Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Easy Win Against SA Gunners

SA Gunners - Cucuy FC 1:4 (0:1)

Although we only scored once the first half, this game was pretty lopsided. The first goal happened after Karol got the ball on the far right side, saw me at the far post, and then delivered an awesome cross, over defense and keeper, that perfectly dropped on my left foot so I just volleyed it in.

Second half, against the wind, we rolled attack after attack, but it wasn't until about half way that Victor scored his first for us from a break away. Minutes later, he scored his second, a nice header into the far corner that he managed to pull off although being surrounded by at least three defenders. Javier scored our last goal, a beautiful rip from the corner of the box, straight as an arrow into the left far corner. Boom-shackalacka! It would have been a great shot from a set piece, but Javier did it coming out of a quick turn with a defender on his back. Wow! Hintzki could have scored the fifth but he's saving himself for more important games.

Goals: Eddy, Javier, Victor (2)
MVP: Karol

New Team Picture


Friday, November 18, 2011

Marty Blows SA United Out of the Water

Saturday United - Cucuy FC 0:2 (0:0)

SU started short but we failed to take advantage. In the middle of the first half they had a full squad and the game was very even, chances on both sides, but no scores.

Second half this continued, and Kyle had one or two good saves to keep us from falling behind. SU had a great chance, a striker running straight on Kyle but shanking it over the goal. We also had a good chance with a shot on goal from short distance, but the keeper saved it with his foot, ball rolling out of the box, straight towards Marty. He had no second thoughts and whammed it out of maybe 25 yards with his left into the right upper ninety. The keeper had enough time to react but it was just too good of a shot. What a goal! And the first one for Cucuy! A few minutes later, SU should have tied the game with a corner that somehow wiggled through 4 or 5 players and ended up at the far post, where the SU player just needed to push it over the line, and did so but outside our goal. Some time later, Andrew sealed the win with a great goal after a perfect pass from Scotty. Andrew crossed over from right to left and just gave it one touch to push the ball past the keeper. Not sure but with this win we actually might make the playoffs.

Goals: Marty, Andrew
MVP: Marty

Unlucky Draw Against Detonators

Cucuy FC - Detonators 1:1

This one should have gone our way, but we somewhat stood in our own way the whole game.

Goal: Javier

Monday, October 24, 2011

Two Penalties Seal Win for Vanguard

Cucuy FC - Vanguard 1:3 (0:2)

This was a pretty fun game, and a pretty good match-up with lots of chances on both sides. We had the better start and kept the game in their half for a good 20 minutes, but could not score. Vanguard played a good and fast defense that gave us little time to think, which kept us from playing a good final pass.  Then Vanguard pushed back a bit, and one attack led to a penalty kick after Stan supposedly played the ball with his hand. I was right there, it was a pretty ridiculous call, but 0:1 nonetheless. Right after that, Jason had the defense play of the game, whacking the daylights out of a shot that would have been trouble for Kyle. I got out of the way just in time. Right before half time, after a throw-in a Vanguard player somehow made it around a defender and took aim from an impossible angle, but somehow the ball went in. A good, but very lucky shot in my book, and the end of first half.

Second half we wanted to come out strong but Vanguard hat the first few chances. Two of them were open shots that Kyle somehow amazingly saved for us. Then Javier finally put one away for us after a blocked shot from Todd. Karol could have tied the game after an open run on the keeper, but it wasn't meant to happen today. "Hast du Scheisse am Schuh, hasst du Scheisse am Schuh." (A. Brehme) Instead, with minutes left Vanguard got another penalty after a hand ball from Marty. From what I heard, another sketchy call.

Goal: Javier
MVP: Kyle

Monday, October 17, 2011

Karol Scores Cucuy's 300th Goal

Cucuy FC - SA Chelsea 5:0 (2:0)

Sunday March 9, 2008, Brent scored the first goal we tracked on this blog. 3 years and 7 months later, Karol scored the 300th yesterday, also his 50th personal goal! Prepare for Glory! The free-kick was not the prettiest shot I've seen but somehow it skipped over the keeper into the net. So when's the party?

Before that, we scored four goals, first Hintz then Todd in first half, then Hintz, then Todd again in second half. Todd scored off two penalty kicks, I'd say he should keep on taking them, they looked pretty good. In between we had at least 3 shots on the crossbar, so overall I would say it was a deserved win.

