[imtodd]

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I received this email from my friend in the Unite States. Does anyone else do match reports of their 5 aside games? I don't think a UK version would be this emotional!

We finally made our break through win tonight against "Sorta United" in convincing fashion (5-1 for the good guys/gals). At the end of the game "Sorta United" changed their team name to "Sorta Broken UP".

All the heartaches we went thru together from previous loses were put to rest tonite. It wasn't easy…at times in the previous games we were frustrated, disappointed, and yelled at each other, but in a constructive way, because we cared and wanted our teammates to play the right way…to stop making bone-headed passes, to moving into open space, to getting back on defense, to passing to the open man on the wing, to picking up the ball instead of kicking it away to kingdom come, to being loyal to the team. Through the conflict we figured out how to play together and it all came together tonite like a perfect symphony. I hope it was as rewarding for everyone as it was for me to take this journey together as a team and come out victorious. Lets keep the momentum going by taking down last season's champs next week!

Highlights:
There are so many highlights in this game but three really stood out.
The first, Steven scored his first goal of the season to put us in the lead 1-0 in the first half. To me, it was the most exciting goal we made so far. He received a pass from Captain Connor while streaking down the right wing with only the keeper to beat just a few yards ahead, then stopped on a dime a few feet in front of the keeper, and quickly turned left evading the keeper for a left-footed chip towards the goal. But the keeper was able to recover just in time for a diving save and knocked the ball away from the goal. Then a scramble between Steven and the keeper ensued; I saw ten arms, legs and feet flying in the air and somehow Steven was able to knock in the goal. I nearly jumped out of the pitch in celebration.

The second was a well-constructed goal by Mark. He probably drew it up on the dashboard of his car while driving to the game. I can see him thinking…hmmm…what if I hustled really hard after a loose ball and kick it as hard as I can off the leg of an opponent and have the ball fly twenty feet in the air toward the opponent's goal and lob inches over the out-stretched hands of a six-foot-three-inch keeper for a goal??? That might just work. It did! And that goal let us know it was our nite to win.

The third was not a goal but a great defensive play which exemplifies our team spirit. Shannon while dribbling the ball down the left side of our pitch was knocked off the ball with a shoulder bump by a big six-foot-bully to take control of the ball. In retaliation, Shannon chased him down and knocked him to the ground like a steer wrestler at the rodeo. He got up off the ground and complained to the ref like someone just stole his milk money…poor baby! Shannon is one of our vocal leaders on the pitch and the heart of our team. Keep up your intensity Shannon…don't change.