Norwich Continues to Improve Defensive Effort

In its first game, a porous Norwich defense allowed 8 goals to a highly prolific Newcastle attack, 6 of which came in the first half alone. After that game, the boys made a commitment to improve their defense. Last week, in game 2, Norwich made good on that promise and cut that total in half, allowing only 4 goals to an even stronger Sunderland squad. On Saturday, game 3 saw that total cut in half again. In a match-up against what was probably the toughest opponent they have faced so far this season, Norwich held West Bromwich to 2 goals. It was by far their best defensive performance of the season from the standpoint of goalkeeping, tackling, positioning, jockeying, tactics, and most importantly, heart. For most of the game Norwich simply outran West Bromwich.

Goalkeepers Tom, Zack G, and Caleb were reliable in net for Norwich. Tom was challenged early in the game but managed several spectacular saves to keep it a 1-goal game through the first 25 minutes. Zack was quite skillful and knocked away several good shots on target. He contributed on the offensive end as well maintaining pressure with at least three scoring threats. Caleb was nothing short of brilliant in net during the final 20 minutes of the match. He managed to get hands to several shots that would have blown through a brick wall and found the upper corner. Somehow, inexplicably, Caleb was able to knock them away. Simply astonishing!

But it takes more than sturdy goalkeeping to contain an attack like that of Bromwich. Before the game, Norwich set a goal for the match: work harder than their opponents. They set out to do just that on the defensive side, outworking and outhustling the West Bromwich attack. Max F's energy, smarts, and speed kept Bromwich from setting up deep in our defensive zone. He challenged for the ball aggressively (but without over-committing) and made life difficult for Bromwich all afternoon. Jake provided very reliable defensive support. He jockeyed and pushed the ball outside, allowing very little in the way of real scoring chances. Max H was everywhere he needed to be to stop Bromwich. With relentless speed and hustle, he harassed Bromwich attackers at midfield, before they could set anything up. The most outstanding bit of tackling skill was demonstrated by Alex who took on the Bromwich striker--one of their best players--late in the game and just swallowed him whole. He put down a block and slipped away with the ball before the attacker knew what had hit him. Josh was a vital part of our defense as well. He took to heart our recent work in practice, and jockeyed every play outside, away from the "danger zone," the middle of the field in front of our goal.

Midfield was claimed, owned, and dominated by Patrick, who patrolled the middle third of the field like it was his own back yard. If the ball came into it, it was his ball, and he was going to take back what was rightfully his. With his speed, tackling ability, and ball control, he was able to keep constant pressure on the Bromwich defense, especially during the second half.

Patrick was able to set up strikers Tom and Zack S, and both had a couple of very near misses. Unlucky. Tom made good use of his speed to create a breakaway that the keeper was just barely able to disrupt. Zack S put himself in perfect position in the middle of the field all afternoon and was able to put together a couple of real scoring threats.

The most promising chance of the afternoon came about two seconds before the final whistle. On a corner kick, Ted positioned himself in the middle about 20 feet from the goal. The corner kick came through the air and Ted got a good foot on it. He hit it well and right on target, but the Bromwich keeper and the referee's whistle ended play before Norwich could finish.

This match featured the best soccer to date by the Norwich boys. But, stay tuned... It gets even better. Norwich takes on Newcastle this Sunday at 12:30.

See you there!

Tonight's Practice Canceled

Rain, lightning, the fields are all closed, and it's Rosh Hashanah. This is an easy one: no practice tonight.

See you at the clinic (Saturday 9:30 DeFazio turf).

Tonight's Optional Practice Moved to Healy

We'll practice tonight at Healy Field (DeFazio) instead of Memorial. Coach Beaumont just notified me of the change.

Same time: 6:00 to 7:00.

Come if you can. No worries if you can't.

Optional Practice Added on Monday 9/26

I have added an optional practice this coming Monday from 6:00-7:00 at Memorial (near the turf softball diamond). We are fortunate to be joined by Mark Beaumont, Needham Soccer Club's player development officer. Mark is an outstanding soccer coach and an excellent resource. He's in high demand, so Monday turned out to be the only opportunity we would have to grab some time with him.

The practice is truly optional. Come if you can. No worries at all if you can't.

Norwich Creates Chances against Sunderland

Supported by the arrival of Max F and a much improved defensive effort this week, Norwich was able to focus more energy on their attack and as a result produced a wealth of scoring chances. Excellent goalkeeping on the part of Sunderland, though, and more than their fair share of near misses kept Norwich from putting up big numbers on the scoreboard. Norwich out-shot and out-possessed Sunderland in the second half but ultimately fell 4-1.

The opportunity that Norwich did convert came in the 48th minute off the foot of Patrick, who beat two defenders and knocked the ball past a diving keeper. Patrick's goal made it 2-1 Sunderland and gave Norwich a boost of confidence midway through the second half. Tom nearly gave Norwich two more with a rocket knocked away by the Sunderland keeper and another that hit off the goalpost.  Zack S contributed a pair of promising strikes as well that were dealt with rather miraculously by the Sunderland keeper. Cy continued to use his speed well to take control of midfield. He passed the ball effectively and Norwich was able to put continuous pressure on a very tight Sunderland defense in the second half. Jake, another speedy midfielder, was deadly on the counter attack and set up more than his share of Norwich's scoring chances. Ted supported the play well at midfield, too, with precision passing and intelligent positioning.