Goals: Dave H. (2), Todd (2), Karol
MVP: Karol

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A Win with a Man Down

Guanajuato vs Cucuy FC 0:2 (0:1)

We were far better than Guanajuato in my view, but the ref made a bunch of unusual calls that got some folks worked up. It also did not help that the ref really could not explain in English (or Spanish) what in the world he was calling. After Karol called Gary at half time to check out the ref, the second half was much better. Came too late for Hintzki though, since he had already seen his second yellow for two pretty harmless fouls.

Besides the hooting and hollering on both sides, we also played some soccer in between, and not too shabby. First half we were completely dominating, and Javier put us in the lead.  Second half with a man down we were still the better team. There were only two close calls on our end, one of them was an awesome save from Kyle.  With just minutes to go, Javier set up Karol who scored with a shot outside the box in the bottom right corner to seal the win. Nicely done!

Goals: Javier, Karol
MVP: Javier

Monday, September 26, 2011

Great Game Against Warhawks

Cucuy FC - LAFB Warhawks 2:1 (0:1)

This game was a pretty even match-up, and everybody had to work really hard for the win. First half we had more chances than the Warhawks but had trouble to find the back of the net. We also had trouble with Warhawks two fast strikers, but Schluni and CNate kept the upper hand against them. Warhawks number 10 however had too much room, dropping behind the attack and creating lots of chances for them. Warhawks Number 10 also scored the goal for the 0:1 at half time, a shot from the top of the box that left no chance for Kyle.

Second half we marked number 10 much closer, and handing him off between Karol, Scotty, and Schluni worked really well. The Warhawks did not shoot on our goal for at least the first 20 minutes, all the action was in their half. Finally, Javier was able to slide a 50/50 ball past the keeper, getting fouled in the process and having to limp off the field. A few minutes later, Cole scored our second, a nicely measured shot from maybe 20 yards out in the bottom corner. In the end we almost gave up the win after Kyle, apparently somewhat bored in second half, missed a ball at the top of the box, which the Warhawks striker passed to the middle. The striker there had little opportunity to miss that shot from about 10 yards with no one in goal except Brent who had hurried back. To all surprise, the shot when wide. I guess Brent IS an imposing figure ;) Overall, the second half was some of the best soccer I've seen Cucuy play in a while. If we cut back on the long balls and keep up the running and short passes we can do some nice stuff.

Goals: Javier, Cole
MVP: Scotty

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Cucuy Loses to Atletico Peru

Cucuy FC vs. Atletico Peru 2:4 (1:1)

Playing the upper division teams definitely makes a difference in level of competition.  Unfortunately, we were missing a few of the core guys: Kyle R, Todd, Cary, Stan, Ben, Eddy..., but luckily we picked up two guest players (Daniel and Brad).

Peru proved why they are the State reigning champs right off the bat.  They scored with a first build up and 'somewhat' lucky header from the top of the 18 yard box.  1:0 Peru.  Cucuy took it as a wake up call and finally settled in the match with great ball control and possession.  With that came handful of good chances to bring the game to level.  Eventually, Hintzky, Javier and Cole built up the play and Patrick slotted it in for 1:1.  Cucuy maintained the control for the remaining of the first half, but Peru resisted and held off.

Peru took the second half far more seriously and showed us what experience and staying composed under pressure can do.  Cucuy was allowed less opportunities, which could be attributed to tired legs or just lack of movement and provided support.  Nevertheless, Peru held on to the ball well and kept our defensive line at bay with fast breaks or overloaded midfield.  After a breakdown in the middle Peru's one-touch passes allowed them to march into our goal, 2:1.  3:1 came after a poor corner kick clearance and a volley that swept the cobwebs of the upper-ninety.  Daniel had no chance.

Our moment of glory came in the final minutes.  Peru's miscommunication in their defensive line caused them to forget about Javier.  Hintzky send a delightful through ball and Javier was off to races to send a shot to a lower right corner for 3:2.  Almost immediately Peru pressed forward and with a first shot deflected the second arrived just under our crossbar from 18 yards out.  A solid finish and 4:2 State Champs!

