Our WU14/2 junior women's team won 1-0 in a very close game against Curl Curl - an unbeaten side all season. An incredible game by the WU14/2 where they held their own.
The team's coach, Simon Berglund, did an amazing job of helping all the players and team get better and better each week, so much so that they only lost 2 games all season! As the Coach and Manager of the WU14/2 team, Simon and Michele started the season with a lovely group of girls who in the main had not played together before. It took the girls three weeks of training to learn each others' names (it took Simon about five weeks!).
Their first goal was to ensure that they all agreed on the goals as a team, and the #1 goal was to have fun. They also agreed on a few rules such as always being positive and supportive, never critical, and every girl was to have their turn as goalkeeper during the season.
An important part of their early development as a team was a deliberate exercise to understand the skill level of each team member, as well as what positions they had played, and what positions they wanted to play. Once the girls understood this, the team was formed and they began the season. Early indications were that their greatest attribute was playing to their full capability right to the whistle. The girls' attitude was to never give up, and they secured a couple of wins late in the games including one win right on the final whistle.
The girls knew that they needed to win the last game of the rounds to stay at #2 on the table, and they did that with a big win. They qualified for the Knockout Winner game against the only team that had truly beaten them during the season - Curl Curl. Very exciting for the girls! They prepared for that Final by training with the WAL1 team (thank you ladies!) and a solid session on penalties in case the game ended with a shootout.
The team arrived at the game with all girls knowing how Curl Curl beat them previously, on what each girl needed to focus, the order from 1-11 of the penalty takers, and exactly how they were going to play them this time. The girls executed their plan flawlessly, with the undefeated opposition not getting a single clean shot at their goal; No mean feat considering Curl Curl finished the season with a 40 goal difference - double the goal difference of WU14/2, the #2 team. And what did the flawlessly executed plan yield? A 1-0 victory, and a whole lot of very excited girls and parents!
Here are some more photos of the game.
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