Sunday, April 26, 2009

Gotham Argo vs. United Rocklanders

Gotham Argo 6 - 2 United Rocklanders
Location: Pier 40
Time: 9pm

----- match report by Momo Diop

At 8:45 pm, the argos were ready and impatient to build upon the large victory of the previous week. At 9:00 pm, you could read disappointment on most of the argo warriors faces as the Rocklanders were nowhere to be found. Around 9:15ish, here they are finally. Let the fun begin.....

Starting Gotham Argo line up:
------------------------- [Jeremy] ---------------------------
--------Jon Furie * James Whiteley * Troy Strike --------
----------------------- Will Henderson -----------------------
Kevin Gordon * Momo Diop * Sam Ray * James Coppack
-------------- Sammy Sneed * Gaspar Epstein --------------
subs: Carlos Garcia, Abhik Malik
Rocklanders line up: Don't know

After having tested the Rocklanders defense for the first few minutes of the game, making them run left and right, Sam Sneed decided to open his account for the night around the 15th-ish minute of the game with a beautiful shot on the left corner after a nice play from the midfield (1-0).Then.... Some of us lost the count. Sam would soon double, triple before giving a caviar to ... who else, another Sam (Ray) to reward his nice run from the midfield. Even James Whiteley invited himself to the goal party, sending a strong shot into the nets after an ill-negotiated corner from the Rocklanders defense.

Half time Argo: 5 - Rocklanders: 0

Second half: Many of us thought the game done when starting the second half although we have been warned by coach Dana P. Dimon that the Rocklanders would come really hard in the second half. It did not take long to realize that as they score 2 quick goals early in the second half (5-2). That was a needed wake up call as the argos decided to toughen up and stop what was looking like a historic come back for UR. Then the frustration started building up among the Rocklanders: insults, nasty plays, nonsensical complaints to the ref etc.... They even scared the whole team, sending the strong Jamo out with a nasty injury on the ankle: ohhh my... we lost the "samurai" for the season... (nickname he got from our last week's opponent for shouting non stop) But that's not really knowing who the man is. 5 minutes from the end of the game, Dana called out Momo Diop (for poor performance??) for who: Jamo Whiteley.. yes... himself... who would find the time and luxury to score a beautiful goal from an individual action to finally bury the Rocklanders (6-2).

Final score: Gotham Argo: 6- United Rocklanders: 2
Scorers
Argo: Sam (3), Sam Ray (1), James Whiteley (2)
Rocklanders: Number 17 (2)


--- additional match report by Dana P. Dimon
(report from Momo Diop was sadly too late for submission to First Touch magazine as he has no access to personal email at work)

The first beautiful evening of spring. Gotham Argo arrived in high spirits. Game due to kickoff by 9pm and at a quarter past it appeared the game may not happen with nary a sign of an opponent. At last - the majority of UR arrived en masse and took the field with 9 and grew to 11 as additional United Rocklanders continued to arrive over the next 15 minutes. UR started strong employing their signature style of sending balls over the top to their ultra-speedy forwards (a couple of whom appeared no older than 14 years of age). Gotham Argo quickly adjusted to UR's method of play and with their own ultra-speedy, and always impressively composed, Sammy Sneed, managed to lay in a lovely goal at minute 7 from a strong cross from Kevin Gordon. The Argo boys found themselves on their toes dealing with the speed of some of the URs but also, fortunately, frequently found themselves (apt alliteration's artful aid) with avenues of space and room to connect. (15th minute) another sexy goal by Sammy Sneed (Gaspar Epstein assist), (16th minute) - a goal by Sam Ray off of a pass tucked through by Sammy Sneed. Before the end of the half Sneed completed his hat track with yet another goal (33rd minute - assist by Carlos Garcia) and last but by no means least, Gotham Argo's sweeper and field general, James Whiteley, snuck up top from centre back for a corner and laid in his own lovely goal (39th minute - another assist from Carlos Garcia) to end the half at 5-0.

By all rights the score would have been at least 5-2 if not for a number of to-be-expected, rock-star sexy saves from Argo's keeper, Jeremy "Schroeder/That's How I Roll Baby" Newton.

United Rocklanders re-grouped at half time, coming back strong and determined. Gotham Argo appeared uninspired and fatigued, and while struggling to find their shape, UR managed to score 2 goals against them. Argo's boys battled to hold on in the second half while attempting to relax and slow down the pace. Left back Troy Strike and sweeper James Whiteley came off with injuries which added some concern regarding the possibly changing tide but Argo managed to hold them off with tenacity. With 5 minutes left, Whiteley intoned "put me back in Coach!" and returned to the game in Central Midfield and hungry. Dribbling through half-a-dozen opponents, to the echo of manager Dana P. Dimon's outcry "do it Whiteley, do it!", and with no hint of the injury that required he be carried off the field, Whiteley fiercely, and oh-so sexily, nailed in a final goal for Gotham Argo in the 89th minute.

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