-kh

Goals: Patrick, Javier
MVP: Hintzky

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Wild Tie Against Aztecas

Cucuy FC vs. Azteca FC 4:4 (1:2)

This was one of the wild ones... If someone would have offered me a draw against this team before the match, I might have considered it. But not after the played match. With many of our guys returning (from 'other' duties), it was great to have plenty of subs to our disposal. Anyway, Azteca FC started a man short for the first 5 minutes and it was evident in the ball possession. Cucuy FC dictated the pace right from the kick-off and created series of better-than-good goal scoring opportunities. After (sinfully) throwing away 3 to 4 chances to go ahead, Azteca FC manged to venture into out territory with their lonely striker (#10) who immediately showed off his quality, 1:0 Azteca. Well, mistakes happen and we tried to shake them off by continuing putting the opponents under pressure. Yet again, 2 to 3 scoring opportunities came out of our multiple waves of attacks and somehow we managed to squander every one of them.
So the rule 'if you don't score, you'll get scored on' was proven (once again) and #10 picked up a ball that we failed to clear and lobbed Kyle for 2:0 for Azteca. Good thing we didn't lose our spirit and kept up with the pressure. Then right before the half-time whistle, Javier got fouled at the edge of the penalty box. He took the free kick himself and sent it into a right upper ninety, 1:2. It was exactly what we needed going into a break.

Cucuy started the second half with even more vigor and hunger for the ball which led into abundance of chances and corners. One of the corners was cleared and Andrew poaching on top of the penalty box smashed a volley into an upper ninety, 2:2. A fantastic finish!

Paul Scholes would have been proud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0BI-1sGbAI

Our joy did not last for too long as #10 converted yet another (seldom) attack for 3:2 in Azteca's favor. This guy just could not miss. We refused to give up and engineered an attack after attack, but just could not convert even when there was no one else to beat (right, Karol?). Luckily, Stan proved why Ryan Giggs is so important to his team and that experience goes a long way by sending a pin-point cross to a far post where Hintzky connected with the ball through a diving header. Dave must have flew at least 6 feet before contacting the ball. Absolutely stunning and 3:3! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyqgMM5S_6U

I am not sure hot to quite describe what followed next. I was twelve the last time I threw away a scoring opportunity like that. Javier, very unselfishly, served the ball to me on the silver platter. I looked at the keeper to pick the corner to send the ball into, and then managed to 'pussy foot' the strike and so waste a chance to go ahead in the match. Failing to go ahead we found our selves behind once again... #10 read the throw-in perfectly and assisted his teammates for 4:3 Azteca.

With the last ten minutes of the game came an avalanche of scoring chances from our persistent pressure. The ball somehow was saved, cleared of the line or we just miss hit it. With the time running out, Ben controlled a deflected clearance and lobbed the keeper for 4:4. Cucuy kept up the pressure as we all felt like we deserved all three points.

In the final minutes we created even more chances, peppered the keeper, and wasted a free kick... It just was not meant to happen for us to commemorate the 9/11 with the victory. If anything, we trailed three times and managed to come back without ever giving up. For that I have to thank and congratulate the whole team!

Goals: Javier, Andrew, Hintzky, Ben
MVP: Schluni
MFUP (most fucked up play): Karol

Monday, August 29, 2011

Cucuy Beats Altas in Hottest Game Ever

Cucuy FC - Altas 5:2 (1:0)

I haven't played that often in 102 degree weather, and I hope I don't have to play a lot more. Anyway, this was a pretty good game, it was good to have Karol and Brent back. Altas were a bit late so they started with 9 guys and Karol scored on them with his first shot on goal in the first minute. Then Altas had a full squad and it was a pretty even game, probably a few more chances on their side. Kyle had at least two great saves to keep us ahead.

Second half Altas really picked up the pace and pushed us back. For a while we played only defense, Brent and Schluni in the middle did a great job. Putting Cary on right defense for a while was a great move because he was able to run down the pretty fast Altas left outsider. Then we got a breakaway to the right that Javier picked up. He went around the defender but was fouled by the sweeper 3 yards outside the box. I took up the freekick and put it away ("in den Winkel, schoen!") for the 2:0, which felt really awesome. This kind of game continued, Altas pushing up, we're doing the counters. On one of these, Javier did another nice run and scored the 3:0. Then Andrew scored the 4:0 by picking up a bad defensive play, and the game was pretty much over. Somewhere in there Altas scored their first, not sure when because I was out at the time with my head in a bucket of ice. Then Karol scored his second, a hammer long distance shot for the 5:1. Two shots, two goals, Slovakian training camp is finally paying dividends. With the final whistle, Altas scored their second for the 5:2.

