Category: Soccer

One Tulsa Too Many

Tulsa Union High School proved to be one Tulsa too many for the Grissom Tigers. We lost a body-bruising 2-1 tussle in the final of the Island Cup Invitational tonight. Union, ranked #1 in the state of Oklahoma, was by far the best squad that we’ve played this year. It took us a while to adjust to a team that was just as quick or even quicker to the ball than we were, and in the beginning they were winning most of the 50-50 balls and pinning our defense on their heels with their aggressive, pressing attack.

But by midway through the first half, we had found our legs and launched a few dangerous forays of our own.… Read the rest

One Tulsa Team Down, One to Go

We came away with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Tulsa Memorial High School today in the semifinals of the Island Cup. Like the quarterfinal, we struck early with two quick goals, one of them a work of art–a header off a 40-yard feed from our defensive midfielder. We had several other close chances, and Memorial caught our defense napping with a second half goal which gave them their second wind. But we held fast, and now we face our second Oklahoma team of the day, Tulsa Union, in the final in a couple of hours.

One Tulsa team down, one to go.… Read the rest

A Good First Day

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Number One Son and his Grissom High teammates stretch prior to this morning’s match with Gadsden City High School at the Island Cup Invitational in Orange Beach, Alabama.

They must have been plenty loose, because they proceeded to go out and “mercy rule” yet another opponent 10-0. Number One put the finishing touches on that one, scoring his first goal of the season with a nifty shot just inside the left post outside the reach of a diving keeper.

Our afternoon opponent, the Cullman High Bearcuts, proved a tougher challenge. They showed little interest in attacking, opting instead to hunker down with 9-10 field players inside the box at all times in order to keep us out of the net.… Read the rest

The Lads In Orange

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We’re on our way out of town to follow the fortunes of our Lads in Orange, otherwise known as the Grissom High School Tiger soccer team. They’ll be defending their title at the Island Cup Soccer Tournament in (appropriately enough) Orange Beach, Alabama.

Grissom is currently ranked #1 in the state, having won the Lakeshore Shootout in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago. Of course, rankings at this point of the season mean very little. What matters is being ranked #1 at the end of the day on May 12, 2007 at the close of the state championship.

We have the perfect storm of talent assembled this year, the majority of these kids having played with and against each other since they were 4-years-old.… Read the rest

Another Soccer Boo-Boo

840003-01.jpgWhen two soccer players go up to head the ball at the same time, usually somebody wins the ball and somebody loses. Sometimes they both miss the ball and instead hit each other. As long as both players get up and play on, the standard sideline parent joke goes something like this: “Well, somebody just lost a few SAT points,” followed by peals of riotous laughter. It’s an old joke which for some reason never seems to lose it’s punch.

Having been thoroughly traumatized by the last soccer boo-boo in Atlanta, I gladly allowed Eyegal to handle the most recent tournament in Nashville.… Read the rest

Red and Below-the-Knee, Thank Goodness

img_0102.JPGSo what kind of cast is this fall’s best-dressed 13-year-old young man wearing?

Red and below-the-knee, thank goodness.

Number Three paid a visit to the orthopedist yesterday to have his newly-aquired tibial fracture checked out. The bad news is that he’s out of soccer for three months. We had figured something like that, but it was still hard hearing it firsthand. The good news is that he received a below-the-knee cast which allows for greater mobility and less discomfort than his previous above-the-knee temporary splint. Even better, if healing is sufficient at his 2-week visit, he may be able to ditch the cast for a removable fracture boot which would make showering and other tasks considerably easier.… Read the rest

The Anatomy of a Broken Bone

lgg3.jpgSince 1993, our three sons have played in just over a thousand soccer matches. Throughout that time, we’ve suffered our share of bruises, abrasions, sprains and pains, but never a broken bone. But unfortunately, that streak has come to an end.

This past Saturday, Number Three’s U14 team was nursing a 1-0 lead in the closing moments of their first round match in the Atlanta Cup, one of the most competitive (and roughest) soccer tournaments in the Southeast. The ball was rolling loose about 25 yards from our goal and their center midfielder, a rugged and skilled Hispanic youth weighing about 150 lbs, began to run onto the ball to take a shot that would have undoubtedly tested our keeper in the extreme.… Read the rest

Sometimes Other Teams Are Good Too

060901_sn_worldbasketballtn.jpgAs disappointing as Team USA’s loss to Greece was in the semifinals of the World Basketball Championships, it should be noted that in the bronze medal game, the Red, White and Blue thrashed pre-tournament favorite Argentina 96-81.

