Gotham Argo 4 - 4 BW G Cosmos
Bushwick Inlet Soccer field
Time: 2:00pm

----- match report by Matt Borchard

A Tale of Two Halves...

In a game that featured 7 Argos, 5 Silvers, about 10 groins and two flu viruses, Gotham Argo was able to wrestle away a point from BW G Cosmos Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn.

Argo began the game with some new faces on the field, but was able to move the ball effortlessly and it appeared as though it was going to be an easy day. Argo was first on the board thanks to a hard strike and questionable goalkeeping (a theme for most of the day). Mohamed Tabrani collected a centering pass, beat his defender and laced one off the crossbar. On most days this shot collected by the keeper or cleared. However, the soccer god's had smiled upon Mohamed as his shot went down, ricocheting off the goalkeepers shin's and into the back of the net as the Cosmos goalie could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Argo 1-0 Cosmos

The cohesion on offense that the Silvers brought did not translate to the typical back four for Argo, as the Cosmos midfield and forwards seemed to have their way on the first half. A cross turned into a shot via the wind, a through ball that evaded Steve Haswell, Matt Borchard and keeper Isaac Garcia and found a Cosmos boot for a chip and poor marking on a centering pass leading to a one touch shot saw Argo down 3-1 in a span of about 25 minutes. Ending the half with more than a couple of players hobbling off, things seemed hopeless for Argo.

HALF TIME
Cosmos 3 - 1 Argo

The second half began much like the first ended with Cosmos putting in a fourth unanswered goal to put Argo in a three goal hole. However, Argo still had fight left in them and with a good clearance on a Cosmos scoring opportunity one could feel the tide turning.

Momo Diop, collected a pass at mid field and found a streaking Matt Astrella down the right side of the field. With a perfectly weighted pass, Matt A found himself one v one with the Cosmos goalkeeper. Composed and sure of his actions, Matt A was able to skillfully dribble the keeper and slot the ball in the back of the net. The keeper is rumored to be still searching for his jock strap.

Cosmos 4-2 Argo

Amazing what a goal can do. The defense puffed its chest and refused to be beat again. Heroic goalkeeping by Isaac and committed defending by the back four prevented multiple scoring chances from becoming goals. Seemingly infused with energy from this defending, the Argo offense woke up and began to pressure. A cross from center back turned forward, Matt Borchard, found a diving Matt Astrella on the back post, but was just wide. Minutes later a free kick was awarded to Argo just inside the penalty box. A quick discussion between Garrett Hauschild and Matt B seemingly resulted in a third goal; however the referee claimed to see off sides and called the goal back. This only incensed Argo and they continued to push. A few minutes later Matt A put a corner to the back post, finding Matt B's head, only to be denied by a Cosmos hand ball in the box. Garrett stepped up with a half a groin and buried the shot with his left foot.

Cosmos 4-3 Argo

With every minute that passed, Argo seemed to gain more energy and Cosmos lost the skill that had carried them to a 3-1 1st half lead. The Cosmos goalkeeper now completely bewildered, forgot where his penalty box had ended and walked out of it with the ball in hand. Free kick Argo. Garrett once again stepped up and buried a left footer around the wall just off the ground to the back post.

4-4 Tie (momentum clearly with Argo)

Now with blood in the water Argo gave everything they had the final ten minutes. The Cosmos goalkeeper once again offered a gift on a silver platter, as he inexcusably walked out of the box yet again with the ball, amazed at what the outcome would be. Free kick Argo. Garrett again stepped up to put the ball back post, however a slight gust of wind pushed the ball just over the cross bar. A little back and forth found the game to be stretched and with a few chances ending at mid field for Argo, it felt as though Cosmos regained their balance and were determined to score again, however Ryan Gemmell had a different idea, sacrificing his body to prevent a sure fifth Cosmos goal. Minutes later a clearance found Matt B on the left side of the field with one defender to beat. Around the defender he went and with the goalkeeper terribly out of position, Matt B volleyed the ball high over the keeper only to find the outside of the far post for a goal kick. Seconds later the final whistle blew.

Argo 4-4 Cosmos. Final.

Argo battled for 90 minutes never giving up. Pulling a point from the grip of a 4-1 blowout, Argo showed true grit this weekend. Thanks so much to Isaac Garcia, Mohamed Tabrani, Oscar Vazquez, Dan Clemente and Chris Toscano for coming out and helping a depleted Argo side.

Gotham Argo vs. NYPD2

Gotham Argo 1 - 0 NYPD2
Randall's Island field #84
Time: 4:45pm (game didn't kickoff until 5:20pm)

----- match report by Bruno Dupont

• Argo’s Willpower Proves Too Much For Law Enforcers

N-Y-P-D! The police officers’ war cry might have been very intimidating for a lot of people, but for Will Henderson, it served as further motivation ahead of a highly anticipated game. Determination was evident in his signature pre-match grin that could only mean one thing: “Bring it on”.

• Jean-Marie Flies High

Gotham Argo started in its typical 4-4-2 formation, with Tobias upfront alongside Sam. “Slight drizzle, cool weather, perfect for football” said the Dane. “Bloody brilliant” James Coppack the Englishman concurred. “Anyone seen my beanie and my gloves?” was the Senegalese Momo’s take on the situation.

The game got off to a very intense start with the 2 midfields battling fiercely for possession. A little too fiercely for James Whiteley’s hamstring unfortunately: he had to be substituted early in the game, giving Anton his debut. It was a very lively game with chances on either side. NYPD2’s long-range shooters had a go at Jean-Marie, forcing him to a very graceful airborne save that prevented a 30-yard effort from finding the top-right corner.

• Will Takes The Law Into His Own Hands

The game remained pretty scrappy in the first half, with both teams struggling to keep control of the ball on a slippery pitch. A few minutes before half time, Argo won a corner kick: Sam’s cross from the right was headed out of the box by NYPD2, and the ball landed at Will Henderson’s feet. Argo’s stopper controlled the ball and took a right-footed shot from 18 yards. A beautiful curler that brushed past the post to find the back of the net.

“Outstanding” said James Whiteley from the sidelines; “What happened?” said Jean-Marie who wasn’t wearing his glasses. Argo had a few more chances through Sam and Tobias but the score was still 1-0 at halftime.

• Gotham Argo Hold On To Their Lead

The second half was pretty similar to the first one, with a lot of battling in the midfield, but with a much better organized Gotham Argo. Sam and Tobias created a few clear chances, one of which was almost converted into a goal but Tobias’s header found the crossbar. NYPD2 relied mostly on long balls to find their forwards into space. Towards the end of the game, NYPD2’s right winger entered the box and was tackled by Dean who inadvertently handled the ball, which resulted in a penalty kick.

The NYPD2 captain struck it well, towards the bottom-right corner, but Jean-Marie was on fire. The Argo goalkeeper produced another fine save before falling victim to a group hug initiated by his teammates. James Whiteley, watching from the sidelines, was infuriated and used strong language to make sure his teammates remained focused on the game.

Dean had to run briefly to the NYPD2 coach to get un-cuffed (the coach later apologized on behalf of his players, who are trained to react promptly on a crime scene) and the game started again. The final minutes were stressful and involved a lot of defending from the whole team. Kevin had his Miranda rights read to him after a borderline irregular slide-tackle.

A great win for Gotham Argo, still top of the league.
Next game on May 2nd, again at Randall's Island against… NYPD2.