Goals: Karol (2), Andrew, Javier, Eddy
MVP: Javier

Monday, August 22, 2011

Cucuy Beats Revolucion

Cucuy FC vs C&C Tire Revolucion 4:2 (1:0)

With about 8 subs on our side this was a tough game for the Revs to win. We controlled the game first half but the Revs did a good job defending and kept us away from the goal. We had several long distance shots, including one from Birke who got within 30 yards of the goal, so waay to close to score. Then Pat won the ball in the box that should have been cleared, I think Cole passed it on to Cary and he put us ahead for half time.

Second half we kept pushing forward, getting one good chance after the next, but opening up for counter attacks from the Revs. Within relatively short time, the Revs were able to finish too of those, but we came back with a nice finish from Andrew after another setup from Cole, and Cary's second. Goal of the day was definitely Scott's, a perfect header after a picture perfect cross from Steve.

Goals: Cary (2), Andrew, Scott
MVP: Cary

Monday, August 8, 2011

Another Loss to The Machine

Cucuy FC - The Machine 2:3 (2:1)

In the third game in recent history against The Machine we had our third loss, although we're getting closer to win each time we meet. This time we went ahead after a long distance shot from Todd. Should have been an easy save but the keeper let it in. Then we even went ahead 2:0 after the coolest goal this season so far, a monster header from Dan after a picture book cross from Hintzki. A real beauty. The Machine had plenty of chances but Kyle in goal and Ben as sweeper kept us in the game, until about two minutes to half time, when The Machine got their first goal.

Second half The Machine had what felt like 80% possession, and kept rolling attack after attack. After they tied the game, Javier had a great chance to put as back ahead but his header barely missed the goal. With just a few minutes left, The Machine got the lead and the win. If we had Karol in the game it might have tipped the scales for us. We'll see to that next time we meet.

Goals: Todd, Dan
MVP: Ben

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Cucuy Beats El Tri

El Tri - Cucuy FC 1:2

Karol sums it up: "Daniel scored after some nice one-touch passing starting with Kyle. Then they tied after Kyle spilled the easy shot (very uncharacteristic of Kyle) and gave them an easy tap-in. Then Kyle had a long range goal kick, Cary headed it into Javier's path, and Senor Columbiano did the rest with a first-touch shot of the post."

Goals: Daniel, Javier

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Cucuy loses to Altas

Altas - Cucuy FC 4:3 (2:1)

Goals: Andrew (2), Cary

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

First Win with New Jerseys

Weezers - Cucuy FC 1:4 (1:1)

We had the upper hand in this game for a long time, but it took us a while until we started scoring. Weezers had the first goal after a lost ball in midfield that caught us by surprise. That shot on goal was about all Kyle had to deal with first half. We had two shots on post, open headers, and plenty of other chances that the Weezers keeper somehow managed to save. Cole's shot for the tie however was probably saveable.

Second half we pretty much rolled over them, mounting attack after attack. Best shot of the game came from Jason about 25 yards out that went square against the crossbar and deserved a goal. Then Schluni, Cole, and Andrew sealed the game for us.

Thanks to Stan and Morrison Supply Company for the new set of jerseys!

Goals: Cole (2), Andrew, Schluni
MVP: Cole

XLR8 Beats Cucuy, Finally

XLR8 - Cucuy FC 3:0 (2:0)

How did we do? According to Schluni: "Less than great. While we played them well and were clearly the more talented team, being short bodies hurt us. We ended up with one sub, CNate, who had a great game. They scored first pretty early, a nice series of 1-touch passing through our
box. A little while later Brent got sucked out of the box on a long throw and someone lost their mark, leading to a header that hit the post a snuck in. Despite a few chances, it was 2-0 at half.

We came out strong in the second and had a lot of opportunities, they had one counter that ended in a mad scramble and the ball in our net. Then we got tired. We had some more chances, they were able to put pressure on us with their 8 subs. One of their guys should have been ejected he was just there to hurt people. He hurt Okan's ankle on a really late tackle, hurt my shoulder on a challenge from behind, and came in REALLY late on Kyle. Overall, we fought hard and looked relatively good, but just couldn't mount much offense and got worn down."

