Soccer Drama

The Girl's soccer team started the league playoffs last weekend, with 2 games on Sunday. (Halloween, weird) The first game was against a really tough team in a higher bracket, and they lost.

The second game was against one of the best teams in a lower bracket. It was a beautiful day, but a dramatic game.

Before the game I said a prayer that her team could do well, and they did! The first goal was off a penalty kick, pretty far away from the goal. The coach was yelling at the Girl to hurry up and kick it, but she had to wait for the ref to blow the whistle first. After the whistle she kicked it hard and high and right over the Goalie's head. It was beautiful! She's now the leading scorer again, with 3 goals for the season. And she's on defense.

Later the other team came down and chipped the ball over the defender's heads, and right into the goal. Darn, now the score was tied.

Then one of our players who has been trying and trying all season to score, ran it down and scored by herself. Her father was there to see it and she and he were SO happy. First score of the season for her.

Later, one of our best defenders headed the ball, which had come hard and spinning in her direction, and she went down. Her Dad went to see her on the field, and said her eyes were rolling back in her head! So the Coach told us to call 911, and the ref called halftime.

The fire department came, an ambulance came, and the girls went onto the field and took a knee for her. Then, they decided to go into a circle and pray for her. It was a shame for several reasons, but also because the team had been playing so well and were currently ahead. How would they play without her?

When the EMTs showed up, she was feeling much better. She was answering questions correctly and was able to stand and walk off the field. Yay!

After a little while, they got past our defenders and scored again. Argh! Now we were tied again. Then we got a penalty kick from far away, and the Coach had his daughter take the shot. She's a very good kicker, capeable of long, high kicks, but not great at controlling her shot. It could be a good shot, but a bit more likely to be way too high or off to the side.

Her kick went far, and high, and hit the far post of the goal, and ricocheted into the goal! It was so perfect, it was enough to make me believe in magic. Or God. Or both.

It was such a good game, and the girls were very happy.

After the game, though, a woman walked across the field to tell our coach that one our players had said something to her, and she would be embarrassed if that were her child. This player, Jazz, said that this woman had been cursing at her during the game.

IMHO, she should have been embarrassed about herself. Lowering herself to curse at a 13 year old? I would have been angry if I had been Jazz's Mother, no matter what my daughter said to her. Of course, Jazz shouldn't have done that. But I'm thinking that in the first place, she must have been responding to something that lady said. Players don't talk to the other team's parents, normally.

But the Coach said, "Oh, sorry." and left it at that.

Anyway, we learned afterward that this woman had waited in the parking for Jazz's family, and had confronted Jazz's family about their daughter. Who would think that this would go well?

Ultimately, Jazz's Mother offered to settle it right there in the parking lot with this woman, but I guess they were able to walk away without coming to blows. Or the police being called. (we'd already called the FD and EMTs, after all.)

I think that because this team wasn't used to losing, their tempers got the best of them. Our girls played great and deserved to win.