Blitz take on Pumas again in the reverse fixture. Blitz were unfortunate to lose 5-4 in a tightly contested match last time around. Blitz will look to tighten up defensively after a tough outing in their last run out.
Team News:
Blitz welcome back Jimmy this week but Eric and Gummi will be missing - Kevin is doubtful but will take a last minute fitness test after being out with a high ankle sprain. Chris and Dell are still on the injured list.
The weather looks to be decent with a high of 81 degrees and some cloud cover predicted.
Reminder:
We are playing at Veterans Park this week and will be cooking out so bring your weenies.
Prediction: 4-3 Blitz
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Top 10 Visitor Locations
Where are our visitors coming from? Well, 23 different cities in 4 different countries. Top 10 cities by number of visits:
- Tulsa
- Broken Arrow
- Newport
- Blacklick
- Brooklyn
- West Hollywood
- Wakefield
- New York
- Oklahoma City
- Jenks
Other interesting visitor cities: Dublin, Berlin and London.
Match Review - Blitz vs Infinity
Infinity humiliate Blitz
Blitz 0 - 9 Infinity
HT(0-6)
Not much to say about this match except we lost. They were a little better on the day and we could of scored a couple but did not. It rained towards the end of the game - thanks to whomever put bags under the bleachers. It was a little disappointing as we did not get a post match beverage due to the weather.
Infinity are top of the table for a reason and should expect to go through the season unbeaten. A mid table finish should be within our grasp if we can get results in the reverse fixtures against Hotspurs and Pumas.
Not sure of our lineup - kind of blanked out the whole game.
Blitz 0 - 9 Infinity
HT(0-6)
Not much to say about this match except we lost. They were a little better on the day and we could of scored a couple but did not. It rained towards the end of the game - thanks to whomever put bags under the bleachers. It was a little disappointing as we did not get a post match beverage due to the weather.
Infinity are top of the table for a reason and should expect to go through the season unbeaten. A mid table finish should be within our grasp if we can get results in the reverse fixtures against Hotspurs and Pumas.
Not sure of our lineup - kind of blanked out the whole game.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Poll Results
Congrats to Man of the Match Jimmy in our victory over Hotspurs. Hope you didn't vote for yourself too many times. Just keedding, we have missed Jimmy for the last couple of games and look forward to his return.
Please vote for our MOM vs Pumas.
Please vote for our MOM vs Pumas.
Match Review - Blitz vs Pumas
Pumas slip past Blitz
Blitz 4 - 5 Pumas
(HT 2-4)
In an incident filled match Pumas, ending up with 9 men, managed to hold on for a 5-4 victory against the Blitz.
Blitz started well against 10 men, controlling the play and passing the ball around well. They took an early lead after a break down the left side, Mark M. crossed to Scott and he managed to bundle the ball home for a deserved lead. Pumas added an extra player and started to get back into the match. Their speed up front started to cause Blitz problems on the counter attack and resulted in a couple of quick goals. Blitz quickly struck back, Kerry pushed into midfield and made a great run into the left hand corner but was fouled before he could get the cross in. Mark M. crossed in the free kick to Mark T. who hit the bar with a great header; it came out to Gummi to head in the equalizer.
Pumas then started to gain some control and quickly struck twice to take a 4-2 lead into half time. Some poor defensive play by Blitz and the pace of the attack allowed Pumas to get ahead.
The second half started with Blitz taking the advantage and controlling the game. Their play was much better and Pumas were mostly confined to their own half. Blitz had made some adjustments at half time with Mark T. moving back to sweeper. For a change, there were not many chances at the start of the second half and the score remained the same although Blitz continued to have more of the play. With about 20 minutes left in the game the breakthrough for Blitz came. A poor defensive clearance by Pumas went straight to Mark M. and he fed it to Gummi for a calculated finish. 4-3, Blitz were in with a shot until about three minutes later, a long clearance and a quick counter attack led to a 5-3 Pumas lead – Blitz looked dead and buried.