Goals: None

Monday, June 20, 2011

No Presents from Aztecas on Father's Day

Aztecas - Cucuy FC 7:3 (4:1)

Mmh, so this one did not quite go as planned. And getting that many goals really sucks. I guess it doesn't help if half the team is missing or injured. Everyone that showed up put up their best efforts but we would have needed a little support to beat Aztecas. Highlight of the day was the 0:1 scored by Todd, how volleyed a goal kick by the Azteca keeper Stankovic-style into the net. CNate in goal had a thankless job but really picked up his game 2nd half and prevented things from getting worse for us.

Goals: Todd, Javier (2)
MVP: Todd

Monday, June 13, 2011

Cucuy FC - 2011 Division Champions

Cucuy is Division Champion

Cucuy FC - XLR8 5:4 (1:1)

What a game! Three times XLR8 went ahead, and three times we came back. First half we had more possession and chances but XLR8 scored the first goal. Kyle had an amazing save on the first shot but had no chance on the second on the second. Then Patrick tied the game with a nice overlap on the right side for the 1:1 half time score.

Second half we came out to take a lead but maybe played a little to much offense. In any case, XLR8 scored two quick goals via long passes through the middle. After that it took us a few minutes to get back into game. XLR8 now played more defense and was hoping for more breakaways. Then out of nowhere, Cole took a long distance shot from the left side that sailed over the keeper's head into the far corner. An awesome shot. It was kind of like this one http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Eric-Hassli-scores-the-MLS-goal-of-the-season-so?urn=sow-wp2446

Suddenly, hope was back on our side. Then a few minutes later, almost from the same position, Javier took almost the same shot and tied the game. That was amazing.

Now we had the momentum, and XLR8 was getting tired, we had more possession, and the 4:3 was just a matter of time. But then XLR8 played another long pass, this time over our right side, followed by a cross and a diving header for the 3:4.

Now came Andrew's moment. Before that he came close to scoring a couple of times, and had a few nice setups. In any case, Andrew chased down a pass through the middle and got the ball passed the keeper somehow. Couldn't really tell what happened but the goal was in the net and we were back in the game.

With about 5 minutes left Javier got taken out by the bald defender, but the ref gave us the "advantage". Then the bald defender got up and took out another guy on our team, might have been Scotty. So the ref called this one, but then wanted the freekick where the first foul happened. Realizing that would have been a penalty, he put the freekick just outside the box. Karol took it, and put it in the upper left corner. In terms of speed and power, it might have been one of Karol's weakest freekicks. It kind of looked like it would barely make it to goal, but placement was perfect. What can I say, it was awesome.

Goals: Patrick, Cole, Javier, Andrew, Karol
MVP: Cole

Monday, June 6, 2011

Great Game Against Queretaro Ends in Tie

Cucuy FC - Queretaro 2:2 (0:0)

We knew this one was going to be tough, playing in a toasty 95 degrees with just one sub. Last time we met we had a full squad and barely beat them 1:0. Queretaro scored the first goal but it was called offside. On their end, we had two great chance through Patrick, who got an elbow to the face, and Cole who was pushed into the ground, without any call. After a mistake by the sweeper I could have scored the first goal but the keeper saved it.

Second half we had a few good chances to score but missed them. One of them was a header that a Queretaro defender cleared off the line. Then after a corner from Cole, I scored a header goal. Brent would have been proud. After that, Queretaro picked up the pace, and got two great shots on goal that CNate in goal somehow pushed around the post. He had no chance though after a breakaway from midfield that tied the game 1-1. I guess this would have been a fair result, but then with a minute left in the game, Queretaro scored another goal on a breakaway, left CNate no chance. The ref called out 3 minutes overtime, probably because of an earlier red card for a Queretaro player for complaining, and then complaining some more. With a minute left, Karol took up the ball and was fouled, a pretty long distance out. He took the kick and put it in the bottom left corner, to everyone's surprise. It was unglaublich!

Goals: Eddy, Karol.
MVP: Karol and CNate

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Machine Beats Cucuy

The Machine - Cucuy FC 5:2

We went ahead 2:0, but then got steam-rolled. This was Jesse's last game, good luck bar tending in Australia!

Goals: Cole, Ben
MVP: Jesse

Palermo Beats Cucuy

Palermo - Cucuy FC 3:1

Goal: Cary

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cinco De Mayo

26th Annual Cinco De Mayo Tournament 2011, San Antonio, TX

Team Tournament Roster: Brent Becker, Scott Brashear, Cole Buss, Okan Caglayan, Javier Collazos, Jesse DeWald, Patrick Gayer, Andrew Glasspoole, Marty Goodrich, Nick Hawkins, David Hintz, Karol Hricisak, Jason Huczek, Stan McHardy, Todd Pfister, Kyle Robinson, David Schluneker, Ben Stern, Weston Taubenfeld, Cary Wong, and Carl Weiss.

