Junior Varsity - Bellevue vs Eastside Catholic 9-12-24

Bellevue vs Eastside Catholic 1-3

3rd minute Charlotte (Talia)
20th E.C. goal
34th E.C. goal
74th E. C. goal
 
Peter and I have been doing these postgame recaps ever since I arrived here seven years ago. We agreed it gives us a chance to express our feelings about the game after a night of thought and it tends to be quite therapeutic.  I have been lucky in my years coaching soccer at Bellevue High School that I have not had to write very many of these particular recaps. That is, a recap after a loss.

We got brought back down to earth last night by a very good and deep Eastside Catholic team. Our first two games of the season were easy affairs and gave us a chance to get to know each other and to introduce our style of play to the girls. With wide open spaces and ample time on the ball, we moved easily up and down the field with ease and the goals were plentiful.

I could see it coming a mile away that our competition was going to ramp up and we would need to step up our game to keep pace. Last night, EC gave us all we could handle and more. As we prepared for this game, I reminded the team constantly that previous success does not guarantee future success. It is earned.

We had a dream start to the game. As we’ve seen on a regular basis, Talia got a ball and raced down the right side in just the third minute of the game. She sent one of her patented crosses right into the middle of the penalty area where Charlotte was waiting anxiously. Charlotte’s first bite of the apple came up empty, but she persevered and was able to poke the ball into the net on her second chance. Wow. It happened so fast we didn’t know how to react. Was this going to be another easy game? Is this team really that good?

From there, we continued to fight, and the game was very even. Both teams were fighting hard, but EC began to slowly show their skill and tenacity as the first half wore on. They started winning the ever-so-important 50-50 balls, started pushing us off the ball and connecting passes. Wait a minute! That’s how we want to play. Ugh.
We were left chasing the ball and not dictating the tempo and possession as we had the first two games. We got frazzled and balls began bouncing off our feet instead of clean traps and we struggled to find our teammates as the Crusaders pressed us everywhere we turned. The game changed in the 21st minute when their speedy midfielder (No. 14) gathered a long ball at midfield (yes, midfield) and out raced three Bellevue defenders toward goal and slotted home a nice goal as she crashed into a hard-charging Katelyn. A great individual effort.

But she wasn’t done yet. With the first half coming to a close, she once again plucked a loose ball from a crowd on the left flank and raced toward goal. From the 30-yard line, she weaved through four defenders, muscled past the last two and slipped the ball underneath Katelyn for her second goal of the game. Kudos to her.
Another outstanding play. Halftime 2-1 EC

At halftime we were in a bit of a daze as one player was dominating us. She pushed us off the ball twice and was able to race untouched and score two goals. So, we talked about how we needed to get more aggressive with our tackles, more precise on the ball and start dictating the game.

I was proud of the way we turned things around after halftime. There was a bit more possession, more bite in our challenges and lots of hustle. The second half, I felt, was quite even has both teams battled but neither could muster up any real good opportunities. As time ticked down and our legs got weary, the game got away from us. EC is a VERY deep team. I think they had 10-11 players on their bench, and they rotated freely. That meant fresh legs constantly entering the game and it caught up with us.

As we pushed and pushed for an equalizer, a long ball EC clearance found (guess who?) No. 14 once again just past midfield. And, as she did twice before, she slipped past our last defender and scored her third goal of the game. Final: 3-1.

It was a tough way to come back to earth but a great learning experience. As the competition level rises, so must ours or else we will be left behind. We fought to the end, but our legs just weren’t there to salvage this game. As I’ve stated before, scoring three goals in one game is quite a feat. So, congratulations to No.. 14. She earned each of those goals.

We have lots to take away from this game and much to improve upon for our upcoming games. Nothing will come easy from this point forward. I saw glimpses of it Thursday night, let’s just hope we see more of it in the future.

See you Tuesday as Seattle Prep comes to visit. Should be another battle.