Season 3 – League Match #9
Neon Genesis Evangelion vs. Screamin’ Seamen
Date: June 1st, 2003
Venue: Shinji’s Stadium (Pennsylvania)
Attendance: 37,253 (67,000)
Weather: Rain
We’re on the road again today, this time in rainy Pennsylvania to take on Neon Genesis Evangelion. We’ve had good successes against NGE in the past, but today looks like it may be a bit of a challenge. We’ve never been a good wet-weather team, and the pitch is pretty well water-logged today. Also, NGE has really surged forward lately, knocking off Big Reds in two consecutive 2-1 victories. Add in the fact that we are on the road, and you have the makings for what could be a difficult day.
Previous Meetings
12/23/2002 – Neon Genesis Evangelion 2, Screamin’ Seamen 3
3/10/2003 – Screamin’ Seamen 3, Neon Genesis Evangelion 1
5/12/2003 – Screamin’ Seamen 4, Neon Genesis Evangelion 2
Our previous matches against NGE have all been relatively high-scoring affairs, and despite our defense, we’ve never managed to hold them scoreless. Hopefully today will be a first for us in that respect.
Formation: 3-5-2
Starters
Keeper: #1 Cornelius “Corny” Jernigan
Right Wingback: #5 Arlen Lucas
Central Defender: #2 Chuck Scales
Left Wingback: #22 Tyler Willard
Right Winger: #3 Ben McMahon
Inner Midfielder: #8 Niklas Ivarsson
Inner Midfielder: #4 Pete “The Old Goat” Tomlin
Inner Midfielder: #6 Charlie Bautista
Left Winger: #9 Valentin Rubio
Forward: #15 Forrest “Gump” Tobias
Forward: #12 Guido Metman
Team Captain: #12 Guido Metman
Set Pieces: #3 Ben McMahon
Substitutes
-Keeper: #13 Darryl Read
-Defender: #24 Christian Kvam
-Midfielder: #7 Lucian Tere
-Forward: #11 Johannes Henriksson
-Winger: #10 Olav Mauffret
Pete “The Old Goat” Tomlin returns from his one-game suspension today, and will start in the midfield for us once again. Other than that, it is pretty much business as usual as far as our lineup goes, with the obvious exception of Johannes Henriksson riding the bench.
Match Report
PRE-GAME
Due to an all-day shower, 37253 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at Shinji's Stadium.
EVA tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. The following players had been chosen: Åkesson - Waldrop, Calloway, Vick - Ayres, Andersson, Ødegård, Fortune, Taylor - Lachance, Ricketts.
Screamin' tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Jernigan - Lucas, Scales, Willard - Mcmahon, Ivarsson, Bautista, Tomlin, Rubio - Metman, Tobias.
FIRST HALF
Ed Vick behaved like an inexperienced youth player in the 9:th minute as he gave the ball away to an opponent. Lucky for him though, there was no goal.
EVAs Geir Ødegård gave, after 19 minutes, the home team a 1 - 0 lead after an attack coming in from the right.
A speedy charge from the left side of the field put EVA lead up with 2 - 0. Geir Ødegård finished that one off competently, firing from an acute angle.
After 36 minutes Tyler Willard made a complete fool of himself and dropped the ball to Eloy Ricketts who shuffled it into goal. 3-0 for EVA.
The structure of the game started to change as EVA decided to pull back and meet their opponents in the defensive zone.
Screamin' fought on and, in the 39:th minute Forrest Tobias was able to reply with 3 - 1 after some excellent moves on the right side finished off by an incredibly clever chip.
Screamin'´s Chuck Scales refused to leave the field after injuring his achilles tendon in the 40:th minute.
Cornelius Jernigan was caught napping a bit later as Geir Ødegård lifted a ball over him after a free kick, but the ball hit the bar, rebounding into the keepers arms.
3 - 1 was the half-time score. EVA held the ball, with a clear 56 percent possession rate.
SECOND HALF
A great save by goaltender Cornelius Jernigan in the 46:th minute kept the visitors in the game as Michael Waldrop struck from the left with a real cannonball.