Gotham Argo vs. Barnstonworth Rovers Metro

Gotham Argo 3 - 3 Barnstonworth Rovers Metro
Randall's Island field #74
Time: 4pm

----- match report by Kevin Gordon

The weather was glorious, but the Sunday afternoon match between Barnstonworth Rovers and Gotham Argo was not. Despite the negatives—and there were plenty—Argos managed to keep their heads up and claw their way back from a series of costly defensive errors to salvage a 3-3 draw.

The Argos started poorly and were unable to put a string of passes together for large portions of the first half. Some could say that this was due to rustiness and the four new faces in the squad, but it was probably due as much to complacency as anything—it was as though the team had expected to win simply by showing up. The play was narrow, hurried, and without purpose. The Rovers, though not an especially good footballing side, were determined and worked hard and managed to capitalize on a series of Argo mistakes to go two goals up by half-time.

The first Rovers goal originated with a free kick inside their own half. Kevin, in flinging his head a ball that was beyond him, only managed to paw it out of the air. The referee had no choice but to show the young lad a yellow card, the first of his life. The free kick was lifted into the area, and the Argos failed to clear their lines. In the scramble that followed, one of the Rovers managed to poke the ball into the net.

Kevin will also have to take some of the blame for the second goal. He failed to stay with his man, the tireless Rover’s number 12, and was trying to recover as the player received the ball near the outside of the box. He heeded Elliot, the Argo keeper’s direction to stay on his feet, but still lunged in too quickly, and the Rover’s number 12 easily knocked the ball inside him and put a cross into the six-yard box. Once again the ball bounced around the area, and once again the Argos found themselves picking the ball out of the net. With this rude wake up call, the Argos managed to fashion a few chances before half-time, but never truly threatened to score.

The Argos got together at half-time, and managed to regain their composure, both individually and collectively. While not accomplishing the same level of passing and movement as in the fall season, the Argos started to take control of the game. They managed to find teammates and move the ball upfield, completing more passes in the first ten minutes than they had managed in most of the first period. Within ten minutes the first Argo goal came. Demian received the ball just outside the area and ran at goal. Two Rovers defenders were quickly on him, but he managed to push the ball between them and hit it into the back of the net from around the penalty spot.

The comeback was on, but not before the Argos hit another hitch. The ref raised his arm as if to call offside on the Rovers, but when he failed to blow the whistle, the Argo defense was left confused and scrambling. As a Rover’s striker approached, Elliot came out to clear the ball, but only managed to bash it against the opposition player and deflect it into his own net.

It didn’t take long for the Argos to regain their domination of the game though, and minutes later they had a corner. Sam hit a high ball across the top of the six yard box, and Bruno wisely ignored James Whiteley’s call and headed the ball powerfully past the Rover’s keeper.

The Argos continued pounding on the door, with Whiteley, Kevin, and Sam all going close, but in the end the equalizer came from the penalty spot. Sam hit the ball waist high and to the right, narrowly passing the keeper’s outstretched hands. The goal was like the Argo performance; it wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.

Though there were no more goals, the remaining minutes of the game were not without incident. Whitely, after nicking the ball of a Rover’s midfielder, turned and began to run down field. His trailing arm, though, caught the Rover’s player in the face as he buckled down to chase after Whitely. Though there was no malice in it, the referee felt obligated—probably due to the amount of leg kicking and cries of agony from the Rover’s player—to show Whitely a yellow. Tensions ran high and members of both teams exchanged unpleasant language for a while before the game was finally restarted.

As it turned out, the issue was not fully sorted, as the Rover's left-back, who'd been growing less and less stable as the Argos mounted their comeback, finally snapped and it wasn’t long before he was lunging in recklessly on Argo’s Momo, catching the midfielder well after he’d released the ball, and earning the hotheaded Rover’s player a straight red card. More words were exchanged, some very forcefull, but in the end the game was almost over anyway.

The Argos can take some heart from the fact that they managed to draw against the third ranked team in the Metro 2 division, despite playing well below their best. Still, they will have to improve if they are to remain at the top of the table, because on the evidence of this game, they don’t much deserve the title.

GOALS: Demian, Bruno, Sam

SC Eintracht vs Gotham Argo

SC Eintracht 0 - 2 Gotham Argo
Metropolitan Oval
Time: 11am

----- match report by Kevin Gordon

Gotham Argo continued their winning streak with a 2-0 victory over SC Eintracht , despite having only ten players available, and no keeper. Cold rain began to sprinkle down in the hour before the game, and by kick-off you would be forgiven for thinking that we were in northern England. Though both teams, especially Argo, moaned and groaned before kick-off, once the game started, both teams came out hard.

Argo, fully aware of their one-man disadvantage and lack of a recognized keeper, played it safe for the first part of the game. Cruise, who stepped up for the first shift in goal, was vocal in the back, and kept the defense tight and organized. Although Eintracht had more of the ball in the early stages, Argo harried and hassled their opponents, and Eintracht were rarely able to get a shot off. Even a man down, though, Argo was not afraid to try and hit Eintracht on the break. Demian, playing in a lone striker role, could always be relied on as an outlet. Though double teamed for most of the game, he was still able to hold up the ball long enough for Argo to come forward in numbers.

For much of the first half, Argo had the better of the chances, but Eintracht could have opened the scoring midway through the half. An Argo counter broke down, and suddenly the two center backs found themselves out of position as the Eintracht forward nicked the ball in the center circle. The full backs tried to cover, but could not get there before the Eintracht player tried to hit a placed shot in the lower left corner. Cruise, who’d gone down to his right, still managed to poke the ball away with his toe, and it fizzled out for a corner. But Cruise’s work was not yet finished. The in-swinging corner was goal bound, threatening to sneak into the upper right corner, but Cruise punched the ball to safety. After a little bit of pin-ball inside the box, Argo cleared their lines. As it turned out, they had ridden out the only two clear Eintracht chances.

The goal that opened the scoring seemed to come out of nothing. In the final ten minutes of the half, Argo brought the ball forward down the left. Dominique received the ball outside the box and attempted to drive to goal. Though he beat the first defender, he was crowded out and the ball was poked out from under his feet. However, it fell kindly to Damian. Within seconds, three Eintracht defenders surrounded him and it seemed as though the chance was lost. Twisting and turning, Damian managed to find himself a yard of space, enough to swivel and burry the ball in the lower right hand corner of the Eintracht goal past a diving keeper.

Argo were content to sit back and keep their lead for the few remaining minutes of the half, and were able to go into half time with a 1-0 lead. Experienced midfielder James Whiteley gave a rousing half-time team talk and the Argos returned to the pitch and Eric took over from Cruise in goal.

The majority of the second half was all Argo. Eintracht, frustrated at going a goal down against ten men, could not find a way to get past the hard working Argo side, and they were never able to worry Eric’s goal. On one occasion, Eric did have to be alert, as a miscommunication almost allowed an Eintracht player through on goal, but Eric smothered the ball just in time. Much of the game was played in the middle third as neither side was able to dominate possession.

Midway through the half, Kevin Gordon received the ball on the left flank, just inside the Eintracht half. The Eintracht defenders, knowing Gordon’s tendency to try and cut in from the left, tried to force him down the touchline, which proved their undoing. With a quick burst of pace, he was away down sideline, and the covering midfielder was unable to get there in time as Kevin drove into the box. He considered the shot, but the Eintracht sweeper was quickly closing down his angles, so he opted to flick the ball to Demian, who’d made the run towards the top of the box. As usual, three defenders converged on him, but he managed to wriggle away from them. Unable to cope with Damian’s skill, one of the defenders brought him down clumsily. A penalty was awarded and the defender received a red card for his troubles. Damian unselfishly gave the spot kick to Cruise, who beat the keeper to double the Argo lead.

