Good game despite the result. We played a great first half with loads of chances to score against a very strong team. The players are building a strong bond between one another which is positive and supports solidarity within the team. They still need to work on confidence with the ball and how to pass to move towards the oppositions goal. The players ended the game with a smile on their face which really showcases one of our most important values at Bloomsbury: positivity. We dominated most of the first half. It was goalless but there were many chances. Players where continuously pressing to regain the ball and counterattack. Currently the major strength of the team.
Player of the match was David. He did a really good job in goal, performing great saves for the team. After coming out of goal to play upfield, he managed to score his first goal which gave the team confidence to keep trying till the end!
We only had David and Michael from the players that turned up in training so they were all getting used to working together and adapting to the team. They are all improving every week and performing better together. To improve we need to develop motor skills, improve ball control and passing.
A tough game going 2-0 down very early. It look like it would be our first loss of the season. However, two quick goals from Ezekial Akopowon took us to 2-2 at the break. Then within the first 5 mins of second half Ezekial went through again to take us 3-2. Unfortunately a quick goal on the counter attack shortly after made it 3-3 and levelled the score until the end of the game. My favourite moment was when Liam Bailey played forward on his first touch into space to then create a chance for James Gallier, who almost scored in the first couple minutes. Ezekial was our player of the match as he was very brave going into his 1v1’s. When he made mistakes he acknowledged them and attempted to win the ball back!
This weeks training sessions were focused on learning counter attacks and how quickly can we punish the opposition for losing possession. Throughout the game there were glimpses of this which really impressed me. To improve we need to learn how to create good quality chances and not trying to force goal scoring opportunities.
It was a tricky first half for Bloomsbury, with Camden Elite scoring 6 goals throughout. After some key points were discussed during half-time, the Bloomsbury girls came out with a different mindset. They started the second half on the front foot and had three really good chances. Alexandra made an amazing run through the Camden Elite defence and got a shot off which was saved by their goalkeeper. Emily, one of our new signings, got herself in a perfect position between Camden’s defenders and after a sublime pass from Alexandra, finding herself 1v1 with the goalkeeper. Unfortunately her shot was blocked. Bloomsbury really showed an added desire on this second half, not letting Camden much time on the ball. However, Camden scored three goals in quick succession. Before the final whistle was blown Aniera had a great shot from out wide which was also denied by the goalkeeper.
My favourite moment was Alexandra’s through ball to Emily, which was perfectly timed and hit to perfection. This went on to create a massive opportunity for Bloomsbury, deservedly our player of the match. She took up a new role in central midfield and was like a duck to water. She did not give up and was everywhere. Never allowed Camden any time on the ball and made some wonderful contributes to Bloomsbury higher up the pitch as well.
This weeks training focused on counter attacking and positioning when receiving a pass. Alexandra and Emily’s link up play in the second half showcased what we had worked on during the week. For next week, if we can pressure the opposition straight from the first half and get our positions right, we will have a good chance against any opponent.
Tightest game of the year so far for the Gold team. Playing against a strong PFA side with good individuals our game plan changed to focus on pressing and winning the ball high up the pitch. However, we went 1-0 down thanks to a great cross from the opposition winger. Kingsley was fouled at the edge of the area and then converted his free kick to make it 1-1. Unfortunately, the game was called short at half time as Camden, our league organisers, had to change the fixture as some teams from other games didn’t turn up leading to a 3 way mini tournament with Benfica. The boys then beat Benfica 4-0 and went home feeling slightly disappointed not playing the full match against PFA.
Matty’s last man sliding tackle to save a certain goal was my moment of the match. The passion he showed after was also class. Deservedly our player of the match. Have you ever seen a brick wall in defence ? He was unbelievably solid at the back breaking up attacks and laying the ball off to the midfielders. I’m very happy with how things went. This week we worked on a lot of fundamentals and decision making. I believe it helped as better conclusions were made during the game. To improve we need to be more confident and display bravery on the ball. To play short even when we are under pressure.
A dominant performance all round. The goals were pouring in from minute one. The second of which was something to behold. Starting from the back the boys swept forward on the left side and played a great ball into the box where Elias was on hand to finish brilliantly with his left foot. The rest of the game followed suit with Ori in goal having little to do. Jake was immense all game, creating problems on the ball everywhere he played. But it was a great last ditch tackle at the end which ensured a clean sheet for BFA.
Gustave was our player of the match. Brilliant at CB; calm, composed and unselfish. He ran the game from the back with excellent decisions on when to dribble and when to pass. With a couple of assists to his name, he is absolutely deserving of the man of the match award.
