The boys were very good at applying the theme this week in their match. They retained the ball well to then exploit going forward. With more moments of counter attacking and the opposition taking more risks, the boys executed the game well. Outlets in wide areas were able to see the ball more with good control in midfield. Huge credit to Seb, Ford and Taaj who played very well.
The whole team were excellent, playing against a very good opposition and asking more questions than asked. Ethan said, “we were great today and managed the game effectively.” They were hungry and resilient and fully deserved the win.
This games MOTM goes to Ori Roukin, who was constantly displaying the theme in terms of retaining possession. This partnered with a very physical display and successfully breaking up the oppositions attack. When playing, goal was a constant option to play back to, this was enhanced by a very high starting position.
Very proud to see the team battle extremely well regardless of the score line and the age of the opposition. The group is going from strength to strength and is effectively displaying the knowledge regarding the theme and topics and both shapes that are being implemented (Square and Diamond). One correction to make going forward is to be more clinical in the future which leads nicely into this week’s theme of finishing in the final third.
The U7’s struggled after starting with only 3 players. Credit to the opposition coach who offered us a player to start the game as 5v4. After conceding in the first 7 minutes, Bloomsbury finally had a starting 5, where the players really managed to compete, were doing much better than the opening exchanges and were challenging for the remainder of the half.
Roka was picking out some excellent passes in our first 3rd to move possession to the midfielders and Henry was brilliant in initiating the press against the opposition goal kicks. Disappointing to end the half by conceding another goal as the team continued to struggle.
The opposition offered their sole sub to play for us ending the game with a 6v5 in our favour. A thankful acknowledgement to East End Lions, well deserved for the win, but their sportsmanship was top tier on the day. The boys have much more work needed and are hoping for a better performance in their next game.
Standards from all members of the team have dropped recently in all aspects. Effort, behaviour, technical application, and tactical application. Pax really did relight the fire this team needed with his performance this week, however, his application not just during the game, but before, after and when waiting to be subbed on shone through in his all-action performance in which he defended astutely, scored with aplomb, and followed the weeks theme more than any other player. Additionally, a special mention to Mathias for his terrific penalty kick double save.
Last week the team trialled a new formation against poor opposition. This week they were playing a stronger opposition, and although at times they struggled with shape, particularly in wide areas, the central areas were resolute which thwarted the opposition. There is room to improve on getting back to where they need to be, but the players won at Market Road after a difficult fixture last game. The team have slowly begun to realise what they are indeed capable of on the football pitch.
All were pleased with the win but agreed that the diamond shape they have now adopted needs to be applied more strictly not only to reduce the space for the opposition when out of possession but create space when in possession as they look to stretch the pitch and therefore the opposing team.
A great effort from the boys up against strong opponents. Bloomsbury dominated the entire match and were extremely unlucky not to score in the first half after a rapid start from the U9’s. The team always presses with intensity; however, the technical aspect was not up to a higher standard. They worked on how to angle their press to force the opponents to play a pass to a player that was being pressed, to set traps in midfield to win the ball back. This caused a number of turnovers where the boys countered and attacked at speed.
In the second half, a deep freekick from George Thompson, played a great pass across the pitch to Bastian Davis, with a sublime touch to control, and then passes off to Riku Takami, with a deflected finish and a well-deserved goal. Precision football at its best. Shortly after Bloomsbury conceded a goal mainly due to reluctant tackling, however, the team was back at it with the intensity that is great to see. 5 minutes before the end, the boys won the ball after a great press. On the half volley, Christian Gyabaah rifles in a finish across the keeper into the bottom right corner, a crisp strike. A great performance that once again reiterated how strong this team is, and the focus and dedication they show each week to not rest on their laurels and to keep pushing to reach new heights.
The team can improve on their aggression, which does not mean more fouls. Instead, they compete for the 50/50’s, go hard and strong into the press and tackles, and do not shy away from physicality. Every player showed this to a tee. The team will compete technically as they always do, but now they will develop this aggressive, physical side of the game to make them more well-rounded, and they understand this clearly.
Christian Gyabaah was unanimously selected as man of the match after his cracking finish into the bottom left corner. Another player whose attitude and effort has been absolutely brilliant this season and his form has been directly correlated to it.
A blistering start from the boys as they took the lead after only 12 minutes. Lukas Solomon, calm and composed, slots it into the bottom left corner with 3 players in front of him. Santi Caicedo takes the goal of the day after some intricate football developing on the left side, as the ball is played into him. He takes a touch, sets the ball to his left, and buries it into the top left corner, dropping the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration right after. Finally, a great pass from Santi in the midfield third to bypass 3 opposition players, with Andi Krasniqi sprinting for his life and a well-timed sliding finish.
The boys controlled the game, and the opposition could not lay a finger at any moment. They showed the weeks theme with their ability to recycle possession and switch the play through the goalkeeper which was brilliant. As a whole, The U9’s were in very simple terms, brilliant in all aspects. They set themselves up off the ball, the intricate, technical football on the ball, and the dogged aggression to win possession and cause turnovers.
The players were never scared of a 50/50, knowing how to press, with aggression, intensity, and intelligence. In a game where the boys were up against a number of players of great physicality, they held dominated. The physical battle was great to see. Amir Boudebane was selected as man of the match for his tireless energy, and ability to impose himself physically against larger opponents. The team showed a different side to their game, comfortable playing the technical game, but able to compete physically and aggressively.
Although it was very cold and windy, the girls did exceptionally well to score so many goals and push themselves with different challenges throughout the game, earning another victory! As Coach Tom says, “each player should be proud of their performance”.