For a few minutes, both sides played with ten men, but it didn’t last long. Damian was involved in a bit of shoving inside the Eintracht box in the eighty-second minute. Both players received a yellow, and for Damian, who’d already been booked for dissent, it was a red. He’d played his part, though, and though Argo was pinned into their half and had to ride out a late flurry of Eintracht corners, they were good for their lead and for their shutout.

Though they lost the top spot in the Metro 2 division to Homenetmen NY (on goal difference), this quality team performance by Argo has solidified their position as favorites for the title come June—Argo has played two games fewer then Homenetmen and already beaten them twice.

SC Eintracht 0-Gotham Argo 2 (Tkach, Cruise [pen])

Man of the Match; shared by Cruise and Eric, for stepping up and playing in goal.

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NYC Sirens vs. Central Park Rangers RED

NYC Sirens (forfeit)
STATE CUP * Round 1
East River Park * East 6th street field
Time: 9:00am

----- match report by Vickie Gibbs

Sunday morning ... 7:30am ... I wake up and look outside ... It's still raining ... And it looks cold ... I hit snooze ... 10 mins later the alarm goes off again ... I think about playing soccer in the wet rain, which can be fun -- but it's rather cold ... I realize that probably isn't my first choice of things to do this morning ... But I remember that Dana said we only had 11 girls today, so I know I can't let my teammates down ... I get up, and start the layering process to prep for the cold ... By the time I leave the apartment, I feel like the kid from A Christmas Story ....

Instead of walking from the subway to the field, I take a cab ... 2 benefits: it's dry in the cab and I'm running late, so it's the only way I'll be on time :) ... I arrive at the field and there's a men's game going on ... I look around and see the men's subs hanging outside the locker room ... I don't think they spoke any English, but as I was looking for my teammates, or any other women players, one of the guys nicely catches my eye and motions for me to go inside ... The door opens and I hear a bunch of girls -- yay, I found everyone! The struggle to get out of bed and make it to the field on time is not all for naught!

I go into the locker room to find a full team for the opposing team ... At the other end of the locker room I see 4 others from our team, Emily, Christine, Kate, and of course our fearless leader Dana ... The time is 8:50am ... The ref comes in and tells us he'll give us 20 mins for the rest of our team to arrive ... A few mins later Kerry arrives -- she wasn't even supposed to play but her other game was cancelled so she came to help ... So now we have 6 ... Mary is on her way, but has a long trip ... She would make 7 ... But 7 vs 11 against an A division team -- not really worthwhile ... We wait until 9:30 ... The ref comes in and we are forced to forfeit ... Dana is quite upset, the rest of us are disappointed ... Where are out teammates??

Instead of scrimmaging, we all decide that good drink and warm food sounds like a pretty good option :) ... Unfortunately in NYC, the city doesn't expect folks to be up before 11am on a Sunday, so the first 2 places we try are closed ... But we finally end up at Grape and Grain ... Dana looks expectantly in the window and motions the guy over to ask when they open ... He asks how many we have as he looks at us in the cold rain ... Dana tells him 5, and he says he'll set up a table for us and let us in early :) ... The Lychee Bellinis, warm food, and good conversation made for an excellent, yet unexpected morning ... One topic of conversation -- what happened to the rest of our team!

------Vickie Gibbs

________________________________________________________________

In attendance: Vickie, Emily, Christine, Kate, Dana P, Kerry

On her way: Mary

No Shows and Last Minute Bail Outs: Amanda, Gracie, Katie, Stephanie, Katelyn

Astoria Gaels vs. Gotham Argo

Astoria Gaels 2 - 2 Gotham Argo
Randall's Island field #74
Time: 10am (game didn't kickoff until 10:37am)

----- match report by Troy Strike

The game kicked off even before the whistle blew, the referee showed a red card for one of the Astoria Gaels for allegedly pulling his pants down and ‘mooning’ the ref. "Believe it or not" was the theme of the game as throughout the match there were very strange & bizarre decisions which left both teams completely baffled? Unfortunately, the pre-game ‘clap up’ as they do in Gridiron (American Football) didn’t help as it wasn’t one of Argo’s best games. However, to everyone’s credit we all battled hard to earn a 2-2 draw coming back from 2-0 down in the first half.

Kevin Gordon scored first to start the mighty comeback in the 2nd half! About 15 mins later, the referee pointed for a free-kick in favor of Astoria Gaels but then he pointed the other way in our favor leaving the opposition flat footed and off guard. Jeremy Newton got the ball and was like a thief in the night, pinching the 2nd goal. 2-2 is where it ended unfortunately as we had shots after shots but the ball just wouldn’t go in (I don’t think we could of even scored in a brothel – so to speak) Their goalkeeper was an outfield player who got injured and was limping around the goal like and they had a man down towards the end so frustrating we didn’t win but we showed alot of ticker to come back and draw.

The End.

Ps – We had Jim Beck play for us from Gotham Silver, he had a great game and was putting in some big tackles until he got ‘kicked in the nut’ (his words, not mine) and proceeded to become the Incredible Hulk! He was the typical Bruce Banner type, mild mannered and polite but once agitated he turned green and became super human so beware those who come across his rage! Long live the raaaaaaaaaagggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

NYC Sirens vs. Rovers II

NYC Sirens 0 - 3 Barnstonworth Rovers II
Pier 40 Courtyard East
Time: 9pm

----- match report by Amelia Manderscheid

The Sirens matched up against the Barnstorm Rovers in team described "perfect soccer weather" on Sunday May 17th at 9:00 p.m. The Sirens unfortunately were down one player for the duration of the game, but evenly matched the Rovers even so. The Rovers got their first shot of the game in early, and the match play was competitive for the duration of the half as the Sirens worked to get one back. Unfortunately, the Rovers found the back of the net in the second half and were able to score 2 more goals. Although the Rovers won 3-0, the Sirens wondered what the result could have been if they had had a full squad for the game.

Barnstonworth Rovers vs. Gotham Argo

s u n d a y * m a y . 1 7 * 2 0 0 9

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Barnstonworth Rovers 2 - 1 Gotham Argo
Randall's Island field #75
time: 3:45pm

----- match report by Gaspar Epstein

On a chilly Sunday afternoon, a mixed squad comprised of both Gotham Argo players and their Argo Silver kin came out to Ward’s Island to take on a tough Barnstonworth Rovers team. The Argonauts had their work cut out for them from the get-go due to a lack of subs.

The Rovers took charge of the game early by surprising the Argonauts with a fairly well-organized attack. This being said, Argo’s backline of Pete Hahn (left back), James Whiteley (sweeper), Luciano Belizan (stopper), and Jon Furie (right back) stood their ground and turned away each Rover attack.

Argo’s midfielders (Tim Olson, Momo Diop, Jim Beck, and Kevin Gordon) took a few minutes to get their rhythm going as they had to focus primarily on their defensive duties throughout the first 10 minutes of the game. Nevertheless, they soon got some nice passes off to one another and managed to feed strikers Jeremy “Schroeder” Newton and Gaspar Epstein on several occasions. Despite the fact that the Rovers controlled the ball throughout the majority of the first half, none of their shots were able to get past Argo’s monster keeper, Elliot Gilmore.

First blood would be drawn by the Argonauts when Kevin carried the ball down the right flank and threaded a beautiful cross right inside the 18 to Jim, who slotted the ball into the lower left corner of the net. Times were good as the Argonauts closed out the half with a surprising 1-0 lead.