The game roared back to life after a dirty off the ball challenge by one of the Pumas players – out came the red card and Pumas were down to 10 men. Blitz quickly took advantage, Gummi played a ball to Kevin about thirty yards from goal, Kevin went past two defenders then held off a third to finish neatly in the corner. With less than 10 minutes to go Blitz were in with a shout. Another Pumas player saw red for an off the ball challenge leaving Blitz in the ascendancy. A handball in the box was not given and an indirect free kick from eight yards were not enough to bring Blitz level. All in all a tough game that the Blitz could have won with some tighter defending.
Blitz lineup: Alex, Alex, Kerry, Glenn, Eric, Tyler, Kevin, Mark T, Scott, Mark M, Gummi.
Goals: Gummi (2)(3), Mark T (1)(2), Kevin.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Match Preview - Blitz vs Pumas
Blitz look to recover from their poor weekend result with a win against Pumas. The Pumas have not had the best results this season so it should be a good opportunity for a Blitz victory.
There has been some discussion in the media about which formation Blitz will start with on Wednesday night; this writer would like to see a 4-4-2 with a sweeper in the defense and a rotating 2 up, 2 back midfield. The up and back (plus heat) of recent games has made it difficult for our midfield to keep up. Using a rotating attacking and defending group will ensure men forward and back when required plus make it difficult for the opposition to man mark. It will also provide outlets for distribution other than just our two forwards.
Team News:
Hopefully Blitz will have recovered from their game Sunday and be ready for a new challenge. No players have been reported out so a full lineup should be available.
The weather looks to be almost perfect with low 70's and a slight easterly breeze.
Prediction: 4-2 Blitz
There has been some discussion in the media about which formation Blitz will start with on Wednesday night; this writer would like to see a 4-4-2 with a sweeper in the defense and a rotating 2 up, 2 back midfield. The up and back (plus heat) of recent games has made it difficult for our midfield to keep up. Using a rotating attacking and defending group will ensure men forward and back when required plus make it difficult for the opposition to man mark. It will also provide outlets for distribution other than just our two forwards.
Team News:
Hopefully Blitz will have recovered from their game Sunday and be ready for a new challenge. No players have been reported out so a full lineup should be available.
The weather looks to be almost perfect with low 70's and a slight easterly breeze.
Prediction: 4-2 Blitz
Monday, October 1, 2007
Match Review - Blitz vs Tulsa Express
Express rolls over Blitz
Blitz 0 - Tulsa Express 7
(HT 0-3)
In a disappointing performance by the Blitz, Express dominated possesion and comfortbly ran out winners. Blitz had several opportunities to score but it would have made no difference as Express were better on the day.
In recent memory this was probably the worst defeat for the Blitz and without a man of the match performance by Alex in goal it could have been worse. Blitz will look to rebound from this poor performance in their next match Wednesday night againt Pumas.
Princess on Ice and Jimmy were missing from the lineup and hopefully they will be available for our next match.
Blitz lineup: Alex, Kip, Kerry, Glenn, Alex, Kevin, Mark T, MarkM, John, Gummi, Freddie.
Blitz 0 - Tulsa Express 7
(HT 0-3)
In a disappointing performance by the Blitz, Express dominated possesion and comfortbly ran out winners. Blitz had several opportunities to score but it would have made no difference as Express were better on the day.
In recent memory this was probably the worst defeat for the Blitz and without a man of the match performance by Alex in goal it could have been worse. Blitz will look to rebound from this poor performance in their next match Wednesday night againt Pumas.
Princess on Ice and Jimmy were missing from the lineup and hopefully they will be available for our next match.
Blitz lineup: Alex, Kip, Kerry, Glenn, Alex, Kevin, Mark T, MarkM, John, Gummi, Freddie.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Match Preview - Blitz vs Tulsa Express
Blitz take on second place Tulsa Express in an important early season matchup. Both teams are coming off victories from last week with Blitz easing past Hotspurs and Express getting a good result against a weakend Celtics side. Blitz will need to be on top of their game to get a result here.
Team News:
Jimmy and Scott will be missing this week so the rest of the team will need to step it up. Hopefully Kerry and Kevin will be availabe for the whole game this week.
The weather again is forecast to be in the mid to high eighties but we should get some cloud cover later in the afternoon.