The Norwich attack was bolstered by a much sturdier defense with the addition of Max F, who made an immediate impact with his speed, tackling ability, and ball control. He was able to get the ball off of the Sunderland attack and move it forward all afternoon. Caleb, pure hustle, never stopped running at both ends of the field. He swept back to overtake and defend several breakaways that would very likely have otherwise become Sunderland goals. Max H continued to challenge for the ball and contribute his reliable tackling skills to Norwich's improving defense. Alex patrolled the middle of the field, battled for the ball, and disrupted the Sunderland attack.

Norwich benefited from some exceptional goalkeeping by Zack G. Diving and leaping all over, he got fingers to a couple of sure goals and knocked them aside to keep the game withing reach.

Overall, a very clear improvement over last week. It was a well-played game for Norwich, and the good news is that there is still a great deal we can improve.

Productive Practice Session for Norwich

The coaches were very pleased with the effort they observed despite a little rain and darkness towards the end of our 90 minutes. The boys worked hard through the final whistle and they continued to show improvement in their ability to work as a team.

Starting next Thursday, we will begin practice at 5:30 and end at 7 in order to make the most of the dwindling daylight.

Also, this Saturday morning, there is a skills clinic at DeFazio on the turf from 9:30 to 10:45. It will be run by an outstanding crew of professional coaches from Massachusetts Premier Soccer (MPS). These sessions are offered every two weeks during the fall and they are excellent. I encourage you to come if you can.

Schedule of Games through November 6

Our official game schedule through November 6 has been posted on the Needham Soccer Club website. This schedule is subject to change mid-season due to rainouts and other complications. I will keep you posted with any schedule changes and I will keep our Master Schedule up to date.

Please arrive at the field at least 15 minutes prior to game time and bring a size 4 ball if you have one. I will bring a few extra balls. Also make sure your player wears the full uniform and shin guards. Watches and any jewelry will have to be removed before the game.

9/10/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#008	2:30 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL LIVERPOOL	8	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH	3	Healy #2 6v6 DEF4
9/18/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#035	1:30 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		NEEDHAM NSCCL SUNDERLAND		Healy #2 6v6 DEF4
9/24/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#043	10:30 AM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		NEEDHAM NSCCL WEST BROMWICH		Healy #2 6v6 DEF4
10/2/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#018	12:30 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NEWCASTLE		NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		Healy #2 6v6 DEF4
10/23/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#027	12:00 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		NEEDHAM NSCCL QUEENS PARK		Healy #2 6v6 DEF4
10/29/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#051	2:00 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		NEEDHAM NSCCL WOLVERHAMPTON		Healy #3 6v6 DEF4
11/6/2011
Game	Time	Home Team		Away Team		Location
#059	12:30 PM	NEEDHAM NSCCL NORWICH		NEEDHAM NSCCL ASTON VILLA		Hillside School HIL

Strong Showing for Norwich in Second Half

Norwich struggled to hold off a relentless Liverpool attack and yielded a handful of goals in the early minutes of Saturday's match. It was a different story in the second half, though, as Norwich solved the riddle of Liverpool's speedy counter attack and moved the ball with some success through a Liverpool defense that seemed all but impenetrable in the first half.


Cy's speed and tenacity at midfield helped to give Norwich the edge in possession during the second half, and Zack G's solid tackling kept Liverpool away from our defensive zone. Jake, Max H, and Ted moved the ball masterfully and created space to set up a consistent attack, and in the 38th minute, Patrick broke through the middle and found some daylight in front of the net. He struck it well, and put it in the lower right corner for the first Norwich goal of the game and the young season. Three minutes later, Norwich struck again when Tom capped a run from midfield with a fine placement of the ball with his left foot. Two unanswered goals for Norwich. The third Norwich strike was the most beautiful goal of the afternoon. Patrick sent a cross from the corner directly to the foot of Zack S who was in perfect position in front of the net to finish. Zack's goal made it three unanswered for Norwich.

Norwich allowed only two goals in the second half thanks largely to the efforts of Alex, Josh, and Caleb, who held their ground defensively and put down nearly every Liverpool threat.

The final score of 8-3, Liverpool, does not tell the whole story. Without a single practice prior to Saturday's game, Norwich struggled to find their groove early on. But by the second half, we began playing together, passing the ball well, setting up an effective attack, and defending as a team. The boys improved with each minute of play. While there is still a great deal to work on, Norwich should be proud of an excellent effort in its season opener.

We will practice this Thursday from 6:00-7:30 at Cricket Field. See you there!

Welcome to the Norwich Soccer Blog!

Welcome to the 2011fall soccer season! We are very excited to get things started. 

This blog will feature the most up-to-date Norwich news, all collected in one place. Check the schedule, read highlights from the last game, see if today's game is rained out, and if it is, when we will make it up. This site should make communication between coaches and parents much easier. But, if you still prefer email, you may also receive a daily update from this blog vial email with all the recent postings. Just go to "follow by email" on the right, enter your email address, and click "submit." You will then receive a daily email with any new postings.

The full schedule of games has not yet been finalized by Needham Soccer Club. But we do have our first two games scheduled:

• Saturday, September 10 2:30 v. Liverpool at Healy 2 (DeFazio)
• Sunday, September 18 1:30 v. Sunderland at Healy 2 (DeFazio)

Practices will be every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 at Cricket Field #1 (the big field). Cricket is on Hillside Ave., off Webster St. a few blocks north of Highland Ave. Map Practices start next Thursday, September 15.

Upcoming games and practices are also listed on the upper right-hand side of this site under "COMING UP..."  A full schedule of games and practices will be available shortly. A link to the master schedule, updated regularly with any changes, can be found on the upper left-hand side of this site. Take a look at some of the other features as well. We will add links and add new posts throughout the season.

Please let us know if you have any questions about Norwich soccer or about this blog.