That lead, however, was to evaporate within the first 10 minutes of the second half when the Rovers scored on what was a chaotic scene in the box, which was created shortly after a free kick outside of the box.

Later in the half, Elliot made an absolutely breath-taking, diving save up into the upper right corner of the net to keep the score even. Unfortunately, the Rovers were able to take advantage of a tiring Argo squad and continued to their attack. Their persistence was rewarded when they netted a second goal roughly half way through the second half.

The Argonauts, however, were not to be denied so easily. In the remaining minutes of the game, James was sent up to strike alongside Jeremy. This dangerous tandem created several scoring chances and induced many corner kicks that helped give the Argonauts a fighting chance. Right towards the end of the game, James let off a blistering shot, which the Rover’s goalie somehow managed to block. Alas, the game ended in a 2-1 defeat, but the Argonauts came off the field with their head’s held high!

Gotham Argo vs. SC Eintracht

Gotham Argo 4 - 2 SC Eintracht
Location: Pier 40
Time: 9pm

----- match report by Uri Itkin

THE SWEET SONG OF VICTORY

A day after the sixty-fourth anniversary of the end of the second World War, the Gotham fans gathered together on a beautiful New York evening to watch their beloved Argonauts take on the feared and uber German SC Eintracht. Drawing its origins from the Bundesrepublic, the Queens-based Eintracht brings machine-like precision and horde-like aggression. It was going to be a vicious match-up, and the Argonauts knew they would have their hands full, trying to reign in the aptly nicknamed Mercedes-Benz of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. As the night unfolded, the Gotham fans got exactly what they desired - a battle of grit and gristle, an instant classic.

The Argonauts arrived early, and their focus immediately permeated the locker room like the heavy smell of Bengay. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the players got down to business. They warmed up and went over the last minute strategery briefings from their esteemed manager, Dana P. Dimon. Soon after the formalities were over, the starting line-up was given and the teams took the field. The Argonauts fielded an experienced squad with Schroeder in goal, Troy Strike and Jon Furie on the outside, Wonder Will Henderson as stopper and James the Samurai anchoring the defense, Uri the Dart and Ryan the Riot on the midfield flanks, Momo and Gaspar strafing the middle, and Rocket Sam and Bruno the Beast gunning for goal.

The opening minutes saw the teams test each other out, like a pair of experienced boxers in the first round of a prize bout. The Argonauts looked sharp and their confidence grew with every minute. The team's hard work paid off as Troy found the back of the net when he collected a loose ball at the top of the box and one timed a well-directed volley into the upper right corner. The Argonauts were up a goal and did not look back for the rest of the half - the team continued its onslaught of the struggling Queens side and the game looked to be all but over.

The second half saw a revitalized Eintracht squad, however. The Trachteans, having learned from their mistakes of the first half, were determined to give the Argonauts a good fight. Their aggressiveness, though, almost cost them a goal as an over-zealous defender forgot he was playing soccer and not his native game of handball, and handled the ball inside the box. The ref whistled for a penalty, and Rocket Sam arrived at the penalty spot accompanied by a panoply of vile curses emanating from the Eintracht goal line, like the fountains of the Bellagio. But the celebration was not to be, as Sam's shot bounced off the right post and was cleared away by the dutiful Trachtean defense. The game took a turn for the worse, as the typically tepid-tempered Troy, flashed back to his beloved judo days, and performed a textbook takedown of a Trachtean forward inside the box. The penalty shot went left, Schroeder dove right, and the game was tied.

Yet the fun was just beginning. The Argonauts caught on to the vaunted German long ball kickaroo, and were quickly back in control of the action. Having worked the ball down the sideline, Troy was once again involved in the play, this time as a victim of a nasty Trachtean ankle hack. After Uri curled a wicked free kick across the face of the goal, Kevin missed a flying bicycle volley sending the ball across the box and ensuing confusion inside the 18 yard line. In for the injured French Beast, Risque Ricardo showed off his nose for the goal by splitting the Queens D, like a knife through a warm butter, and nailing the ball into the lower right corner of the goal. The Eintracht goalie went on yet another expletive-filled tirade and the Argonauts were up again. The advantage did not last long as the Queens side soon managed to break away from the speedy Gotham defenders and put another ball past the diving Schroeder.

A serene calm took over the Gotham side. The Argonauts were at a crossroads: they could either fold and take the tie, and quite possibly a loss seeing that Eintracht had found its second wind, or they could gather what energy they had left and rip the victory out of fate's white-knuckle-tight grip. To the fans' sonorous elation, the team chose the second, more honorable path. The Samurai, having just returned from training his young apprentice, Christiano Ronaldo, sparked the victory run with a gravity defying superblast from inside his own half, sending the ball at incredible pace, through the diving Queens goalkeeper's hands and just under the crossbar, into the back of the unguarded net. The proverbial gauntlet had been flung across Eintracht's battered face, but the Queens side failed to answer the challenge.

As the game wound down, Eintracht continued its futile attempts at the Gotham goal, as Schroeder buoyed the defense and together they formed an impermeable wall around the Argo net. The Argonauts sealed their fate as the Dart intercepted an errand pass and delivered the ball to Rocket Sam, who blew past a defender and buried a shot, past the diving pottymouth Eintracht goalkeeper, into the lower right corner of the goal. The game was over and the Argonauts celebrated their third consecutive win of the season. The tired warriors victoriously returned to their side amid the thunderous applause of the stadium. How sweet it is, oh victory song.

game roster for gotham argo 5.10.2009:
GOAL * Jeremy "Schroeder" Newton
DEFENSE * Troy Strike, Jon "the fury" Furie, "Wonder" Will Henderson,
.............James "the samurai" Whiteley, James Coppack
MIDFIELD * Uri "the dart" Itkin, Ryan "the riot" Gemmell, Mouhamadou "Momo" Diop,
.............Gaspar Epstein, Kevin Gordon
STRIKERS * Sammy "Rocket Sam" Sneed, Bruno "the beast" Dupont,
............."Risque" Ricardo Cuesta

GOALS: Troy Strike (15th minute), Ricardo Cuesta (68th minute), James Whiteley (76th minute), Sammy Sneed (88th minute)

Tesoro FC vs. Argo Silver

S U N D A Y * M A Y 1 0 * 2 0 0 9

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Tesoro 2 - 0 Argo Silver
Randall's Island field #74
Time: 10am

----- match report by Daniel Clemente

It was a sunny, very windy morning at Randall's Island field number 74.

Argo Silver was playing as the away team against the Tesoro FC.

The starting team was,
***********************************[Elliot Gilmore]***********************************
****************Peter Hahn * Rob Tsai * Jim Beck * Tim Olson****************
**Victor Alamo-Bethencourt * Ian Palmer * Daniel Clemente * Carlos Wesley**
******************Simon Wheeldon * "Brooklyn" Rob McCarthy******************
Bench : Ryan Kampe and Luciano Belizan

The game started with no clear dominant team we both were not playing in the middle to much, it was more of a defense to forward football, Simon was managing to bring down most of the balls cleared by Elliot but our second pass was not the best. Then Argo had a very clear chance that Rob could not materialize on a break away, Simon made him a pass to the open field and Rob could not curve the ball enough to the goal when the goalie was all ready beaten, bad luck.Tesoro did manage to take a little more control of the ball toward the end of the first half, but they did not have any clear chances, there forwards could not manage to pass the Argo's very fast defense and the fast Elliot that came out of the penalty area twice to end there threats. That's how the First half ended.The second half started with Tesoro controlling more of the ball with 2 counter attacks that were saved one by Jim and the second one by Elliot on a cross from the right side that there forward could not finish.On the 10th minute Argo had the chance to go ahead on the score on a ball headed down by Simon inside the area and Ryan could not manage to put it in ( I do think it was offside).