Decision making and confidence. The two biggest factors which affected our performance last time round. These two aspects in any sport (and life!) are important. The boys today really took on board the training and created opportunities from themselves and others. Consistency is key. After a fantastic week at training and game day, it’s important to keep the momentum going.
This was for sure the toughest game this team has had this season playing 9 a side. The opposition had won all of their other games as well this season – which meant this was set to be a game much closer then any other so far. The start of the game was cagey – lots of challenges, hard work and desire shown on the pitch. Winchmore took an early lead through a long range strike from the edge of the box. However, Bloomsbury started to feel their way back into the game. Yasser winning a free kick far out. Edgar stepped up and scored a amazing goal over the keeper’s head and into the top corner. BFA then started to get on top of the game, with chances coming from Christian and Edgar. Both needing the keeper to tip the ball around the post. Against the run of play Winchmore scored a scrappy goal which meant that they came into the half time a goal ahead.
The half time message was clear – focus on our game and our passing we can get the next goal. It was vital however that the hard work continued. Within two minutes of the half restarting we won a free kick just within their half. Thanks to brilliant quick thinking from Christian he played a quick free kick over the top for Bastian to run onto and strike into the top corner. My favourite moment of the match. The following twenty minutes was mainly led by dominant BFA possession. Alex and Andi in particular keeping it solid at the back. Santi caused lots of problems down the right hand side but we just couldn’t get that final shot away. With two minutes to go a long ball was played over our defence – Rex our GK came out and cleared the ball which deflected off their player and was trickling towards our own goal. Flavio managed to run back in time, Cruyff turn near our goal line and play a brilliant pass out of defence. The game ended in a draw but with three Black Team players stepping up and against a difficult opposition I was very happy of the effort and performance from the team.
Christian Gyabaah was our player of the match. Christian started on the wing and did well but once he played up front he took his game to another level. He held the ball up really well and was able to bring others into the game, connecting our back to our front. He also had a shot narrowly flash wide in the first half. Our focus for the week was recycling the ball. In attacking scenarios we did this well playing the ball from one side to the other well. We need to make sure we are closing down the shots, especially from the opposition taking shots from the edge of the area.
This past weekend we came against a side in the cup who are a division above us. Another week another showing of the quality we have as a team and the heart we show week in week out to never give up. Win, lose or draw. From the first whistle it was obvious that the division difference between the two teams didn’t mean anything to the mighty BFA side and that they were not going to let LCC Reds dominate the game at any point.
In a game that could have finished 12-10 to either side it was a brilliant showcase of talent from both sides where at times you just had to stand and admire the quality of football that was on show. LCC Reds unfortunately winning 1-0, but many positives can be taken from this game despite the result.
Kristiano with an outstanding block to deny a LCC Reds goal throwing himself in front of the ball was a major highlight for me. Zak Dalvi was our player of the match for never giving up, winning his individual battles and looking like a threat every time he ventured forward.
This weeks training impacted the game by taking into account our 1 v 1 defending and how we can build a counter attack. Next week we can be better by being more confident in 1 v 1 situations and not shying away from the battle when needed.
A cold, wet and early Sunday morning on a grass pitch in Enfield is where our first cup game of the season took place. We were coming up against opposition we just beat in the league the weekend before, so we knew they would be coming out for revenge. The main information for the boys was to start the game and match with their intensity from minute one, which is exactly what Freddie Littner did. He picked up the ball and skipped past two defenders down the right wing. His cross/shot is helped in by the goalkeeper, 1-0 to the Blooms in the first minute! We continued to play at a high level and dominated the next 15-20 minutes with quick, slick passing on the wet surface. But if you don’t take your chances the opposition always has an opportunity to get back into the game. They did just that after a clearance from our goalkeeper landed at the feet of an Enfield midfielder, who smartly controlled the ball and volleyed into the goal to make it 1-1.
This gave Enfield some excitement but that was quickly taken away by a superb thirty yard strike from Tristan Turner. Straight into the top bin. Our dominance paid off after some more incredible football as we played out from the back then into midfield, combining with some great one touch football. This led to a switch of play to Freddie Littner who provided an inch perfect first time cross to the back post for Rupert Robinson to run on to and clinically put the boys 3-1 up right on half time.