EVA had to manage with a reduced squad from the 73rd minute on, as Eloy Ricketts got sent off for a foul in a free situation.
Screamin' had a fair chance to reply after 80 minutes, due to some fine moves down the left, but in the end no one was there to put their head to the ball as it was lifted into the box.
Jörgen Andersson of EVA received a yellow card in the 84:th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Screamin', bringing the final ball possession rate to 51 percent, dominated the battle.
POST-GAME
The most dominating EVA player was without a doubt Geir Ødegård. Junior Taylor was a disappointment, however.
Most important Screamin' player was Tyler Willard. However, Ben Mcmahon made a disastrous appearance.
Final Score: Neon Genesis Evangelion 3, Screamin’ Seamen 1
Goals
Tobias – 1 (6)
Cards
None
Player Ratings
Jernigan: ***
Lucas: ****
Scales: ***~
Willard: ****
McMahon: **~
Ivarsson: ***
Tomlin: **~
Bautista: ***
Rubio: **~
Tobias: **~
Metman: **~
Team Match MVP: #22 Tyler Willard
Team Ratings
Screamin’ Seamen
-Midfield: Passable (6)
-Right Defense: Brilliant (11)
-Central Defense: Brilliant (11)
-Left Defense: World Class (13)
-Right Attack: Passable (6)
-Central Attack: Solid (7)
-Left Attack: Solid (7)
-NSI: 73
Neon Genesis Evangelion
-Midfield: Excellent (8)
-Right Defense: Solid (7)
-Central Defense: Excellent (8)
-Left Defense: Outstanding (10)
-Right Attack: Outstanding (10)
-Central Attack: Formidable (9)
-Left Attack: Passable (6)
-NSI: 74
Comments
I hate it when I’m right.
I suspected this might be a rough day for us, and was unfortunately correct. Our defense had a horrible first half, allowing three goals in the first 36 minutes of the match. “Gump” Tobias managed to get one back for us before halftime, but things were still looking rather grim. Despite a good opportunity later in the second half and NGE finishing the game with only ten men on the pitch, we weren’t able to close things up at all.
Our road woes continue this season, as we’ve now accumulated only four points in five road matches. At home, on the other hand, we remain a force to be reckoned with, earning ten of a possible twelve points thus far. The Screamin’ Seamen have yet to be defeated at home in their entire history (excluding Cup and friendly matches).
Series Scores and Standings
-League-leading Croats in Miami fought to a 4-4 draw with Sweden Heights
-Big Reds also drew in their match, 1-1 against the SoccerWussies
-Ramblers had the pleasure of demolishing the Syracuse Supers this week, 4-nil.
No. Team Played Goals Pts. NSI
1. Croats in Miami 9 28-11 20 68
2. Big Reds 9 17-7 17 65
3. Ramblers 9 20-13 16 66
4. Screamin’ Seamen* 9 16-13 14 73
5. SoccerWussies 9 14-17 13 64
6. Neon Genesis Evangelion 9 21-21 12 74
7. Sweden Heights 9 18-20 11 62
8. Syracuse Supers 9 1-33 0 49
The good news for this week is that, despite the loss, we did not lose much ground on the league leaders. We did drop to fourth in the standings, but with things being so incredibly tight right now, standings are almost useless. The Croats maintain a three point lead on the Big Reds, but after that it’s a giant cluster-f*ck. Only six points separate the 2nd place team (Big Reds) from the 7th place team (Sweden Heights). The series is still very much anybody’s ball game.
Week 10 Matchups
Screamin’ Seamen vs. SoccerWussies
Syracuse Supers vs. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Big Reds vs. Sweden Heights
Ramblers vs. Croats in Miami
With the competition level as tight as it is right now, every week there are three good matches to be played. The only easy win is whoever gets to play against the Syracuse Supers that week. We get the opportunity to avenge our 2-1 loss to SoccerWussies earlier this season, and we get to do it at The Docks, where we are a force to be reckoned with.
Up Next: Round 4 of FOFC Cup Group Play on Wednesday, when we travel to North Jersey to take on the North Plainfield Plague. Stay tuned!