Then on the 15th minute Tesoro managed to beat Elliot on a corner kick well place in the middle of the penalty area in which one of there tall players got a very good header that went in between Elliot and Peter that was marking the post, bad luck. After that goal Argo tried to make a few counter attacks on there goal and we did manage to put a scare on Tesoro specially on a run made by Victor that crossed the small goal area and neither Ryan or Carlos could reach it to push it in.

On the 41 minute Tesoro had a hand throw in next to the goal post that one of their players manage to put it on the small area and again helped by their height one of Tesoro's players managed to put it in with another header. And then the referee on the 44th minute of the game called it finish, and did not let Argo score the 2 goals that we needed to tie.

Players of the game.
Very good: Jim
Good: Luciano on defense.
the rest, we tried

By the way I think we should win by forfeit because every time I came next to where their bench players were I could smell Lot's of doping substances that are still not legal in the USA.

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.

Fuel FC vs. NYC Sirens

---

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2009
Fuel FC 3 - 1 NYC Sirens
3pm East River Park * E. 6th street

------ Match Report by Andi Hargrave

Bedecked in the latest Personal Portable Sauna^TM from Japan, GK Andi Hargrave expected a busy day with only nine Sirens available to face a fully staffed Fuel FC. The sun was sweltering, although there was a slight breeze off the river. A long ball up the middle sprung a breakaway goal for Fuel shortly after the opening whistle. But in no time, the scoreline was level again as Leslie Jucovics sent a long, high ball towards the Fuel goal. The bounce was misjudged by the ‘keeper and the scrambling Fuel defenders were unable to keep the ball out of the net. It was a great bit of luck for the violet shirts that seemed to take the wind out of their opponent for the remainder of the first half. The short-sided Sirens caught another break when both game balls were cleared over the riverside construction fence, resulting in a several minute breather while they were retrieved. Both teams had several opportunities each from corner kicks, but no scoring came of it, and the teams went into halftime tied 1-1.

The Sirens arrived on the sidelines red-faced but confident in their first half play. After a drawn out break, the teams re-took the field and Fuel resumed their long-ball assault. Before long, Fuel came up with another breakaway goal. A two-on-one resulted in yet another. But the chances for Fuel dried up after that. With only nine players, the Sirens were able to dominate in possession and scoring chances for the remainder of the game, but sadly, no more goals would come. Even the sending off of a foul-mouthed Fuel forward proved to be too little, too late.

Final score: Sirens 1 Fuel 3.

BW Gottschee vs. Argo Silver

---

SUNDAY APRIL 26th, 2009
BW Gottschee 3 - 1 Argo Silver
9am Queens Children's Hospital
weather: hot
field conditions: deplorable

------ match report by Tim Olson

We were outclassed all over the pitch as our opponents pressed hard and won nearly all the 50/50 balls. They showed control and teamwork as they worked the ball through midfield while we were unable to maintain possession. All three of their goals came from central through balls where the defense was overwhelmed by unmarked runs. Keeper, Elliot Gilmore, injured, came out to sweep up at least another two breakaways and the score should have been worse. For our part, Simon Wheeldon had a long range blast careen off the crossbar, but other than that, we had almost no shots on goal. Terry Harcott got his body in front of a straight freekick to direct the ball into the net for a consolation goal.

Gotham Argo vs. NY's Finest

Gotham Argo 5 - 0 NY's Finest
9pm PIER 40 Courtyard East

------- match report by Jeremy Newton

On Sunday, Gotham Argo secured a long overdue victory against New York's Finest (who were 2 for 2 this season). Through superior ball control, speed, grit and determination, the goals came fast and furious for Argo in the first 30 minutes of the match. Sam Sneed started off the scoring smorgasbord with a beautiful shot from just inside the 18 into the far upper right corner. A couple minutes later, Uri Itkin, never one to be out of the action for long, collected a ball their goalkeeper had punched (more realistically swatted away) at the corner of the box, and with an outside of the foot half-volley, sent the ball in a gentle arc over the defender's heads, with just enough left to right side spin to nestle the ball safely in the side netting. Ten minutes later, Argo was again on the counter attack, and Troy Strike sends a long ball to the top of the box, where Jeremy Newton collects the ball, touches it past his defender and the sweeper, and coolly slots the ball into the far post. Another 10 minutes later, Gotham Argo again mustered up a scoring attack, this time with some nice short passing up the middle and right sides of the field between Momo Diop, Sam Ray, and Uri Itkin. Working the ball all the way up to the Finest's 18, Sam Ray makes a pass to Sammy Sneed, who pirouettes around his defender and sends a vicious strike just past the keeper's outstretched hands for the fourth goal of the match.

Having achieved a 4 goal lead, the rest of the game was less than dominating for Argo, though its opponents still only came up with a handful of goal scoring opportunities, which were capably handled by our guest goalkeeper for the night, Argo Silver's, Elliot Gilmore. Although Argo was no longer controlling and moving the ball as they did in the first half, they still managed to sneak in one more goal when Sam Sneed used his superior speed to beat his defender and dribble into the box for a nice little 3 on 3. Slotting the ball back to Kevin Gordon in the middle of the pitch drew two defenders, including the one marking Jeremy on the far post. In a gesture of generosity, Kevin eschewed taking the shot himself, and passed it to the far post where Jeremy easily finished to make the game 5-0.

Skulls vs. NYC Sirens

---

SUNDAY * APRIL 19 , 2009
1:30pm New Utrecht
---------- report by NYC Sirens fan Vova Tabereaux

With several players out of town, numerous injuries and illnesses, NYC Sirens were left with only 6 players available. A requisite 7 for an official match forced NYC Sirens to forfeit to the Skulls who chose to win by forfeit rather than face the Sirens later in a rescheduled match.

Gotham Argo vs. VV Niuew Amsterdam

Gotham Argo 1 - 2 VV Niuew Amsterdam
9pm PIER 40 Courtyard East

------ match report by James Whiteley

The dark night .....but a brighter dawn ahead!

A beautiful spring day in Manhattan led to a perfect evening for soccer on Pier 40’s turf pitch as Gotham Argo gave VV Niuew Amsterdam (NA), the league leaders, a mighty scare but ultimately ended up losing when they should have got something from this game....aka Aston Villa and Fulham in the EPL against loftier placed opponents.

The pre-match talk from the Gaffer (Dana P. Dimon) was all about competing for every ball and ensuring we started early as our opponents we also come out of the blocks firing. Argo did not disappoint! Our opponents looked shocked as Argo attacked well down both flanks, assisted by Sam Ray and Momo Diop dominating the centre of midfield. Argo had the ball in the net as early as the fifth minute only for the referee to rule it out as the decision had been to award an indirect free kick ....the Argo bench looked perplexed (or was it wind?!?!) Still the Gotham boys poured forward and their endeavours were eventually rewarded when a quick free kick resulted in RICARDO Cuesta scoring after some good work by GASPER Epstein who provided the killer pass.

After the goal Argo sat back allowing NA to gain a foothold in the game. NA started to up the tempo as you would expect from a team top of the league, they also upped the aggression levels yet the Gotham defence stood firm ably assisted by two spectacular saves from Mr Reliable, Jeremy Newton.