The second half started and Enfield came out with a point to prove and upping their aggression. Early on in the half a ball in behind led to a one on one which was scored and the cup tie was back on for Enfield. For the next 5-10 minutes we defended diligently and put our bodies on the line when necessary. Within this time Alex Crocombe made a great double save from a corner kick. The referee proceeded to say went over the line. After deliberation with his assistant, he overturned his decision and it remained 3-2. We grabbed back the momentum of the game and proceeded to dominate again, creating chance after chance. Tristan had two long range efforts saved by the goalkeeper and Rupert hit the post. All in the space of 5 minutes.
We continued to push and finally from a corner kick, the ball dropped to the edge of the box to Rabah Sayid who had the composure in a packed box to pick out Rupert who finds the far corner with his left foot. Wheeling away in celebration with his teammates with full knowledge that the tie was in the bag. 2 minutes later, Zeid worked hard in the corner to win the ball back and puts in a great cross to find Freddie at the back post to finish smoothly into the corner. With the last attack of the game after great ball movement, Freddie finds Noah Conway on the edge of the box who showed great technique placing the ball first time in the bottom corner to round off a fantastic cup tie. Sending the Blooms into the next round.
The 5-10 minute spell after the opposition scored their second goal to make it 3-2 was great to see from my perspective. We were under a lot of pressure and had to weather the storm. The boys showed great resilience and team spirit to come through this stage of the game and go ahead. Finishing the game off in superb fashion scoring another 3 goals and not conceding. Our player of the match could have been anyone, but today it was Freddie Littner. He was a constant threat attacking wise, showed exactly why I call him a pressing demon by constantly causing havoc amongst the opposition. He scored two goals and also grabbed two assists to help the team to this big win.
Training was focused on morale boosting and goals galore and that’s exactly what worked for the weekend. The boys were in a great mood, played great and scored some great goals. It will be hard to improve as they were so good on Sunday, but we can be more clinical in terms of taking our chances. The score could have been in double digits if we finished some more of our chances.
We knew it was going to be a tough game, given the team we were playing and 4 players from our starting XI missing. The opposition took advantage of our mistakes and scored 3 quick goals but then one of our strikers, Elliot, managed to score our first goal. In the second half we made the same mistakes and again the opposition punished us. Mickey was able to score a top class free-kick, but that was not enough since they scored 5 times in the second half making it 8-2 in their favour. My favourite moment would be Mickey’s free kick. Top quality. It was far away from the goal but he managed to put enough power and effort on it that the goalkeeper had no chance of saving this one.
Player of match is Mickey. His performance defensively was incredible, at times he would drive with the ball from the defence towards the opposing defence and pass it through, looking to be an attacking threat. He scored a magnificent free-kick and his overall performance, under those circumstances, was exceptional.
Training this week impacted how we wanted to play and how we ended up playing. We did not have the chance to show our true colours as a team and we did not have enough intensity or will. Our mentality was lacking and this is something that needs to be fixed. This game is a good example for us to reflect upon. We made a lot of mistakes defensively and did not work as a team. Out of character for us. We faced a lot of difficulties and it was tough. We can focus on our mistakes and our build-up as a team, to create a strong mindset and boost our mentality so we can remain confident at all times. We can definitely achieve great things as a team!
A slow start from Bloomsbury once again was to prove to be too big a task this week for the U15 Boys. Losing out to a clinical Whetstone Wanderers Panthers. BFA struggled to find a rhythm for the first 30 minutes of the game, misplacing passes and not providing support to one another in attacking areas. This combined with a few unavoidable mistakes led to a 3-1 deficit at half-time. Mark’s sensational set-piece strike from 35 yards out giving the boys a lifeline. The second half produced a much better performance in which BFA were able to create clever triangles down the left hand side of the pitch to constantly threaten the Panthers back line. However, failure to convert our chances as well as being caught on the break would be the undoing in a disappointing fixture.
It was an interesting tactical battle between the two squads. BFA looked to keep possession and draw pressure, with Belsize sitting in a compact mid/low block. That meant we had to take the game to Belsize. Looking to establish possession high and break down their block through rotations, quick combinations, and individual dribbling actions. The boys dealt well with the new challenge but lacked some discipline and composure on the ball, meaning we conceded a lot of chances on the break as we turned over possession sloppily. There was a superb moment where our RW, RB, ST and RCM all combined down, you guessed it, the right flank with some superb rotations to release Charlie on the right wing. Charlie, who I have never seen complete a skill move in his life, pulled out an outrageous roulette and nutmeg before putting in a superb cross. Skills, skills, and more skills.
