved the penalty, and the ball spilled back out into the attackers path who promptly smacked it off the crossbar as the Honey Badgers cleared the lines.

Close call but thanks to Jaybone’s heroics, and the Badgers stingy defense against the wind, the momentum was swinging in their favor for good.

Ciro was having a blinder at center midfield, and getting kicked like he was Lionel Messi. The little man in the engine room stood tall (well, as tall as his 5′ 4″ frame would allow) as he absorbed foul after foul, helping to keep the Badgers moving forward.

The best chance of the half for the Badgers fell to Adam as he charged after a lose ball on a Honey Badger corner, but Adam tried the one thing that most likely wouldn’t work, kicking the ball with his feet.

Feeling like a big win, the Badgers saw out the first half with the wind in their faces and proceeded to nourish their souls and weary legs with Adam’s gifts from the citrus world.

As the Badgers gathered at midfield to discuss second half tactics, Ciro put his headband into full Banzai mode, his “offensive setting” he claimed. It would prove to be a good omen as the Badgers were on the front foot with the wind at their back for the next 45 minutes and it was starting to be one way traffic.

With Guillermo pushing up in front of the defense to give the Badgers a crafty outlet in the center of the park, Cameron Road started to get a grip on the game. The Jugglers shot their wad in the first half, and were having a hard time dealing with the multiple waves of Cameron Road attacks.

One such tidal wave of corners fell upon the Jugglers as Gigi sent in four in a row. It took Chappy until the 4th to feel the vibe of the Italian’s master plan as he charged the front post and whipped in a powerful header with the Bald Dome of Power. The ball zipped to the back post where it was too hot for the keeper to handle and Adam was Johnny on the spot to poke it home for the opening goal!

The opening goal only seemed to intensify the Badgers resolve to see the game out as their defensive pushed forward. Jeff Z was meeting every challenge on the left as Chris G charged hard down the right. Ciro continued to get fouled, and Danimal attempted the world’s lowest bicycle kick. Up top, Derek was unlucky not to get a p/k for basically getting tackled inside the box, and then to add injury to insult, he fell victim to the Honey Badger injury du jour, the dreaded groin pull. Chappy came in for him up top as he got to the sideline to make sure all the important parts were still working.

As the game turned a little feisty, the Badgers needed a little something to pad their lead. Enter double eights, Chris Peterson. He stood up and nudged Gigi off a free kick from just outside the box (offering him 3 tuna sandwiches and some hair gel) and smashed it low and hard to the far post for the second goal of the game. BT would have been proud of the effort.

2-0 Badgers and there was no way back for the Jugglers.

Soon after, Ciro put the icing on the cake as he reverted to his quantum state and harnessed all the powers of his precious time crystals. Flowing along the box as “motion without energy” he received a pass from Nasty Nate and drifted into the box. His spicy shot was aimed at the far post where the keeper had no chance and he gave the Badgers a 3-0 lead.

Danimal finished up the game with an adventurous walkabout down the left side as he ventured deep into Juggler territory, after releasing himself on his own recognizance from his defensive duties. The Badgers were enjoying seeing out the game to the silent Juggler sidelines.

As the final whistle blew, the Badgers were back in first place with two weeks off before their next match and sitting pretty at the top of the table where they belong.

Man-of-the-Match: Great Team effort. Jaybone made the play of the game with his penalty save, but Ciro stood out for the full 90 minutes as he took the brunt of a half dozen fouls, kept his cool, and topped it off with his yearly goal.

Post-Game-Report: It was a……. strange……. postgame. Not a drop of alcohol to be found as the Badgers basked in the glory of their win.