Saturday (4/30)

Game #1: Cucuy FC vs. SASA Purple Haze - 1:0 (1:0)
- We started the first game of the tournament with somewhat lazy feet. That could had proven to be detrimental, but eventually we started to wake up with the game progressing. Purple Haze (PH) had few players snoozing as well on the back line, when Cole exposed Andrew with a through pass into the center of the penalty box. Andrew's clinical finish made it 1:0. The remaining of the game the play took place mostly in the midfield. Carl, Ben, and Cole also had better than good chances to put the game behind us, but somehow managed to miss an open net or just hit the cross-bar. It was a good game for us to mold into a tournament team and establish our rotations.

Goals: Andrew

Game #2: Cucuy FC vs. SASA Jolly Rogers - 2:0 (2:0)

- Jolly Rogers (JR) came of the high scoring game (5:4 vs. The Crew SC). So with a such attack minded team it was important to keep the game in their half, which we managed to do well. Ben opened the scoring after he received a great pass from Cary from the right flank. Ben collected the ball and placed his shot into an opposite left bottom corner. Keeper had no chance. The second goal came after a buildup through the center. Todd and Ben exchanged few passes in the JR's penalty box before Todd sent a laser-beam shot under the cross bar from 16 yards. The keeper did not even react to it.
The second half was all about game management. JR put a good effort to press us early on, but our back line managed to switch the play from side-to-side effectively and only leaving the opponent to chase.

Goals: Ben, Todd

Game #3: Cucuy FC vs. HFA The Crew SC - 6:2 (3:1)
- By now we already knew that we had qualified for the semifinals. So we focused on four things: 1) play as much as possible the players that would not make it on Sunday (Schluni, Nick); 2) short rotations (10 minutes); 3) test tomorrow's lineup (using Scottie on the right flank); and 4) avoid injuries.
The Crew scored the first goal of the game only to be shortly cancelled out by Ben, Patrick, and Karol. The second half was almost identical of the first. The Crew made it 3:2, but poaching play from Cary and individual plays by Karol and Andrew made it 6:2 for us.

Goals: Karol (2), Andrew, Patrick, Ben, Cary

Sunday (5/1)
Game #4 (Semifinal): Cucuy FC vs. XLR8 - 2:0 (1:0)
- This marked the first time Cucuy FC qualified to play in the semifinal game in the Cinco De Mayo Tournament. By 10 am it was getting pretty hot and humid, so 10-15 minute rotations were crucial to survive the day. XLR8 are a well balanced team that were trying to take a full advantage of the strong wind in the first half. The key was not to let them take shots, as they definitely had the skill to do that. Brent, Jason, Stan, Jesse, and Marty did very well by winning the 50-50 tackles and taking the possession. The midfield worked well with the buildup using the flanks (Hintz, Okan, Cary, Scott). The first goal came after Brent won the ball and found supporting Jesse on the outside left. Jesse pushed the ball to Hintz, who played good give-and-go with Cole. Hintz took the ball down the left flank and dropped it for Ben. Ben send a nice through ball for Cole who clinically finished ,a.k.a five-holed the keeper, 1:0.
The second half, with the wind in our backs, XLR8 exhibited a serious fatigue. Whatever energy they had left was put into fending off our consistent pressure. Patrick had the best chance to give us a two goal cushion, but managed to send the ball over the bar after a long throw in. We knew that one goal lead was too little for comfort, so we insisted on attacking. Finally, Andrew made it 2:0 with a fine individual effort. He beat his mark and slipped the ball under the charging keeper into the bottom corner. With a two-goal lead we shortened our rotations and waited out the rest of the game.