Half Time – Gotham Argo 1v0 VV Niuew Amsterdam

The half time talk centred around holding the ball, slowing down the play a little as the pace was far to frenetic and could not be maintained ....these turned out to be prophetic words!

Unlike the first half Argo started slowly, giving the ball away cheaply in key areas resulting in NA getting a string of corner kicks and throw ins - which felt like corners - (was that Stoke City’s finest Rory Delap launching those missiles?!?) and it was from one of these throws that Argo finally conceded after a brave header from the NA centre forward. Ryan Gemmell was injured trying to defend the throw which resulted in the defence being jigged around again which didn’t help but by this stage NA were rampant and the Argo legs were heavy. The second goal came from a long ball over the top which caught the defence napping, Jeremy made a brave save at the attackers feet only for the ball to break to a NA player who made no mistake with an unguarded goal in front of him. It shows how much NA wanted to win this game and how much of a scare the Argo boys had given them by the way they celebrated the goal with their large vocal support ...you would have thought they just won the world cup!

Argo tried in vain to claw their way back into the game. Sammy Sneed had a spectacular overhead kick well saved but alas it was not to be and NA were grateful when the final whistle was blown. Final Score – Gotham Argo 1v2 VV Niuew Amsterdam. Argo really gave everything in this game and, having played so well for a large part of the game, can feel aggrieved losing. But this is soccer ...we will play worse this season and win! Argo can take many positives forward to the next game after the Easter break ...please dont eat too many eggs lads!!

Smokin’ Aces vs. NYC Sirens

---

SUNDAY APRIL 5th, 2009
Smokin’ Aces 0 - 0 NYC Sirens
5pm * Red Hook Park # 3

------- reported by Marina Bontkowski

It was the perfect Sunday afternoon for a soccer game. The Sirens met the Smokin’ Aces at the half-field benches next to a perfectly flat turf field in Brooklyn expecting a tough match up. They soon learned, however, that the play was quite even. Although off to a messy start in the first fifteen minutes of the game, the Sirens cleaned up their spacing and figured out their marks to defend the Smokin’ Aces who mostly sent long balls to their forwards. There were two instances where the Sirens thought they were going to get caught in the back short-handed, but Andi was able to make a couple amazing saves.

The second half the Sirens really stepped up to their playing potential and dominated a good portion at the end of the half in the Aces’ 18. In fact, Jordyn launched a rocket shot that would have made it in had Mary not taken it in the stomach and gotten the wind knocked out of her. The Sirens certainly frustrated the Aces who came to the field assuming they had this one in the bag. With four subs on the side, the Aces were rotating into the game frequently and keeping their players well-rested. Little did they know that this worked to the Sirens’ advantage, who had no subs, because the Aces were too busy figuring out places to get their heads into the game.

The Sirens once again proved that they can play calm, clean soccer opposed to lots of ping-pong by the opponent. While several girls left feeling we should have won the game because we dominated so much, there were many events to be proud of besides some super star shots. Also stepping up to the plate this week was Kate, who showed her fierce skills on the outside right.

Argo Silver vs. Westchester FC

---

SUNDAY APRIL 5th, 2009
Argo Silver 3 – Westchester FC 2
7am * Randall's Island #72

----------- match report by Terry Harcott

The biggest shock of the day has to be that for a 7am yes 7am! All of Argo Silvers players were on time and ready to play at this unnatural hour. Who over thought that Randall Island was even open at that time?

(dana p. dimon adds: all on time? not really. Simon, Michael, Zen Rob and Elliot were 'on time' - the rest arrived in time for 'kickoff')

The first half was pretty uneventful apart from a "missed" handball that led to Westchester leading going in at half time with a one nil lead.

The second half was much better and more eventful probably down to the shock of playing so early disappearing from our players. It wasn't long before Argo equalized with a fantastic long range shot by Simon. There was a number of complaints from Westchester who claimed the ball never crossed the line although it was quite clearly a good foot over the line.

The goal revitalized Argo and after a couple of good changes Michael popped up in the area to put Argo two – one ahead. At this point it looked like Argo would hold out however following a goal mouth scramble from a corner Westchester made equailised.

After that both sides pushed for a winner and late on a through ball led to Michael rounding the goal keeper and scoring the winner.

Argo held on for the last few minutes and although not our best performance of the season gained another three points.

NYC Sirens vs. Astoria Dragonflies

NYC Sirens 4 - 0 Astoria Dragonflies
PIER 40 Courtyard East 9pm

------- report by Leslie Jucovics

When the Sirens came to play the Astoria Dragonflies on Sunday night, the air was electric - not only with everyone’s competitive spirit and drive to win, but with lightning. So as we waited to hear whether or not the game would be played, the anticipation built up. And lucky for us, the game was on.

From the start, the Sirens were dominant. The defensive team of Leslie, Nikki, Christine and Gracie contained the few breaks Astoria found, and continually put the ball back into the offensive mix, providing goal keeper, Andi, with a relatively uneventful game. Jordyn and Jessica controlled the mid field, and with about 20 minutes remaining in the first half, Jordyn had an open look at the goal and sent one flying past the keeper to start the Siren’s scoring. With the center of the field in control, Marina and Jenn controlled the outside, getting great opportunities to move the ball up the outside, and before the end of the first half, Marina had her first goal of the season as well. (Good move Elliot getting her out of the sweeper position).

Coming out of halftime, the Sirens were ready to up the score, and the forward line of Dana and Emily were going to be stars of the show. With Elliot’s halftime coaching revving us up and Jeremy’s cheering, we came out playing hard.

About 20 minutes in, (Coach Elliot adds: With some clever footwork out wide, Jen passed the ball back to either Christine or Leslie who sent it in to the penalty box from out wide. A flick on from Jordyn landed then at Dana's feet in the left corner of the box. Angling her right foot she sent the ball high into the air and goal bound.....GOAL!!! she actually lobbed the goalkeeper from 8 yards out, even though the keeper was on the line. Unbelievable.)

back to Leslie: And the Sirens weren’t done yet. The backfield started pushing through and making offensive runs and Astoria was under pressure. To finish off the scoring later in the second half, Dana sent a perfect pass to Emily, whose shot went right past the keeper to make the score 4-0. When the final whistle blew, the Sirens had continued their undefeated streak and were ready for the next team. Bring ‘em on.

Barnstnwrth Rovers Old Boys vs. Argo Silver

---

Sunday March 29, 2009
Barnstonworth Rovers Old Boys 1 - 1 Argo Silver
2pm Randall's Island #75

--------- report by Rob Tsai

Argo Silver and Barnstonworth Rovers played to a 1-1 draw at Randall's Island #75 on March 29. Rovers struck first, midway through the first half, on a ball served over the top, and a missed clearance by defender Rob Tsai, allowing their striker to slip the ball past our keeper.
Silvers evened the score, as the Silvers' striker Michael won a loose ball in the box and beat the keeper on a stike to the left post.

A few good scoring opportunities were almost converted on both sides. Michael made a good cross to Terry's header in the 2nd half that barely skipped over the goal post.
Rovers had a breakaway with two attackers in a very dangerous position isolated against Silvers' lone sweeper Jim Beck, who made a spectacular tackle to clear the danger.

Caps go to the Silvers squad (13) - Dan C, Brooklyn Rob, Simon, Ian, Marcello, Ryan, Michael, Terry, Elliot, Rob T, Jim, Victor, Carlos.

Well played, except for my mistake. Sorry, mates.

ARGO SILVER vs PELE

ICHAN STADIUM
Argo Silver 3 - 0 Pele
reported by Carlos Wesley

What a victory! What a relief! Ding Dong the wicked ICAHN Stadium curse is dead!