Reminder:
We are playing at Johnson Park this week - 61st and Riverside.
Prediction: 4-3 Blitz
Team News:
Jimmy and Scott will be missing this week so the rest of the team will need to step it up. Hopefully Kerry and Kevin will be availabe for the whole game this week.
The weather again is forecast to be in the mid to high eighties but we should get some cloud cover later in the afternoon.
Reminder:
We are playing at Johnson Park this week - 61st and Riverside.
Prediction: 4-3 Blitz
Thursday, September 27, 2007
What would you like to see on the Blog?
This blog belongs to the Blitz players. Please provide suggestions in the comments field for anything you would like to see included. Some examples : new polls, player profiles, soccer news feeds, additional links, other widgets, soccer tips (lol) etc.
Thanks,
Insider
Thanks,
Insider
Monday, September 24, 2007
Poll Results
MOM vs Celtics?
Congrats to Gummi (44%) for winning MOM vs Celtics. Although it does not say much about our performance that our goalie was the winner.
Where will we Finish?
Second place (46%) according to our poll results. First (30%) was within our grasp until the Celtic result. Oh well, at least not many people think we will finish below third (15%).
Thanks everyone for your votes and keep them coming.
Congrats to Gummi (44%) for winning MOM vs Celtics. Although it does not say much about our performance that our goalie was the winner.
Where will we Finish?
Second place (46%) according to our poll results. First (30%) was within our grasp until the Celtic result. Oh well, at least not many people think we will finish below third (15%).
Thanks everyone for your votes and keep them coming.
Match Review - Blitz vs Hotspurs
Blitz wear down Hotspurs
Blitz 5 - 3 Hotspurs
(HT 2-2)
In an incident filled match Blitz outlasted Hotspurs to run out 5-3 winners. A controversial refereeing decision, a key injury, the heat, two penalties and some good play all led to an exciting conclusion.
Blitz started brightly with a slightly modified lineup from last week. Gummi and Freddie moved upfront with Mark M and Jimmy moving back into wide midfield positions. Mark T was also available and started in an attacking central midfield position.
Hotspurs started with 10 men and this allowed Blitz to take the early advantage. With some good ball movement through the midfield and pressure from the forwards Blitz took the lead. Gummi and Freddie opened the scoring to give Blitz a quick 2-0 lead.
Hotspurs had another player arrive and it gave them a quick boost. They quickly pulled a goal back and the game became much more even. Blitz let slip a couple of chances to put the game beyond Hotspurs reach before a controversial penalty put Hotspurs level. Tyler was unfortunate to be penalized after covering a lot of space to challenge the opposition number 4. For a stocky guy he sure fell down easily.
Kerry arrived at half time to add a much needed stability to the back line. The fresh legs also were much needed after a hot first half. One of Hotspurs’ midfields suffered an injury at the end of the half. They had no subs so he had to carry on – these two events led to a slight second half advantage for the Blitz.
Blitz opened the scoring in the second half after some end to end action. Mark T outpaced the Hotspurs defense to beat the goalie in a one on one situation. Hotspurs quickly struck back to make it 3-3 and then began to dominate. Hotspurs continued to have a lot of attacks as Blitz had trouble clearing their lines, but a lot of poor long range shots and some determined defensive play kept them out.
Alex was fortunate not to get a red card after an incident just outside the box. He cleared a Hotspur counterattack and the ball fell to another Hotspur attacker. The shot came in and Alex dived to his left and pushed it away. Unfortunately, he was just outside the box and the ref blew his whistle. After the ref consulted with his linesman he gave a free kick and a yellow card to Alex after much protestation from the Hotspurs. Fortunately Scott had taken up a position behind Alex and the ref recognized this fact when making this important decision.
Blitz finally got the break they were looking for. John took a pass from Mark M and broke through the Hotspurs high defensive line. Blitz had two players in offside positions but he dribbled right past them for a break away opportunity. The keeper saved the first effort but clearly pushed John when struggling for the rebound. Blitz were awarded a penalty and John converted with the keeper getting a hand to it.