Goals: Cole, Andrew

Game #5 (Final): Cucuy FC vs. Int'l Old Boys - 0:1 (0:0)
- Definitely the toughest opponent we faced throughout the tournament. The game had everything that final should have. We started somewhat on our back foot as Int'l Old Boys (IOB) took it to us fast right of the kick-off. We had a lot of work to do defensively, due to opponent's hard press, fast transition, and our inability to establish a controlled possession of the ball in the midfield. Even though IOB enjoyed majority of the ball, they did not create clean chances. Our back line withstood attack after attack thanks to the disciplined defending. After 25 minutes the game evened out and we were able to pose some threat. That's when one (out of three) of the most critical moments (that could've decided the rest of the game) happened. We got fouled on our own half. Karol played the ball in quickly which allowed Ben to slip behind the IOB line. Ben controlled the ball well and as he was ready to take a shot he was brought down by two defenders in the penalty box. The defenders had no chance to play the ball. To my surprise, no foul, no card, no pk were awarded even though we got denied a goal scoring opportunity by the last defender. Absolutely terrible call (no-call) by the referee.
The second half, was pretty much even as both teams started to show tired legs from the two days of soccer. Kyle made some key saves to keep us in the game. Two worth mentioning are point blank blast that Kyle blocked thanks to his ninja-like instincts and a header that brought cat-like reflexes out of Kyle. The second moment that could have decided the game (to our advantage) was when Ben was flagged offside only because IOB back line was beat and after a 5 second delay (filled with pleas toward the linesman) the linesman raised his flag with the look on his face "WTF just happened?".
The third Cucuy FC moment happened when IOB center-backs collided during the clearance and the ball slipped into path of expecting Cole. As the ball was still bouncing, Cole initial instincts were to chip the keeper who somewhat hesitated at first. Eventually, Cole brought the ball under control but by then there was not much to shoot at as he ran out of the angle.
It seems like the game was heading into an extra time, which we preferred to avoid. Until, IOB corner kick that we initially cleared, but nevertheless, was sent back into our penalty box as a low hard cross. The ball was slightly flicked, then deflected, and landed right at the IOB player's feet about one yard from the goal line. 1:0 for the IOB and about 5 minutes to go.
What followed next was a desperation soccer from Cucuy FC, as IOB defended with 9 men. It was too little too late and the result stayed unchanged.

Overall, it was a great tournament. Cucuy FC finished the best ever as we took the 2nd place. As a plus, no one got seriously injured, people had fun, and I can only look forward to next year's Cinco De Mayo Tourney.

The MVP of the tournament goes to Kyle and Brent for their solid and consistent performance.
Tournament Recognition: defensive line - Jason Huczek, Stan McHardy, Marty Goodrich, Jesse DeWald, Nick Hawkins.
The most improved player (last year): Jesse DeWald. We are going to miss you immensely.

Cucuy FC top scorers:
3 - Andrew Glasspoole
2 - Ben Stern, Karol Hricisak
1 - Cary Wong, Patrick Gayer, Cole Buss, Todd Pfister

A honorable mentioning goes to Cory as the team Chef, timekeeper, masseur, and team-mom. Thanks for keeping our bellies full and coolers empty.

Thank you to all our fans (January, Brandi, Kami, Huczek's, Wong's, Alex, Dylon) for your support and all the goodies.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

26th Annual Cinquo de Mayo Tournament

We're playing in Group D at Schertz:

Saturday
Game 1: 9:30 am, Field 5 vs. SASA Purple Haze
Game 2: 12:30 pm, Field 13 vs. SASA Jolly Rogers
Game 3: 5:00 pm, Field 12 vs. HFA The Crew SC

Sunday (if we make it:)
Semifinal: 10:30 am, Field 3 or 4
Final: 2:30 pm, Field 13

Group D
1.SASA Blades
2.SASA CBC United
3.FM Magpies
4.Brasil Laredo fc
5.HFA United Thursday
6.SASA Old Boys
7.SASA Fading Stars
8.SASA Shooting Stars
9.SASA Cucuy
10.SASA Purple Haze
11.SASA Jolly Rogers
12.HFA The Crew SC
13.SASA XLR8
14.SASA Corinthians
15.SASA Mercenary fc
16.Laredo White Tigers

Link to Schedule
Link to Groups

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Rangers no Match for Cucuy

Rangers FC - Cucuy FC 0:8 (0:3)

We were supposed to play Palermo, but the forfeited so they matched us up with the Rangers. The highlights: Scott's twenty-yard rip in the upper-left ninety, and Patricks volley in the same place from about 12 yards or so. In the final minutes we even got a penalty, which Kyle put square on the keeper, woopsie. An smart play was to put Karol on sweeper since Stan, Brent, and Jason were missing.

