In the Muscatine Fall Classic we had our U11B White and Green, our U11G White and Green playing 8v8 for the first time in competitive matches. All four teams played some great soccer vs. some very good competition. The U14G White also played in the tournament on the very nice fields at the Muscatine Soccer Complex.
U11B White- The DSC U11 Boys White came in to the tournament excited to be on the larger field in the 8v8 format for their first time. They came out playing very strong in their first game vs. a good Cedar Valley Select Blue team, showing good composure on the ball and making smart decisions on their way to a 4-1 halftime lead. They would have to work hard in the 2nd half as their opponent came out with a strong attack, however in the end it was our DSC U11 Boys White earning the 8-6 victory. They were full of confidence as they came out against Moline United in their 2nd game of the day and they quickly made it a one-sided game as they would dominate the flow of the game and end up on the positive side of a 9-1 result.
With the lack of pool play in our bracket, the Boys came in to Sunday knowing that they needed to win against a very strong SASA (Springfield, IL) team in order to continue on to the medal games. Unfortunately SASA was the better team against our boys on this day and they would earn the victory, which would end our team’s tournament run for the weekend. With SASA eventually becoming the tournament champions after winning their next 2 games, our boys understand what it takes to reach that next level, and just how close they were to beating a championship caliber team. The DSC U11 Boys White team is full of energy and already looking forward to tackling their next challenge as they continue to improve with every opportunity that they get to step on the pitch.
U11B Green- The U11B Green team entered its first games at the 8 aside level. This is a big step for this team, as most of the players are true U10 boys and have only played one season at 6 aside, and it was their first opportunity on the larger field. In the first game they came out against a big Muscatine team which had one impact player that the team couldn’t handle physically. The first half was difficult, but by the second half they began to pass the ball around and were able to threaten the opponent’s goal on several occasions. Final score was 10-4, but they were encouraged by solid second half play.
In the second game they faced a very good Prairie team, which ended up placing second in the tournament.
On Sunday they played North Scott and quickly found success in their transition from defending to attacking in their pressure, cover and balance defensive system. Everything the coaches worked with them on Saturday began to come together. The boys controlled the first half, but found themselves down because of their speedy counterattacks, great goalkeeping, and our consistently hitting just wide of the goal. In the second half they continued to aggressively push themselves and show some real ability to play competitively. Unfortunately the game ended 4-2, due to a last minute goal given up, but it felt like a victory in the overall progress that they made throughout the weekend.
With their first tournament under their belts they are now ready to start the league season and continue on their strong improvements.
U11G White & Green- The U11 Girls had a great Tournament with both of the DSC Green and DSC White teams making it to the Semi-finals. The Green team lost in the semi to FC Midwest. The White team won their semi-final match against Burlington Area Soccer Club 4-2. FC Midwest was then crowned champions after beating the DSC White team in a hard fought match that was 1-1 at half and ended 4-2. All of the U11 girls were playing their first competitive 8v8 tournament and while they were still learning how to play the 8v8’s 3-3-1 formation, they had to deal with some very good competition. The girls played with skill and a determination that made the Dubuque Soccer Club proud of their accomplishments.
U14G White- The Girls cruised through their bracket play only allowing one goal on only 6 shots in the three games. Their first game was against a very athletic Prairie SC team that worked hard to close the girls down and stop them from getting their passing game going but it was no use as the team maintained much of the games possession with Prairie only getting into the DSC box twice, for a nice 1-0 win. Saturday’s second game was against Clinton SC and the girls came away with an easy win. Sunday was to be an interesting day. The girls won the bracket with a hard fought 4-1 win over FC United, but because the way the tournament director had set up the semi finals, for some reason none of the four semi final coaches understood, we had to play a team from our bracket again in the semis. FC United was to be our game and the girls did not seem to be up for the game with a team we had just played hours before and fell to a very fired up FC United team 1-2. Lesson learned on complacency and not taking all opponents seriously.
