A good game to watch, coach and to boost confidence going into the winter break. Brilliant goals from Paulo (2) and Nabil, one after the other, and many chances for more. My favourite moment was when Paulo took a free kick from his own half and smashed it in the goal. It was a crazy shot that could only happen once. His name is in headlights for the whole week!
My player of the match was also Paulo. His effort and dedication to the team in the last few weeks has been fantastic. He never stopped running and just wanted to do what was right for the team. Special shoutout to Ryan who was a class captain!
This weeks training focused on passing combinations. Their challenge was to complete all different types of combinations that they learnt in the week. Next week will be focusing on game-based training having some serious fun for the end of the year.
A tough game against opponents who we just couldn’t break down. It was a frustrating game and it just wasn’t our day. Passes were being intercepted and it felt like every 50/50 was lost. We still had many chances and if it wasn’t for their 6 foot 2 keeper it could’ve been a draw. A goal from Charlie was the only goal in the game for Bloomsbury. My favourite moment was when Oli pulled over a brilliant double save to stop them scoring. Felt like I was watching a prime David Seaman in goal.
My player of the match has to go to Charlie. The fight and urge to try and bring back the game was excellent to see. A brilliant finish into the bottom corner as well. This weeks training focused on passing combinations. Their challenge was to complete all different types of combinations that they learnt in the week. Next week will be focusing on game-based training having some serious fun for the end of the year.
A strong squad started for us playing in a 3-1-3-1 formation, we pressed and won the ball in the middle of the park a lot, however, we couldn’t communicate well enough with our wide players. The other team picked our weaknesses apart by playing down the wings. Managing to overload us with pressure, lobbing our goal keeper, Rex, a couple of times. Our first goal came from a great corner whipped in by Yasser. Joao finishing with a great half volley. The first half finished 1-3 and we knew we needed to step up our game.
At half time we spoke about being able to bring them in by allowing them to press so that we can play around them and go forwards with inside runs by Deniro. We managed to apply that by getting a goal through Edgard who picked up the ball from the middle of the park and passed it onto Joao. Joao then played a great ball splitting the defence so Deniro was clear through on goal and slotted it in the bottom corner. It was a great team goal and the highlight of the match. Sadly we only managed to get 2 back, our team was just outmatched on the day. We learnt that there will be teams on our level if not better, but we have to learn to fight back and work as a team to take control of the game and take all three points home.
Edgard was our player of the match, as he was able to take in information given to him, adapt and benefit the team. We worked on few touches to try and get the ball moving around the pitch. However, we weren’t able to use it further up the field. We will add game conditions such as playing the ball wide before scoring going forward.
A depleted U11 Black team went into this game hoping to keep up their unbeaten record at Coram’s spanning nearly a year! With significantly less players, three U10 players were called up- Robert, Laurence and Kingsley, all who played a big role in the game. The team started the game strong – putting the early pressure on the opposition. This meant they weren’t able to play out from the back and lost the ball in key areas many times. We took advantage of this with Marlei winning the ball and finishing well into the near post for the opening goal of the game. The rest of the first half followed a very similar pattern. EFA crowding the box, making it difficult to get shots on target with many being blocked. Equally, when going down the wings, crosses were being blocked and cleared due to the sheer amount of defenders in the box.
At half time we spoke about being patient on the ball and finding the right passes in the final third of the pitch. The clinical finishing soon came to pass with both Marlei and Kingsley scoring excellent 1v1 goals. What was really important was to keep the pressure on. Ilyas and Robert did this really well. Rob in particular showing brilliant character to continue playing after getting a kick to the face.
Kingsley then scored again from excellent build up play from Laurence and Moaz. Then came the brilliant individual goal from Marlei to complete his hat trick! The team were now playing with freedom and Moaz scored an excellent goal which featured lots of one touch passing across the team. Kingsley completed his hat trick with another brilliant finish and Moaz finished the scoring, arrowing a shot into the bottom corner. The performance demonstrated the excellent finishing capabilities, hard work and levels of our U10 team to maintain the unbeaten Coram’s record!