The Blitz then cruised to victory when Jimmy connected on an excellent header from a corner kick to wrap the game up. Blitz should be happy with a much improved performance from last week.
Blitz lineup: Alex, John, Scott, Glenn, Tyler, Kevin, Mark T, MarkM, Jimmy, Gummi, Freddie.
Goals: Gummi, Freddie, Mark T, John, Jimmy.
Blitz 5 - 3 Hotspurs
(HT 2-2)
In an incident filled match Blitz outlasted Hotspurs to run out 5-3 winners. A controversial refereeing decision, a key injury, the heat, two penalties and some good play all led to an exciting conclusion.
Blitz started brightly with a slightly modified lineup from last week. Gummi and Freddie moved upfront with Mark M and Jimmy moving back into wide midfield positions. Mark T was also available and started in an attacking central midfield position.
Hotspurs started with 10 men and this allowed Blitz to take the early advantage. With some good ball movement through the midfield and pressure from the forwards Blitz took the lead. Gummi and Freddie opened the scoring to give Blitz a quick 2-0 lead.
Hotspurs had another player arrive and it gave them a quick boost. They quickly pulled a goal back and the game became much more even. Blitz let slip a couple of chances to put the game beyond Hotspurs reach before a controversial penalty put Hotspurs level. Tyler was unfortunate to be penalized after covering a lot of space to challenge the opposition number 4. For a stocky guy he sure fell down easily.
Kerry arrived at half time to add a much needed stability to the back line. The fresh legs also were much needed after a hot first half. One of Hotspurs’ midfields suffered an injury at the end of the half. They had no subs so he had to carry on – these two events led to a slight second half advantage for the Blitz.
Blitz opened the scoring in the second half after some end to end action. Mark T outpaced the Hotspurs defense to beat the goalie in a one on one situation. Hotspurs quickly struck back to make it 3-3 and then began to dominate. Hotspurs continued to have a lot of attacks as Blitz had trouble clearing their lines, but a lot of poor long range shots and some determined defensive play kept them out.
Alex was fortunate not to get a red card after an incident just outside the box. He cleared a Hotspur counterattack and the ball fell to another Hotspur attacker. The shot came in and Alex dived to his left and pushed it away. Unfortunately, he was just outside the box and the ref blew his whistle. After the ref consulted with his linesman he gave a free kick and a yellow card to Alex after much protestation from the Hotspurs. Fortunately Scott had taken up a position behind Alex and the ref recognized this fact when making this important decision.
Blitz finally got the break they were looking for. John took a pass from Mark M and broke through the Hotspurs high defensive line. Blitz had two players in offside positions but he dribbled right past them for a break away opportunity. The keeper saved the first effort but clearly pushed John when struggling for the rebound. Blitz were awarded a penalty and John converted with the keeper getting a hand to it.
The Blitz then cruised to victory when Jimmy connected on an excellent header from a corner kick to wrap the game up. Blitz should be happy with a much improved performance from last week.
Blitz lineup: Alex, John, Scott, Glenn, Tyler, Kevin, Mark T, MarkM, Jimmy, Gummi, Freddie.
Goals: Gummi, Freddie, Mark T, John, Jimmy.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Match Preview - Blitz vs Hotspurs
Blitz take on the Hotspurs today in another challenging match for the Blitz. Hotspurs are generally title challengers so if last weeks match was anything to go by, another tough game is in store.
Team News:
Blitz will be confident after a midweek practice and the return of key players. Alex will be returning in goal allowing Gummi to move back up front. Mark T should be returning to the midfield and hopefully we will also have Freddie available to add to our attacking arsenal.
Looks like it will be another hot one today with temperatures in the high 80's - perhaps some cloud cover will move in to keep it a little cooler.
Prediction: 2-1 Blitz
Team News:
Blitz will be confident after a midweek practice and the return of key players. Alex will be returning in goal allowing Gummi to move back up front. Mark T should be returning to the midfield and hopefully we will also have Freddie available to add to our attacking arsenal.
Looks like it will be another hot one today with temperatures in the high 80's - perhaps some cloud cover will move in to keep it a little cooler.