Upon entering the field and seeing the formidable opponent across from us, one of the last things many of us would have imagined was ablow-out victory in our favor. A full squad of Ronaldinos displaying their masterful juggling while decked out in their matching (yes,matching) Brazilian uniforms, the "Pele" team from Astoria also must have felt pretty confident looking over at our short-handed squad as well. Fortunately, our final teammates arrived at the last minute. Then, in the first "turning point" of the game, our team unanimously voted to go with a novel 3-5-1 attack to strengthen our midfield. From then on, there was no turning back.

With Elliot serving as a brick wall in goal and the combination of Rob, Jim, Joe, and Pete stifling every run the Pele's made, our defense proved as solid as ever. Meanwhile, our center mid trio of Yoshi, Drew, and Victor locked down the center of the field as we controlled the ball as well as the entire first half. Although it remained scoreless, we all knew that this game was ours to lose.

The 2nd half proved to be Argo Silver's break-out party. Rob T made the first critical assist to a breaking " Brooklyn " Rob who (despite being shoved from the back) maintained his balance to slice a beauty into the upper right corner of the net. Soon after, Victor's throw was flicked on by Thierry to find Carlos streaking down the leftsideline. His shot caught the fingertips of the leaping goalie before finding the back of the net. The icing on the cake came when Rob T used his ESP to find a wide-open (and not even offside!) Thierry who gathered the ball and (just as the French have done to the Brazilians for the past 2 world cups) out played their keeper by stepping to the left and cracking the final goal.

What a feel-good victory - our first at ICAHN Stadium. Perhaps this one will prove to be the turning point in our season. Perhaps it was all just a dream. If the latter, please don't pinch us quite yet.

NYC Sirens vs. Scala

PIER 40 Courtyard West
-- report by Elliot Gilmore

Leaving your warm accommodation and turning up for a game on the coldest night of the year so far is one thing, staying to play with just 10 players against a full team with 3 substitutes is another. This is what 10 of the NYC Sirens did on Sunday. For various reasons, the Sirens were a depleted squad for this match against a tough opposition, but were certainly in good spirits when I turned up....late and in winter clothes from head to toe.

I announced the line-up and gave some kind of team talk, which centered around enjoying the game and basically staying warm. Then it was time to kick off.

From the start we matched the opposition stride for stride and were first to the tackles. If anything, we looked like the stronger team and the one that had 11 players. Within minutes of the start it was clear that Scala were a quick team playing through the middle and very narrow. With Michelle and Erika in the middle, the Sirens soon put a stop to that game plan. Erika was solid in the tackle and skillful with her passing, allowing Rachel and Emily to run at the sluggish defense they were up against. Anything Erika may have missed, Michelle tidied up neatly and at times leaving a calling card on her opponent for not giving the Sirens enough respect! Dana led the line on her own and must have run, along with the other team players about 7 miles. It would be harder for Dana, not because of fitness, but because she was wearing a "Skort" and fishnets under her tangerine footy socks.....This look was to be an advantage later! At the back from the start, Marina, Michelle, Nikki and Liz all looked comfortable despite the conditions and Andi in goal looked at ease with shots from outside the box.

As time went on, the Sirens began to tire a little and this was clear when the deadlock was broken on 30 minutes. A ball over the top was too much to handle and the pace of the Scala striker created a goal out of nothing. A good finish but not really a fair showing of the first third of the game. Shortly after, Nikki, playing great at the back put a stop to another attack, but in doing so, injured herself in a hard tackle and had to come off. Sirens were down to 9 players now and looking a little lost in the cold. They needed a lift. Looking at me on the bench was not it, but next to me, was Gracie, watching her team, unable to play because of a broken toe. If they had looked over, they would have seen her start kitting up and getting ready to go on! My thoughts and comments about her injury fell on deaf ears, she was going to play and assist her team mates. If i had had some "Rocky" music, i would have played it!!!

Back to 10 players, the Sirens got back into the game, thundering tackles went in along with some great footwork and runs from the before mentioned Emily and Rachel. Half time could not come soon enough for the opposition now! Luckily for them it did.

During the break, the Sirens were chatting that they actually were playing great and could go on and win this. Hands in and to a cheer of "Brrrrr Sirens" they went back to the field.

A few attacks by the opposition led to some smart saves by Andi and some great defending by M & M...Mary and Marina. Erika and Michelle continued to be strong and dominate the midfield. With the two outside backs pushing on, the opposition were unable to keep up. Liz and Mary made some great runs and crosses for the forwards. Eventually, a corner was given to the Sirens. Liz stepped up to take it and sent the ball to the penalty spot, where it was met by a tremendous header from Rachael. GOAL!!! 1-1 was the score. The game, with 20 mins left became very stretched. The opposition decided to send high crosses into the box and hope to snag a lucky goal. This they got, when a cross shot looped over Andi and into the net. 2-1 down with 15 minutes left.

With hard tackles still flying in from both sides now, it was a chance to gain the upper hand. They were giving free kicks away and Liz, Mary and Gracie were quite happy to cross them into a crowded area and hope that Dana could capitalize on a mistake by the defense. well, right on that, a long ball into the penalty area proved too much for their defense and skort and all, Dana poked the equalizing goal home. GOAL ! 2-2 now. Must have been the outfit putting the defense off, they just froze like statues unable to clear!

The last 10 minutes seemed to be all Sirens attacks, yet from the players on the pitch it must have felt the opposite. They were out on their feet having given it their all. A few more runs and a few more tackles were made, but Michelle and Mary were feeling the pain now from earlier tackles made and fouls made on them. Erika was tiring as was Gracie in the middle. A hopeful ball to halfway set up the goal of the game. Some swift passing and skillful running created a chance for Dana and she did not disappoint, slotting under the oncoming goalie. GOAL !! 3-2 Sirens. 4 minutes to go, 4 minutes to take a huge victory home and send an embarrassed opposition packing. With panic in their play now, the opposition tried to break down Liz and Marina at the back, but to no avail. They were not going to get through again.

The final whistle went and a jubilant Sirens team strutted off the field, leaving behind an opposition in total disbelief. A well earned win for the Sirens, who clearly had more fight than the other team despite being up against it from the off!

Off for a hot chocolate and a warm shower for this PROUD coach!

Shamrocks FC vs Argo Silver

THIERRY Debaille:
No comments… I am too irritated right now to discuss our loss.

DANIEL Dorenbush:
Our primary objective is to enjoy ourselves. In this regard, I think we were victorious.

As for why we lost (in terms of the score)…..we lost because we have not sacrificed and invested enough of ourselves to make winning a necessity. As much as we give it the “old college try” on the field, winning has been/will be casual and happenstance. We need to recognize this or decide to change our objective. (I am not necessarily advocating that we change anything – just stating my observation)

Sorry to be so blunt.

PETE Hahn:
shamrocks goal 1 - fluke goal, went directly in from a corner
shamrocks goal 2 - defense got beat with long ball (their forwards were pretty fast and strong, and long ball to them was their primary attack)

argosilver goal 1 - breakaway goal by Thierry, excellent finish

shamrocks goal 3 - can't recall, but i think it was of the breakaway nature

shamrocks goal 4 - they had a breakaway right off a kick-off: intercepted pass to cross to volley, nice goal

we dominated opening minutes of the first half with short passing, but fell back after the 2 goals. ended half pretty weakly. argos came out stronger in the second half. scored an excellent goal, and had 2 chances to score on 1 drive. i believe the shot hit the post and we missed the rebound. after that, it went downhill. we were the more skilled team, but they were more aggressive on defense, especially the midfield. Salty played an excellent game in goal, saved at least 2 sure goals. my input:- think we should have played match-ups on defense and defensive mid- field. move some people around to offset the other team's strengths. their center attack beat us multiple times (would have been a lot more if not for the ref's questionable off sides rulings), just because they were faster than us.