The best individual goal of the game was from Marlei for his hat trick goal. Moaz played the ball into Marlei who did a 360 spin around the defender and fired the ball into the bottom corner! Kingsley Jaiyeola was our player of the match. Outstanding performance from the U10 player scoring an excellent hat trick with three clinical finishes. By creating match scenarios in training the players were confident when playing out from the back and moving the ball around the pitch. It’s Christmas so all players will be having an enjoyable break!
Ahhh lads, we were so close. Two minutes away from a historic win against noisy local rivals LFS, having already lost to them 6-0 earlier on in the season. A silly scrappy own goal versus our long-range banger from a man named Zizou. A team personified by class and charisma versus some nonsense ‘London Football School’. All jokes aside it was a great game against a very strong LFS side. They sit joint top of the CIYL and presented us with plenty of interesting problems tactically. The fact that we came off the pitch incredibly disappointed not to get the three points whilst not being at our best speaks volumes of the progress we’ve made.
We started strong, with confident build-up, playing through LFS at will. Maxi hit the post after an inch-perfect line-breaking pass from Zizou. Indeed, Zizou’s performance all round was incredibly impressive, occupying smart pockets of space LFS struggled to pick up. A budding relationship seems to be forming between him and Filip, who found him on numerous occasions. Zizou created a great chance for Oli through this exact route before banging in what can only be described as an absolute SCREAMER from 40-yards: just before the halfway line, ball slightly bouncing, strikes it across his body – top-left corner. BOSH.
Second half was expectedly cagey but Blooms were tenacious enough to limit LFS to pretty much nothing. Except… this is hard to recall, let alone write. Picture the scene: Bloomsbury managing the last few minutes of the game, LFS losing their heads and hope, their parents on the verge of tears, a historic victory in sight and… A deflected own goal equaliser from a corner. This one hurt. We were so close. We deserved this. We’ve been so close to that big statement victory, but alas it wasn’t to be.
Plenty of takeaways, including how to deal with a high press: play fast and if nothing’s on, go long. Pressing, we weren’t quite at our best. Whilst we did force numerous dangerous turnovers, too many times we were sloppy in blocking the line and covering the diagonal. In fairness to LFS, they built up well and presented our press with novel problems, switching play well when shown inside. We can counter this better by our striker blocking the pass across and getting better pressure on the ball. I also don’t think we were as brave as we could have been, with the distances between our CMs and their CBs too big to put meaningful pressure on the ball.
Anyway, all-in-all a really encouraging performance that shows the level of this team. Particularly impressive given half of our team were down with hacking coughs, migraines, or returning from injury. The challenge now is to keep going: act like a big team on a daily basis and trust the process (I’m such an Arteta stan) to get us back to where we belong. I have every faith this can be a team that competes across the leagues. Hard work and grind will take us back there.
A wet, grey and dismal morning in Barnet for this cup tie against APY set to kick off nice and early at 9:30am. The pitch was on a slant and the furthest thing from a carpet you’ll find on this cold December morning. But nevertheless, the boys wanted to play football which they went out and tried to do as well as they could.
We took too many risks playing out from the back and tried to complete too many passes in and around our own box. The consequence of this was whenever we gave the ball away, the opposition were near to our goal, and that is how 3/4 of their goals were scored. Pouncing on our mistakes and being clinical. We created a few chances in the first half but we unfortunately were not clinical enough and went into the half 4-0 down. Away in a cup tie we should be winning comfortably.
The team talk was very simple during the break, we agreed we played back and in our own half too much, so we needed to play the second half in their half. Also, we agreed we have the belief and confidence we are still going to come back into this game and win. The attitude in the second half was second to none. We continued to play football, but this time it was in the oppositions half and chances were flooding in. Early on in the second half we grabbed a quick goal through Philip Thalahagama. The boys grabbed the ball and off we go! Momentum is on our side, and it did not stop.