Jake Mintz claims the man of the match award today with an absolutely immense performance in midfield. Jake has been very steady this season, has trained very well, and has been improving week on week. He consistently sees the right pictures, but often has just lacked a little bit of composure in the execution. Jake was calm, aggressive with and without the ball, and played some fantastic ‘unlocking’ passes. He also popped up with a goal. It all clicked with Jake today and I’m really pleased with his performance.
We’ve been looking at our paired and three-player movements/rotations. It’s been good to see the lads have clear intentions with their first-touches, and to see their teammates react to the space they open with those touches. We’re seeing much more paired actions within games, and we are starting to see more spontaneous rotations and improvisational movements when it comes to taking space and unbalancing defences. Next week, we need to ensure that we retain our composure with the ball without becoming too relaxed or casual. Their goals came from a lack of discipline with the ball, so we need to retain our focus and have clear intentions when we have the ball, not just holding possession for the sake of it. Off-the-ball, we need to ensure that we maintain our high standards with our aggressive press and counter-press.
We had only eight players available for our away cup fixture. We decided to line up in a 3-3-1 formation. Belsize got off to a good start, winning a corner in the first minute. Nothing came of it as their shot went over the bar. We start to find our feet. A great driving run by Markus results in a foul in the box. The ref has no choice but to blow for a penalty. Markus gets up and takes the penalty, calmly slotting it into the bottom corner. 1-0 BFA!! Belsize respond with a bit of pressure. Its tough, we were away, we had 8 men, but we were up for the fight. A long ball by Tom is allowed to bounce by Belsize’s defenders. All of a sudden Markus is in, 2-0 BFA!!
Belsize began growing into the game. We over play at the back, Saul getting caught on the ball, and Belsize’s striker wins it off him. Slotting the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. Belsize begin to make their 3 extra men count. They win another free kick on the edge of our area. Their midfielder strikes it well, great save by Tom, but its rebounded straight to their striker who misses from 3 yards out!!! Another long kick by tom, Belsize defenders once again misjudge the ball. Guess who’s through again? Markus gets on the end of it to slot home his hattrick. Player of the match award sealed. 3-1 BFA!!
The game is flowing back and forth, the next goal is crucial. We win a free kick just inside our half. Tom decides to take it, hitting a ferocious shot which cannons off the post. It kindly falls to Lamin who slots home from 3 yards out. 4-1 BFA!! A poetic moment which encapsulated the difference between the two teams.
Belsize come out strong for the second half. We decide to play counter as we’ve got the goals and we still have 8 players. Belsize’s winger flashes a cross into the box, Willem sticks out a leg and unfortunately diverts into he’s own goal. 4-2. The pressure starts to build. Once again the next goal is crucial. Belsize play into midfield, Flint slides and wins the ball. He drives past two defenders and slots bottom corner. 5-2 BFA!! We are through to the next round!!!!!!!!!
The resilience we showed playing with 8 players was my highlight of this performance. This week we worked on shooting. Our finishing was clearly better. To improve we need to be better on the ball, taking less touches.
BFA went into this match level on points with the opposition at the top of the table. Some scintillating football on display ensured that goal difference shouldn’t come into the equation. Our one and two touch play combined with our movement off the ball, was too much for the opposition to handle, resulting in some wonderful team goals. Our fluidity in possession meant that players were able to occupy multiple positions on the pitch. Pick of the bunch was Luke with his 5-goal haul, assists, tackles and high energy. He was simply on fire. A sign of things to come over the remainder of the weekend.
My moment of the match was when Luke, who could’ve scored himself, was unselfish and played a simple ball into the path of Jayden to complete his hat trick. Unfortunately, he fluffed his lines completely from about two yards out, missing in comical fashion. This week worked on the defensive side of the game. The only goal we conceded was a sloppy own goal. To improve we need to keep that elusive clean sheet!
Following on from Friday’s performance our ruthless streak continued. 6-0 up at half time with six different goal scorers. Again, some of our combination play was sublime. Always looking to get in behind the opposition defence and by playing through the lines to create clear goal scoring opportunities. We kept plugging away and got our due reward for our efforts by securing BFA’s place in the next round of the cup. 12-0 the full time score, Luke with his second hat-trick in three days following on from his 5-goal showing on Friday evening. Another player of the match performance. Having 9 different goal scorers on the day was great to see.
This week we worked on pressing. Timing and who is responsible for leading in different areas of the pitch. We won the ball high up the field quite quickly and regularly to build attacks. Moving forward we need to keep team spirit high heading into the weekend ahead of the half term break.
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