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!