Archie grabbed another goal after an assist from Philip. Captain fantastic Luke Bahia gets on the end of a cross from Noah and heads the ball into the back of the net.
4-3. You see and hear the confidence from everybody is sky high. Rupert as usual menacing down the left wing, wins a penalty after teasing the CB to dive into a challenge where he misses the ball and completely takes him out. Noah steps up and smashes the penalty in to make it 4-4.
More chances flood in for us but we can’t seem to take the lead. Until a moment of madness from the opposition with 2 minutes left. They play it to their right back who takes a touch forward without realising Rupert is pressing, and he gets the easiest goal he will score all season, tapping the ball into an empty net. The whole team runs to the corner and does the Jude Bellingham celebration. The comeback is complete, into the next round of the cup we go!
The bouncebackability (not sure if that is a word) the boys showed after being 4-0 down with half of the game left was my highlight. It was incredible to see. Noah Conway was our player of the match. His mentality going into the second half was quality. Taking the game by the scruff of the neck and controlling it. Constantly getting on the ball, constantly making the correct decision and was a driving force in the team winning the game. To improve we need to cut out the mistakes and to not give ourselves an uphill battle from the start of the game.
A tough loss for the boys although there were some moments of class to savour. Most notably a good counterattack from an opposition corner. Yacine pressed a poor touch, from inside the attacking half, and lobbed the keeper who was off his line, recovering from his high starting position. A great finish for a player who deserved a goal!
Levi Falade was our player of the match. A great performance from our captain. He led the line with authority and was a fantastic communicator in the game. He was positive with and without the ball, continued to encourage his team, and led as a captain. He was also aggressive in his 1v1s and calm in possession as we always looked to build our attack. It was fantastic having him back to lead the team!
The BFA girls really stepped up this match day with Marwa leading the warm up, Muzique volunteering to go in goal to start with and other players changing their usual positions to help the team out. BFA started the game with only 5 players due to a few being slightly delayed, however those that were late jumped straight in and we finished the game with 7 players. BFA conceded when we only had 5 on the pitch ,however, the girls were playing good football and were even creating good chances versus 7 opposition players.
The girls worked hard for themselves, the team running non stop to support the attack as well as get back to defend. Once the girls had 7 players on the pitch they had more opportunities to attack the opposition and due to their hard work, grabbed a last minute equaliser from Kayla in the last few seconds of the game. A super tough game due to numbers but a game to be proud of from the BFA girls.
My highlight was the resilience and determination of all the girls from the very start to get a result out of a game where the odds were stacked against them. Coaches player – everyone for the resilience they showed and the hard work they put in not just for themselves but for the team. Players player – Kayla for stepping up and going in defence when BFA only had 5 even though she’s an attacker. But also for her non stop running and last minute equalizer. This week we worked on passing accuracy and touch which the girls implemented brilliantly into the game. Next week we can be better by arriving on time where possible.
A much-improved Friday night performance was on display to wrap up 2023 at Market Road in the Camden and Islington Youth Football League. A hat-trick from Latrel, the last, an audacious finish from a ridiculously tight angle secured all 3 points. Finishing the year on a high. Reverting back to a familiar 2-3-1 formation, the key to success within this 7-a-side format is being able to shift the ball quickly, and regain possession as quick as possible. Both were on display here. Mo and Alpha were able to pocket the various opposition forwards, as well as drive out of the defensive third with possession. Leo controlled the midfield, keeping play ticking over effectively and efficiently. Maxwell, Rayane, and Sergey provided threats from wide areas where they were able to link up well with man of the match Latrel who’s finishing display was excellent.
My highlight of the match was a pressure-relieving long ball into the channel from Leo which was latched onto by Latrel who subsequently provided a fantastic deft finish from the by line to increase our advantage to 2. Latrel was our player of the match. Not only was his finishing excellent, but the varying threat he provided both as a hold-up striker bringing midfield players into play, as well a being able to run the channels and get beyond the opposition defence. To improve we need to understand that preparation is key. A few of the boys took an age to get ready.
