WIN: 4-3 vs Peludos FC – Crafty Badgers Beat Bunch of Gen Z’ers on Father’s Day!

For the 2022 Summer Campaign, the Cameron Road United Board put together a Frankenstein-like squad filled with Clark Field All Stars and fellow Over 40 members to battle the heat and young legs they might face. With game one scrapped, this was the Honey Badgers first test, and they drew the short straw of time slots as they squared off against a bunch of 20 somethings (and younger!) at high noon.

As the squad assembled, familiar faces started to populate the tent, as well as a new one – Jesus from ATX – to bolster the front line with Gianluca resting up his goal-scoring legs over the blistering hot months. The Badgers also welcomed a few of their Punter brothers, Nick and Aaron, for the match. Nick was already working on “Punter of the Pre-Match” as he brought an architecturally sound Jake-sized tent addition to Badgertown.

The infirmary was also brimming with life as Chappy, Willis and Peterson showed their support and compared medical records.

To be honest, there was a bit of unease as the game started as it looked like the Burros were all in their early 20’s, fresh off scoring 8 goals the week before. Talk of “what division are these guys in!?” filtered around Badgertown. But what they might have lacked in legs, the crafty veteran Badgers made up in grit and tactical awareness. This was on full display as they scored a wonderfully worked opening goal within the first 5 minutes! In a passing display featuring most of the team that only Brian Parks can recite, the Badgers worked the ball around the pitch with aplomb. The final ball came off some part of Adam that wasn’t a leg and into the path of Jesus, who calmly finished it. Gianluca may be absent, but his jersey just keeps on scoring!

Although they scored the opening goal, slightly stunning the Burros, it wasn’t all one-way traffic as the kids turned up the heat and started using their speed down the wings. Danimal was in full keeper mode as he laid out for stop-after-stop, with little regard for the health of various body parts. Chris G was keeping up with the speedy kids while Billy and Jefe played the positional game. Big Dave engaged the Father’s Day slide tackle, while Guillermo did his passing thing.

After Danny made a great diving save, the Burro’s crafty 18 year old winger regained the ball and scooted through the defense and slotted in the tying goal from a tight angle to tie up the game at 1-1.

In the midfield, Punters Nick and Aaron joined Ciro, Jaybone, Adam and Brian Parks. Aaron actually had a nice crack at the goal with a powerful shot that was just wide as the Badgers looked to take the lead once more. Adam also came close and probably should have scored as he waited, and waited for a Jesus cross to land on his dome at the back post.

But it was a familiar duo that created the Badgers 2nd goal. From the back, Danny got the ball to Ciro, who sent in a long pass through the midfield to an onrushing Derek who put on the jets. With the tiny keeper rushing out to meet him, it was small on small, but Derek rounded him and banged in goal number 2!

At the half the Honey Badgers held the lead at 2-1 where a shocked Burros squad re-assembled for the second half, determined to “show these old folks how we Gen Zers do it, after we all update our Tick-Tocks.”

The Badgers feasted on tiny oranges, warm watermelon chunks, and tried not to pass out from the heat.

With the second half underway, the Badgers found themselves a man down as Billy re-aggrivated “the divot” and joined the others in the infirmary tent. That left only 2 subs, but Cameron Road seemed to be doing well with everyone on the pitch staying mostly upright.

Attacking towards the tent, Jesus was having a lot of success in his battle with the Burro right back as he drove several attacks down the touch line, showing great effort and composure.

At the other end, the Burro #15 continued to show his quality as he nabbed a tying goal to bring the game to 2-2. This was truly turning into a thrilling match.

With another Badger attack, Punter Nick ghosted into the box and used all of his Captain skills going down to draw a penalty. Wearing Chappy’s #7, he stepped up to the spot and tried to improve the jersey’s 1-1 record of converting p/k’s. With much more composure than the jersey’s owner, Nick rifled the shot over the tiny keeper into the back of the net as the Badgers retook the lead at 3-2!

But merely minutes later, the Burros weren’t giving up just yet as they nodded in a ball at the back post to tie the game up again at 3-3.

With it all to play for, both teams were not holding back. Although the game was mostly a friendly affair, things took a nasty turn as Derek and one of the Burros got into a bit of a row inside enemy territory. With not-so-kind words exchanged after some contact, the Burro defender showed his age as he gave Derek a vicious two handed shove. With players rushing to the scene, including for some reason a barefoot, concussed Chappy from the sidelines, there was one player who remained calm, cool, and collected in his quest for the golden pineapple. Yes, let it be known that Danimal was a model citizen back in goal and let everyone else sort it out. The proper result was a red card for the Defender and the Badgers would be a man up for the final 15 minutes.

Playing a man down, the Burros were giving it their all looking for a winner, but it was the Badgers who would have the last laugh. On the right side, Brian Parks sent in a long cross that entered the box and, wait….. did it strike a Burro defender’s arm inside the box?….. maybe…… but the the referee seemed convinced enough to award the Badgers a second p/k of the match with just minutes to to. Probably harsh on the youngin’, but it was a day of life lessons for the kids.

Who would step up and be a hero? It was Jefe, who always wants to take “the next p/k”. With Badgertown silent in anticipation, Jefe followed Nick’s lead and smashed it right down the middle for the winning goal as the Badger’s went ahead 4-3!

There was still a little work to do to see out the game, and Danimal had to make yet another quick reaction save as a ball got over the back of the defense for the Burro’s one last attempt.

Blow that whistle ref! Game over. Badgers and Friends outlast the kids 4-3 in a thrilling game for their opening victory of the Summer Season!

Man-of-the-Match: Tough one, newcomer Jesus scored the opening goal and was a constant threat up top. Punter Nick brought a tent and scored a p/k. Danimal played lights out at keeper and kept his composure while his family watched for Father’s Day. Big Dave played the “hero” card as he only replied to the Evite Sunday morning and showed up to bolster the back line. But Jefe doesn’t often get to score game winning goals against kids half his age on a bad hamstring – and when he does, the awards to to him. So well done Jefe!

Post-Match-Report: The Badgers received their Championship Swag tees, Ciro got iced (lowering his core temp to a suitable level), and Chappy retold his concussion tale that is as old as time itself. You know, the classic “boy takes his blood pressure meds, boy mistakingly takes a dog tranquilizer instead of a Tylenol, boy passes out in the kitchen three times and cracks his head open, boy leaves a bloody crime scene for his wife to clean up, boy knocks himself out of the first month of summer soccer.”