SC Eintracht vs. Gotham Argo

Metropolitan Oval - Brooklyn
SC Eintracht 1 - 2 Gotham Argo

For an evening which started with 9 players crammed in a zipcar minivan meant to seat 6, and the other half of the squad lost in Brooklyn and literally running onto the pitch at the starting whistle, the result was worth the turmoil. (Especially after overhearing the SC Eintracht coach commenting that they had it in the bag because this team had a female manager.)

A first win for the rebuilt, better, stronger, faster Gotham Argo this season and hopefully a harbinger of things to come.

It certainly wasn't a clean match, with cards and free kicks flying everywhere. A particularly sexy take down when everyone's favorite sweepmaster, Lucas, trapped his man in the corner and flipped him over on his back (though failing to get his phone number), earned the most enjoyable yellow card of the match.

Tenny suffered the ugliest foul when an SC Eintrachter's straight armed check sent him down injuring his knee. (To which I was cautioned and nearly awarded my own red card when I shouted at their keeper from across the field, reverberating through the oval, to "Shut the Fuck Up!" when he accused Tenny of giving a Broadway worthy performance.)

I can't recall if SC Eintracht scored first...

But our first goal was a beautiful crack by newest Gotham Argo - Michael Rose.

Second and winning goal scored by a calm and composed Momo sending a powerful low ball in for the win.

HALLOWEEN

Well, I had hoped, and certainly attempted, to get several club members to meet up during their Halloween antics, but had an enjoyable evening with Andi at Gallery Bar discussing our favorite horror movies and the genre in general.

Not a fan of store bought costumes, I broke down this year because William and his girlfriend were dressing as The Scarecrow and Dorothy and needed a Cowardly Lion. Adding my own touches and my natural mane I hopefully steered away from the "store bought" look.

Unfortunately Will's girlfriend wasn't feeling well and we'd have to venture out Dorothy-less.

Will caught up with Andi and I later in the evening wandering the streets somewhere around Lion's Gate soccer field.

Our mission for the evening?
To drink, of course, and to take photos with every Dorothy we encountered as we eased on down the road.

Success = 7 Dorothys. Blonde Dorothy = wasted Dorothy.

--- CLICK PLAY on the IMAGE BELOW FOR SLIDESHOW ---

Argo Silver vs. Banatul FC

Brooklyn Technical High School

Argo Silver 2 - 1 Banatul FC

Banatul scored their goal from an unfortunate penalty kick.

Argo Silver scored a first goal by newest Argo Silver - Fatos Rugova.
Second goal a cross by Fatos that knocked off a Banatul player into goal.

Most of the game was spent in the opponents half of the field (as evidenced below in a photo of Elliot) where Argo Silver took close to 12 shots on goal that hit posts and were near misses.

By all rights this score should have been 6-1 at the least.

NYC Sirens vs. Barnstonworth Rovers II

State Cup Game * Round I
PIER 40 Courtyard West @ 9pm
- reported by Elliot Gilmore

On a cold, windy and generally miserable Sunday night at Pier 40, the Sirens team gradually congregated on the bleachers behind the East field. Some were wearing coats, some wore sweatshirts....others were looking a little more like Sherlock Holmes and not Katie Holmes (Gracie) in their pre-game attire.

Having been told they were the last chance for our club's State Cup glory the pressure was on and the ladies began preparing to take on a strong side called Rovers 2. With no coach for the evening, Elliott, a wonderful English Gentleman took the reigns and gave a valiant team talk......basically consisted of "Enjoy the game, if we win GREAT, if we lose, all 3 teams can get totally drunk together instead of playing the 2nd round game!! WIN WIN situation".

A strong Violet line up took to the field and immediately began passing the ball along the sacred turf of Pier 40. One touch, two touch and even three touches of the ball were sublime. They looked comfortable. At various stages of the half, Mary, Dana and Emily led the line upfront and caused a number of problems for the somewhat talented but slow defense. It was very close through the first 20 minutes, that is until our team's "Hooligan Element" cheer squad turned up. With loud voices and various remarks made to the portly fellow in the middle with a whistle, they seemed to have sparked the opposition into life. GOAL...... a lucky cross was deflected to the near post, where an out-stretched leg from Rovers, guided the ball into the net. 1-0, but the Sirens were not out of this. Wave upon wave of attack came from the sirens now. Tanya, Erika and Tess were commanding the midfield with strong tackles, Rachael was working wing wizardry and the back four, Marina, Leslie, Liz and Sherlock Holmes remained focused and very strong. 5 minutes to halftime something special was needed to beat the Rovers' goalie. It came from the right foot of Leslie. A 40 yard shot, that came down with snow on it, hit the roof of the net out of nothing. Celebrations on the pitch were good, off the pitch, the "Hooligan Element" went mad, screaming and setting off flares in the stands. 1-1 and the halftime whistle went.

At half time the team talk was about attack. We had them where we wanted them now, on the ropes! As the pizza arrived, yes pizza, the team took to the field.

Again the half was pretty much dominated by the Sirens, but against the run of play, they were unlucky after a poor shot drifted away from Andy and nestled in the back of the net. 2-1 down, this seemed to spur the girls on even more now! They were not to be beaten by this opposition, not now. Attacks came again from Tanya, Erika and Gracie, Tess and Liz created chances for the forwards, but although going close, Dana could not find the net how we know she can. A few chances did happen for Mary, but every time she tried to shoot, she was knocked to the ground by defenders, unseen by a somewhat blind referee. Her luck did change though when she burst INTO the box and was taken down by what seemed a sniper from the stands. The "Hooligan Element" made their opinions known to the referee in so many words, and asked how he can give a direct free kick IN the box, its a penalty. He disagreed and the Sirens had a free kick 17 yards out.......Cue Tanya !!! She cared not of PK she just was going to score from anywhere now. Stepped up and Bang, top corner GOAL!!! 2-2 with 6 minutes left!

With penalties nearing the Sirens attacked more and more but it was not to be. They were destined for PKs.
The full time whistle went and although we knew it was down to spot kicks, at least now the referee would be level with play and see most of the action!

Penalty kick takers: Leslie, Tanya, Mary, Liz, Emily

· They shot wide (Andy standing tall forced the miss)
· Leslie scored 1-0
· They shot wide (Andy scaring them in to missing the goal)
· Tanya scored 2-0
· They scored 3-1 (Andy, just beaten by the ball)
· Mary scored

If Andy could save this next kick it was all over and no need for the other players to take one!

A confident lady stepped up and Andy stood tall in Goal. the Hooligan Element, coach and other players waited on the half way line.
Was it time to celebrate a great win?

· KICK to the keepers right, a sweeping dive by Andy....SAVE............

SIRENS WIN - SIRENS WIN

Crowd, coach and players all ran to congratulate the Goalie.
Once the huddle of Violet players gathered themselves, they went to their beaten opponents and shook hands graciously. What a team!!!

There was no cameras, so just take what is written as Gospel!!!

Hooligan Element .... Gotham Argo players Jeremy, Jorge, Ben and tryout candidate David

Post match celebration... NYC Sirens sponsor bar Emerald Pub