LISC U14 Boys European Tour

For LISC, playing Eckernforder was reminiscent of games from their youngest years, for Eckernforder’s offense consisted of kicking or heading or punting the ball in a haphazard but aggressive manner as far as possible to their single, dangerous player, a big, fast forward who would clean up those cannonades and get off a few good cracks each half. While dominating the possession and certainly playing the most complete game, LISC was unable to finish on their chances and lost to the German side 1 to 0. Highlights of the game included Tim Parks leaving the match in the 2nd half on a red card offense from a near goal-scoring opportunity that left the LISC fans wondering what the calls was, after watching what appeared to be a simple attempt by the LISC striker to chest the ball forward, in a sequence where the goalie never came into possession of the ball. (At the game’s conclusion the referee held that the LISC forward had intentionally kicked the goalie, a view that neither fans nor video tape nor logic would support given the nature of the attempt.)

Playing a man down LISC continued to exhibit wonderful ball control and combination play, and were given a number of corner kicks, although none were successful. Late in the second half a Eckernforder hand ball in the box lead to an LISC penalty kick, that Stefan Wingo took, stricking the left post hard, ever so slightly off the mark. In a number of furious last-minute attempts LISC was unable to convert a chance and fell to the German side. After a game of opposite styles, players from both sides rode the bus back to their dormitories together, sharing club patches and German candies (some of which were Jalapeño spiced), their off-the-pitch differences not as great as their styles of play.

Robert