Prediction: 2-1 Blitz
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Match Review - Blitz v Celtics
Celtics Hammer Blitz into Submission
Celtics 3-0 Blitz
(HT 1-0)
In a one sided match Celtics showed some good early season form to put three past the Blitz defense. After a late first half goal finally broke the Blitz resolve Celtics went on to score two more goals matching the scoreline to their amount of possession.
The Blitz went into the match confidently after winning Open Division Two last season and having a fairly long unbeaten run. They did not count on the all around ability of Celtic and their good mid season form.
Celtic begun brightly controlling possession and making Blitz chase the ball. Celtics moved the ball well between midfield and defense making it difficult for the Blitz to contain them. Blitz did well for the first twenty minutes limiting chances for the Celtics, but the heat started to take a toll allowing more space for the dominant team.
Celtics started to get a significant number of chances but their poor finishing combined with the excellent goalkeeping of Gummi kept them in check. Blitz were looking to counter attack but opportunities were few and far between.
Blitz started having difficulty clearing their lines and the breakthrough finally came. After a fine display by Gummi he was unable to do anything to prevent Celtics slotting home the first goal. Blitz went into half time a goal down but happy that it was not more. At one point in the half Blitz only had 10 players on the field due to poor substitution management.
Blitz started the second half with the same lineup as the first and looked to keep more possession. The half started brightly with the Blitz having more of the ball and managing to keep a lot of the play in the Celtic half. Blitz even had a couple of opportunities during this period but a strong Celtic defense managed to keep them out.
Midway through the half a quick counter by Celtic effectively finished off the game making it 2-0 and taking the steam out of the Blitz. The 90 degree heat and pace of the game had made it a tough day to be a Blitz player.
Blitz were given some hope 10 minutes later when a Celtic player was sent off for high challenge on Tyler but hope quickly diminished as Celtics quickly converted from a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Blitz can take heart from a tough defeat, they were missing three key outfield players and have always started off the season slowly. After a strong defensive performance they can look forward to next weeks game against the Hotspurs.
Blitz lineup: Gummi, Kip, Kerry, Glenn, Tyler, Scott, Kevin, John, Alex, Mark, Jimmy.
Celtics 3-0 Blitz
(HT 1-0)
In a one sided match Celtics showed some good early season form to put three past the Blitz defense. After a late first half goal finally broke the Blitz resolve Celtics went on to score two more goals matching the scoreline to their amount of possession.
The Blitz went into the match confidently after winning Open Division Two last season and having a fairly long unbeaten run. They did not count on the all around ability of Celtic and their good mid season form.
Celtic begun brightly controlling possession and making Blitz chase the ball. Celtics moved the ball well between midfield and defense making it difficult for the Blitz to contain them. Blitz did well for the first twenty minutes limiting chances for the Celtics, but the heat started to take a toll allowing more space for the dominant team.
Celtics started to get a significant number of chances but their poor finishing combined with the excellent goalkeeping of Gummi kept them in check. Blitz were looking to counter attack but opportunities were few and far between.
Blitz started having difficulty clearing their lines and the breakthrough finally came. After a fine display by Gummi he was unable to do anything to prevent Celtics slotting home the first goal. Blitz went into half time a goal down but happy that it was not more. At one point in the half Blitz only had 10 players on the field due to poor substitution management.
Blitz started the second half with the same lineup as the first and looked to keep more possession. The half started brightly with the Blitz having more of the ball and managing to keep a lot of the play in the Celtic half. Blitz even had a couple of opportunities during this period but a strong Celtic defense managed to keep them out.
Midway through the half a quick counter by Celtic effectively finished off the game making it 2-0 and taking the steam out of the Blitz. The 90 degree heat and pace of the game had made it a tough day to be a Blitz player.
Blitz were given some hope 10 minutes later when a Celtic player was sent off for high challenge on Tyler but hope quickly diminished as Celtics quickly converted from a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Blitz can take heart from a tough defeat, they were missing three key outfield players and have always started off the season slowly. After a strong defensive performance they can look forward to next weeks game against the Hotspurs.