Slate‘s Robert Weintraub offers up this and other perspective-lending points in his article “How Soccer Explains the World Basketball Championships.” His views are a breath of fresh air amid all the recriminations resulting from this most recent international sports loss and the USA’s subpar performance in the most recent soccer World Cup.

Having been an athlete, coach and spectator, I concur with his sentiments.… Read the rest

A World Cup Reprise

zinedine-zidane-real-madrid2.jpgIt’s been over a month now, but I just can’t let it go.

Forget the head butt. These are the images which will endure. (Hat tip: Seattle Soccer Mom)

If a mix of Coldplay and Zidane aren’t to your taste, then try a helping of U2’s Bono and a mesmerizing montage of World Cup 2006 highlights.

Ok, I know some of you hate it when I write about soccer. Just do me a favor: watch the videos and then take the same pulsating passion, the vim and verve, the emmaculate elan, the deftness of foot, and the all-encompassing, all-seeing vision and apply them to whatever work God sets before you this day.… Read the rest

The Assimilation Continues

borg-18527.jpgIt’s been an eventful week here at Ocular Fusion. First, I was graced with a visit by the Winged Goddess of Victory herself (I think we all know her name, don’t we?). Then I was the victim of a vicious attack of flying spam, necessitating the installation of the new and improved, all purpose, Super-Duper Askimet Anti-Spam Shield and Bug Zapper (so far, 70 pieces of fried spam in 48 hrs).

But, no matter what I do, the assimilation continues.

Here’s my latest VIP visitor:… Read the rest

The Head Butt Heard ‘Round the World

Zidane head butt.jpgIt’s been a week since the “head butt heard ’round the world,” and the repercussions of Zinedene Zidane’s shot to the chest of Marco Materazzi continue to ricochet wildly throughout the internet.

Zidane has issued an apology (of sorts) for his outburst which arguably cost France the World Cup. For his part, Materazzi has reassured us that he would never dream of insulting someone’s mother. No, according to the Italian defender the insult that provoked Zidane was merely a garden variety one that is tossed around the pitch on a routine basis, implying, of course, that the French midfielder and captain overreacted.… Read the rest

Congratulazioni Azzurri!

It will certainly not go down as “one for the ages,” the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy. There were stretches of brilliant soccer on display to be sure, but also long periods of timid, lackluster, even disjointed parrying punctuated with injuries, both genuine and theatrical.

In the end, it was Fabio Grosso, the diving and rolling bane of the Socceroos, the man with the magic touch that broke the back of a fine German squad, who stepped to the line during shots from the mark with the hopes of Italy on his shoulders and the eyes of the world watching his every move.… Read the rest

Italy v. France, World Cup 2006 Final–Live

Based on what I’ve seen from the singing of the respective national anthems, the Italians seem to be coming out with a little more spirit. Gattuso, in particular, is on another level with his eyes closed like that–could be trouble for Zidane. It seems fewer of the French know the words. Zidane wasn’t singing at all–he seemed to be already playing the game in his head.

Ok, it’s time for kickoff…

2:00 Checking Henry’s pupils? The commentators have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.

4:37 Henry’s back, good. Oh, hold the phone, a PK already!

6:30 Well, whadaya think? Looks like there was contact there, but that much?… Read the rest

World Cup 2006-Live With the Eyeguy!

I’ll be blogging live with my reactions and thoughts during the final match this afternoon between France and Italy. I’ve never blogged live during a sporting event before, but I’ve seen others do it and it looks like fun so I’m going to give it a whirl. Expect a lot of typos, and hopefully, a lot of Gooooooooooals!

Here’s some good reading while you’re all waiting with bated breath for me to start: First, a great match preview (complete with a cool diagram of starting lineups) from USA Today, and second (and third), a couple of good background articles from Slate: The True Story of American Soccer and Among the Brainiacs–The Intellectual Classes Descend on Soccer.… Read the rest