The U15 Boys bounced back from a disappointing defeat last time out to exact revenge on Northwood in a dominating performance. 2 goals apiece from birthday boy Goncalo, Joe, and Simon was added to by a hat-trick by Mark to finish 2023 in the WFL with a win at ARK Elvin Academy. A mere 24 seconds were on the clock before BFA carved open the Northwood defence with Mark finishing with aplomb. 5 minutes later it was 2-0 after a well-taken, lofted finish from Simon. BFA looked comfortable, however, similar to last week, Northwood brought the score level to 2-2 with 30 minutes played after some lapses in concentration in the BFA defence. We’d go into the break with a slender lead after Mark slotted home a late chance.
The second half was to be a much easier half to manage after 3 quick fire goals put BFA 5-2 up and looking comfortable. The boys were creating triangles around the pitch, managing the game with with ease, led by the very impressive Leo. Further goals came via a double from an unfamiliar source in Joe as well as Goncalo to round off what was a very pleasing final fixture of 2023. The speed in which we started both halves was my highlight of the match. To score a goal in each half after only 24 seconds was impressive to say the least. Leo Duran was our player of the match. A highly professional display in a game which could easily have led to lapses in concentration and dropping of levels. The only thing missing was a goal.
It was a very impressive score line. We were confident, combative and competitive. We talked about how we should be communicating when organising one another and not being scared to make challenges. Kyri was our player of the match as he scored 8 goals. Open and shut case. The boys knew that this might be one of the easiest game in the season, however, we need to apply the things we did in this game into the bigger games later on in season. I really liked how we understood where to score the most of the goals quickly. I was really impressed with the overlaps by the right back and the through balls into the strikers. We were more vocal and present on the pitch.
Without many key players for this crucial clash, it was another good opportunity for the squad to showcase their strength in numbers! We set up in an unfamiliar 1-3-4-3 formation to accommodate the players we had at our disposal, and it worked wonders! We created numerous chances down their flanks – Levi tormenting their left fullback in 1v1 situations, while Jack was finding tons of space to run in behind their right side, proving our long ball from goalkeeper, Ridon, to be quite effective. Some of our one and two touch play in the middle third of the pitch was superb and our new central midfield combination of Yotam and Lukas, after some shaky moments out of possession early on in the game, quickly grew in confidence. They were soon running the show!
Yotam struck the crossbar with a swerving effort from miles out before Lukas forced a fine save from their keeper as his long range effort was headed for the top corner. The first goal was scored by Jack, closing down their goalkeeper as the clearance rebounded off of him and looped into an empty net- almost a carbon copy of the goal Eliot scored in the reverse fixture against them. The second goal was a thing of beauty! A fantastic passing pattern ended with Lukas playing a square ball across the box for Levi to slot home for his much deserved first goal of the season! The highlight of the game. He has been putting in some great performances in recent weeks and I can see his confidence is improving. A well deserved goal! 2-0 at the break.
The second half was more of the same. Eliot, after a short rest on the bench, returned to the field to notch two quick fire goals to put the game to bed. First he received the ball on the half turn, spun his defender and raced through on goal to beat the keeper with a cool finish. His second saw him twist and turn in tight spaces in the box, beating three defenders before firing his shot away which thundered in off the crossbar. We kept creating chances, especially down our right hand side where Philo, Reese and Levi really showed their understanding of each others games, utilising the space well and filling in for each other beautifully! Enfield found a consolation goal minutes from time as they threw the kitchen sink at us! An unnecessary goal to concede with another clean sheet in our grasp!
Lukas was our player of the match. A goal and assist from midfield as he ran the show! This week we worked on simple passing patterns as well as some game understanding which went along way in solidifying partnerships all over the pitch! Last training session of the year! Let’s end with high spirits as we head into 2024!
WE GO AGAIN IN 2024!
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