WOLVES WIN! WOLVES WIN!
Our MRA team report submitted by Manager, Tony Zito:
DAVID did beat GOLIATH!
I have one word to describe how our MRA team played in this match….inspiring!
This team was coming into OUR house and we had them on their heels, chasing this game with our early strike. We wanted this one, we dug in, especially
late in the game when several players left due to injury, I saw several of our players put in that extra effort to ensure there was no comeback.
There’s that saying that you won’t know how satisfying it feels to win unless you also know the agony of defeat.
There’s also something to be said about teams who are losing and can’t accept the other team is playing better.
This team demonstrated why they’re appropriately called ‘Hooligans’. The poorest sports we’ve played this season.
Enough about them.
Back to what’s more important. OUR TEAM!
We deserved this win.
I love our camaraderie.
This game could have gotten away from us, especially when they were gifted two goals. The score shouldn’t have been this close but when it was, like I said earlier, whatever resolve we had left, we made sure they scored no further.
Our first goal, scored by Carlo Zito, set the tone. Our 2nd scored by Q Vuniqi showed them we came to play and Ieft them stunned.
Diego aka ’Paper’ Gartner with another howler, much like the one he scored in our very first game….but I’m the most proudest of a goal scored from a player who is the most hardest on himself, Matteo Zito. Finally rewarded for his efforts by scoring the winning goal. His perfectly placed ball had their keeper chasing that one to the top corner. Now my reaction must have made a few of our spectators laugh.
That’s my boy!
Final score
WOLVES 4
Gloucester Hooligans 3
This season was a good test for us. Playing against teams sometimes 3 divisions higher than ours.
THIS IS A GREAT TEAM PHOTO! (OKAY almost 2 TEAMS 🙂
Strong start, even stronger finish. Unbeaten in 4 games.
Players of the Game tonight:
Braedon Cain, Diego Gartner, Matteo Zito, and Hamad Boty.
Tony ‘Cleats Up’ Z.
WOLVES OT2 Game 7 synopsis provided by Team Manager, Mark Burger:
After a tough match last week, with no substitutions, the team was significantly deeper this week, in a rematch against a Gloucester foe, that previously resulted in a draw.
With a deep bench of midfielders, the Wolves implemented a change in formation to a 3-5-2, with the intention of going on the front foot. Things started brightly, with chance after chance, including two nearly empty-net misses from Liam Smithies and Mark Burger. However, against the run of play, Gloucester, with their only significant shot all match, beat our keeper Chris Stone, low and inside the post, to take a 1-0 lead after about 30 minutes of
play. This stunned the Wolves temporarily, but they gradually got back into the match and had momentum going into the half-time break.
Despite trailing, confidence was high, and the new formation was working. The second half was more of the same, with the Wolves dictating play, pushing forward, but not able to find that final ball to unlock their defense. To his credit, the opposing keeper, was aggressively cutting out a lot of chances. The Wolves continued to push and as darkness was setting in, the clear chance finally came. After a low cross from Liam, Billy McIntyre Duc Tu each had a crack at it, and then after the keeper bobbled the shot, the rebound fell to Mark who coolly slotted the ball into the corner, thus tying the match. The goal was met with relief, although, looking back, the Wolves would have felt that they deserved more.
Thus it ended in a 1-1 draw, with Mark Burger earning the ‘Man of the Match’ for his heroics.
Our Wolves OT4 were on the road for a match in Russell.
And they were in tough with only 10 players, no substitutions.
According to team manager, Tim Ralph, the Wolves had several early chances to take the lead but couldn’t find that last touch needed to put the ball over.
Despite the lack of manpower, our Wolves hung in and battled hard and held Russell to a single goal. As described by Wolves keeper, Amedeo Melone, the boys held a solid defensive line, like the ‘Battle of Britain’, shutting down countless breakaways and odd-man rushes.
Final score:
Russell 1 Wolves 0
Westboro Wolves Leave No Doubt Who Are 2021 OCSL OT6 Champions!
by Team Manager, Frank Maiorino
The Westboro Wolves OT6 came prepared to play their final game of the season, against WOSC OT6, a team they previously beat, three weeks ago, 3-1, in a closely fought battle.
The Wolves took control of this game early, just like we did the week before against United Hoang, scoring 3 consecutive goals in very little time.
League leading scorer, Q Vuniqi opened the scoring from a beautiful set up by hard working midfielder, Vincent Wienecke. Vuniqi struck shortly thereafter set up by a well-placed through ball from versatile defender, Dino De Franco. Midfield maestro Kevin Judd then scored a third on perfectly placed shot off a quick pass from Curvan Alexander. Wolves were leading 3-0 just 10 minutes into the match. WOSC OT6 players were shell shocked. The first half ended on a well-placed blast from Oscar Arrieta off a super set up, once again by a beauty of a set-up by Judd.
Unbeknownst to WOSC, the first half was just an appetizer for the second half feast as the Wolves exploded for 8 more goals. Ada Kennedy, fed by another sweet feed from Judd, got behind the WOSC D, went around their keeper and neatly tucked the ball into the net. Vuniqi and De Franco combined for the next goal as Vuniqi finished another golden set up and then De Franco crossed the ball from the right baseline deep in the WOSC end that bounced off a defender into the next making the score 7-0. Vuniqi struck again after an opportunistic through ball from Salvador Herencia Carrasco. Arrieta then scored his second of the game on a tap in from speedy Mitsuo Yamada.
It was then Ada Kennedy’s turn to score a brace as he stole the ball from the sleepy WOSC D and calmly tapped it into the net. The Vuniqi and Herencia Carrasco chemistry came to the forefront again resulting in another goal for Vuniqi – his fourth of the night.
It was fitting, after such an amazing season, that the most spectacular goal of the night and the last goal of the year would be scored by Club Manager, Tony Zito, channeling his inner-Alvaro Morata, took a nice feed from Kevin Judd and ran 50 yards downfield, calmly chipping the ball over an unsuspecting WOSC keeper and into the net. Tony ‘the toe’ joyfully collapsed on the field in celebration much to the delight of the team.
Final score:
Wolves 12 – WOSC 0.
‘Men of the Match’ were Andre Nadeau, Ada Kennedy, Tony Zito, Kevin Judd and John Bergeron – well done boys!
Editor’s note:
On a week where our MRA’s game was won on a goal scored by one Zito and our OT6 Championship team’s last goal was scored by another, this marks the first time in Wolves’ history that a father and son have combined to score in the same week …. hopefully not the last !