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
Saturday, September 29, 2007
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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