Blitz lineup: Gummi, Kip, Kerry, Glenn, Tyler, Scott, Kevin, John, Alex, Mark, Jimmy.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Match Preview: Blitz vs Celtics
Blitz open their season against the Celtics with an early Sunday afternoon kickoff. Blitz, coming off the Open Division Two championship should be confident of a winning start although, the Celtics should provide a worthy challenge. Celtics won the Open over 30’s Soktoberfest last year and are perennial league contenders. Blitz will need to be on top of their game to get the win here.
With the move to over 30’s Blitz have lost a couple of key players this season. With the loss of midfield speed and a solid central defender, Blitz will look to their new players to help fill these gaps. The speed of the game should slow somewhat in this division helping to alleviate these losses. Blitz have previously lost key players and have successfully managed to fill the gaps.
Team News:
Blitz will be missing goalkeeper Alex O. and attacking midfielder Mark T. for the game Sunday. No injuries are currently being reported (even Tyler is fit)! Gummi O. will most likely deputize for Alex and has performed very well in all his previous goalie appearances. The key to success will be a solid defensive performance and the integration of new players. Blitz have the ability to score goals – if we can keep it tight at the back victory is ours.
Prediction: 3-2 Blitz.
With the move to over 30’s Blitz have lost a couple of key players this season. With the loss of midfield speed and a solid central defender, Blitz will look to their new players to help fill these gaps. The speed of the game should slow somewhat in this division helping to alleviate these losses. Blitz have previously lost key players and have successfully managed to fill the gaps.
Team News:
Blitz will be missing goalkeeper Alex O. and attacking midfielder Mark T. for the game Sunday. No injuries are currently being reported (even Tyler is fit)! Gummi O. will most likely deputize for Alex and has performed very well in all his previous goalie appearances. The key to success will be a solid defensive performance and the integration of new players. Blitz have the ability to score goals – if we can keep it tight at the back victory is ours.
Prediction: 3-2 Blitz.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Blitz Soccer Blog Launches
Welcome to the first post in the Blitz soccer blog. Let us start with a little background; the Blitz was founded many eons ago, the story has been passed down through the generations but I do not remember it so I will not bore you with the details. I will say this, the team has had a storied past with many victories (losses, draws) and second place finishes.
The Blitz story can not go on without a special thanks to Glenn Hall - team manager. Glenn organizes, manages and selects the team (please let me start next game). Additional thanks goes out to Alex Obreck - goalkeeper and coach. Without our two pre-season coaching sesssions I do not know how we would win any games.
We have had some changes this season due to us all getting old. Last spring we finally managed to win the Tulsa Men's League Open Division Two championship. It was the crowning moment in Blitz history but also a team changing event. It was either move to Open Division One or move to the Over 30's Division One. The choice was simple, kick out the young pups and move to the over 30's. The teams in Open Division One actually have try outs and practices - can you imagine, we would have to give up drinking beer at half time.
Our first game is this Sunday the 16th and we are all looking forward to it. We have some new players and it will be interesting to see how to team gels together and who turns up. We take on the Celtic's at 1.00pm - Jenks 8. Having not played against them before it will be a new experience - in the past we have known most of the teams. Check back Sunday for post match comments and review.
The Blitz story can not go on without a special thanks to Glenn Hall - team manager. Glenn organizes, manages and selects the team (please let me start next game). Additional thanks goes out to Alex Obreck - goalkeeper and coach. Without our two pre-season coaching sesssions I do not know how we would win any games.
We have had some changes this season due to us all getting old. Last spring we finally managed to win the Tulsa Men's League Open Division Two championship. It was the crowning moment in Blitz history but also a team changing event. It was either move to Open Division One or move to the Over 30's Division One. The choice was simple, kick out the young pups and move to the over 30's. The teams in Open Division One actually have try outs and practices - can you imagine, we would have to give up drinking beer at half time.
Our first game is this Sunday the 16th and we are all looking forward to it. We have some new players and it will be interesting to see how to team gels together and who turns up. We take on the Celtic's at 1.00pm - Jenks 8. Having not played against them before it will be a new experience - in the past we have known most of the teams. Check back Sunday for post match comments and review.
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