Goals:Dave H. 1, Cole 1, Scott 2, Cary 1, Patrick 1, Eddy 1, Andy 1,
MVP: Karol

Monday, April 4, 2011

Cucuy Beats Blades

Cucuy FC - Blades 3:1 (0:1)

Blades scored after a miskicked clearance from Kyle, and Blades player one touched it from about 30 yards out into an empty net. A quality finish. We had several chances before the half time that should had been 'taken care of', but somehow we managed to misfire or send the ball directly at the keeper allowing him to make an easy save.

Second half we started pushing Scottie up to support the offense. It took us about five minutes to finally adjust and stop easy runs through our defense, but luckily non resulted in goal scoring opportunities. After that we were able to put continuous pressure and control the midfield, which resulted in some great chances. Our first goal came in the second half, after Javier's individual defensive play that resulted in winning the ball in the opponent's penalty area and slotting it in. Cole could have added from on-on-one with a keeper, but missed just outside the right post. Second goal was a result of a follow up play after a corner kick. Javier tee-ed off Okan perfectly, and Okan calmly sent the ball in top shelf from the edge of the 6 yard box. The third "assurance" goal was a beauty after Scottie's inch perfect pass to Patrick, who beat his mark and then sent a left-footed shot into an opposite top corner.

Overall good, clean game. At one point in first half, Blades actually gave us back the possession of the ball, because the referee made a bad call. Very sportsmanship-like and uncharacteristic of 'old' Blades. No police escorts were necessary after the game...

Goals: Javier, Okan, Patrick

Cucuy loses to Valencia WTF?

Valencia - Cucuy FC 4:1 (1:0)

Not sure what went wrong here, other than we had a hard time finishing our chances. Valencia was a good team but I still feel like this one slipped away. Kyle in goal did a really great job overall.

Goal: Eddy

Friday, March 11, 2011

Cucuy Beats Barcelona

Barcelona FC - Cucuy FC 0:6 (0:4)

Goals: Andrew (2), Karol, Patrick, Todd, Ben

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Nice Win Against Traditionals

Traditionals - Cucuy FC 1:6 (1:3)

Goals: Ben (2), Andrew, Cary, Hintz, Javier

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

New Season off to Good Start

Cucuy FC - Caracole 3:1 (2:0)

Goals: Cole, Ben, Okan
MVP: Karol

Cucuy FC Beats San Antonio's Elite

SA Elite - Cucuy FC 0:2 (0:0)

Goals: Karol, Brent

Old Boys Beat Cucuy

International Old Boys - Cucuy FC 2:1 (1:0)

Goal: Ben

Monday, January 31, 2011

Cucuy Beats Mercenaries

Cucuy FC - Mercenaries FC 2:0 (1:0)

It's been a long time since we won against this team, so this is pretty cool. I think it really helped that we had a lot of subs and kept subbing in and out quickly. Overall, I think we were the better team and had more chances. Ben alone had three good ones in first half that barely missed or were called offsides. Patrick finally got an open shot and put it away for the lead in first half.

Second half Mercenaries almost tied the game after a botched throw from Kyle in goal. The shot was completely open, but somewhat miraculously, Kyle saved it to a corner. Nicely done! Then Kyle subbed out and Jesse took over, who had 2 or 3 situations to prove himself. Then Ben had another breakaway and scored the second goal of the day, which sealed the win for us. Definitely one of our better games!

Goals: Patrick, Ben
MVP: Karol

Monday, January 24, 2011

Cucuy Beat Universal

Universal - Cucuy FC 1:2 (1:0)

The first game after the winter break was a bit ugly in terms of passing and finishing, but we managed to pull off a win in the end. We dominated first half but could not finish any of several good chances. Universal only came close to our goal about 2 or 3 times but was able to score on one of those chances.

In the second half we continued to dominate, and Carl was able to score off a deflection by the keeper. To everybody's surprise the goal was disallowed because of offside. Shortly after that Carl tied the game with a picture perfect header after a cross from Karol. Following that were a few bad fouls on both sides, and a red card for Universal. With only few minutes to go, Cole finally put the winning goal away with a shot in the low left corner that bounced off the post into the goal, nicely done. Karol also could have scored with a distance shot that was somehow saved by Universal's keeper.

Goals: Carl, Cole
MVP: Cary

Cucuy FC Fall Season Champions!

Congratulations to a great Fall 2010 season! We finished in 1st place in our group!

http://www.sanantoniosoccer.com/Standings_Fall_2010.html