CRU 1 – Deportivo 3
As the longest season in Cameron Road United history marches on, CRU again went down in flames for its fifth straight loss on the fall season. It seems as though the other teams in the division are passing around the secret formula for success against Cameron Road: score a few early goals and hang on while they mount an impressive comeback in the second half.
Fielding a strong team with a few subs, Cameron Road was hopeful to notch it’s first points of the season against one of the better teams in the league, Deportivo. The afternoon marked the season debuts for Andy Michaelis and Leif Sherry. Andy was a welcome (and fit) site running up and down the sidelines with the energy of a greyhound puppy, and Leif showed his silky touch on the ball and eye for the killer pass in midfield.
The opening fifteen minutes went as most D2 games do – both teams pinging the ball around, poking and prodding each other for weaknesses. Deportivo we pushing up to the half line on defense and overloading the right hand side and trying to work the ball down the flanks. They stuck first employing that very technique, driving the ball down deep on the CRU right hand side, putting in a cross and thumping home a shot for a 1-0 lead. Soon after they let loose another attack from the left of the box and were up 2-0. Unfortunately, this has become all too familiar territory for Cameron Road.
One of the rare first half attacks saw Andy racing down the sidelines and putting in a nice cross, but it seemed like those attacks were too far an in between.
The second half saw Cameron Road put the pressure on Deportivo, looking for the goal that would lead them back into the game. It was as if the great black gates of Mordor had been opened as Cameron Road unleashed wave after wave of attacks on the little hobbits of Deportivo, but unfortunately, there was no white wizard there to unlock the door to their net. Chance befell to Bob, BT, Dermot, Big John, Andy, Willis, Chappy and Chris Vestre, but ultimately it was a brilliant free kick by the big man, Cuyler, that got us back into the game.
Unfortunately, in the midst of our comeback, Deportivo scored a decisive third goal and we ran out of time to tie it up.
So for the 2nd straight week, Cameron Road played one solid half of soccer, but continued to struggle to put an entire 90 minutes together. It won’t get any easier for the boys in red this weekend as we face Verity, our hulking, beer-drinking friends in green, without either of our keepers in town. Until then…
Man-of-the-Match: For the second week in a row, Cuyler has given us a chance to win with a timely goal. This week’s installment came from a beautiful Cassio-like free kick that went over the wall and left the keeper flat-footed. The Beastly Ostrich is earning his nickname.