During training this week, the girls focused on ‘Retaining to create, using the GK as an outfield player’. This involved building the GK’s confidence and awareness, developing skills and turns on the ball and listening to communication, whilst being creative and producing effective movement on the ball.
It is clearly evident that the girls were able to replicate what they learnt in training into the match, as very few goals were conceded, showing real confidence and skill on the ball, especially in defence. Their last encounter with Vicky Park Rangers saw a much closer score line, reinforcing their success in strengthening their defence and ability to play out from the back. All the girls successfully implemented their training objectives, so well in fact that challenges were given to each player at half time, in which the attackers completed 50% of their targets, by all scoring from outside the box. Niyah, Kaya and Ilva all bagged four goals each, making this a very high scoring and entertaining game.
One goal scorer that stood out for both the coach, players and parents was Frankie- who has also been awarded the player of the match. Throughout the game she played with a smile on her face and showed a lot of courage and drive, in which her passion and determination was rewarded with her first goal for Bloomsbury! Her excitement from scoring was expressed through many more smiles and giggles, as well as a lot of pride voiced by her parents. All the girls should be just as happy as Frankie after this game, with improvements showing week to week it is exciting to see what this team will show us next.
Morley opened the scoring around 10 minutes into the match, making a darting run forward to get on the end of a fantastic ball. A brilliant solo run from Oli doubled Bloomsbury’s lead but shortly after, a small defensive error led to Tetherdown Blues scoring just before halftime. The Bloomsbury boys created a wonderful counterattack led by Samuel, where Oli was played through and calmly finished the 1-on-1 roughly 10 minutes from the end of play. Jorge Camacho said that “at the beginning of the second half, we were more focused on winning the game than anything else, so we lost our shape a bit and made more mistakes.”
Morley Southern performed very well, with a clinical finish after a well-timed run to open the scoring. He showed excellent defensive discipline in the second half to maintain the lead and a good display of positional awareness in both the attack and defence. Jon Dedinca showed great examples of pressing in all areas of the pitch, giving the opponents very little time on the ball, forcing a handful of errors. Jacob Dos Santos demonstrated excellent footwork and ball manipulation, catching his opponents off guard, and creating chances for his teammates. Samuel Ogrodnik carried this week’s theme forward, demonstrating excellent pass selection and retention of possession, providing a wonderful assist alongside many great switches of the play. Vanya Teterin Kapichnikov’s work effort did not go unnoticed today. His constant pressing and use of his physicality caused major issues for the opposition and often lead to them being out of position. He dealt very well with the negative comments and roughness from the opposition and did not let it affect his game. Archie-Blu Christou performed incredibly well in centre back, playing in a position he did not feel comfortable, making loads of important tackles, constantly scanning to spot the danger, and sticking with his man on all set pieces. A very deserved man of the match award.
A great overall team performance as all players showed great knowledge of passing priorities, and demonstrated this on numerous occasions, making correct decisions that allowed them to retain the ball for extended periods of time. Bloomsbury’s ball retention was excellent. The boys maintained possession for the majority of the match, creating plenty of chances, and giving the opposition very little of the ball.
Another Man of the Match display from Zak who has demonstrated fantastically the week’s theme and topic within his performances. Making the right wing-back position his own, Zak has showed fantastic positional awareness to first receive the ball in some great areas, and the select the correct decision time and time again in terms of whether to pass or to dribble in which both have been executed with aplomb. This coupled with his desire to want the ball when under pressure has been really impressive and has 100% set the tone for the rest of the team to follow suit.
Acknowledgment from the squad of players that their performances have merited more in previous weeks was great to hear, however it doesn’t beat the delight in securing that much needed and very much deserved victory that the team have deserved. The U10 black team showed hard work, focus, and desire to succeed which was well and truly deserved.
The last 2 weeks with the U10 Black team have been fantastic. The game was richly deserved, and the team should feel a large sense of misfortune that they haven’t picked up better results. A shift to a new formation is always tricky, however this group of players have taken to the new 3-2-1 variation like ducks to water. What has been learnt and pushed in training has also been demonstrated in games which is always great to see. Every single player is improving session by session and there is confidence that the results to come will reflect the progress made.
Leonardo from the U11 Blacks made his JPL debut, and Noah Conway and Alfie Demetriou had lots of success in many 2v3 and 2v4 situations where their combination play, and support runs off the ball which allowed them to evade pressure from multiple defenders. Alfie’s skill on the ball combined with Noah’s clever touches and runs off the ball were a constant threat down the right wing and were the source of a lot of Bloomsbury’s successful moves.
Also a really impressive showing from Archie and Mo, being able to back up forward players to create overloads that were worked on last week in different areas of the pitch. The back 3 had an interesting challenge playing against a very high Future Football Elite line. They’re front 3 remained high for the whole game which put an interesting twist on the game for Troy, Xander and Rabah. This meant that they had to pick moments wisely as to when they joined the attack or carried the ball as it would leave them underloaded. At times Xander and Archie, whilst playing holding midfield, would cover the forward run of the full back to ensure the team had balance and security in their back 3. The communication of Alex Crocombe in goal was crucial to this transition.
Adam Butragueno, an U11 Gold, was fantastic on the side-lines as the Assistant Manager. He noticed the defensive organisation and changed the formation at half-time! He was also checking up on the subs and made sure that everyone was happy with their instructions before entering the pitch.
Bloomsbury conceded an early opener through sloppy defending, with the Crown Pro Elite forwards getting in behind our defensive line and finishing in the bottom corner. They doubled their advantage soon after through an unfortunate own goal. Despite Morgan’s excellent communication between the sticks, there was a misunderstanding, and the ball was passed into our own net. It wasn’t a great start but the Bloomsbury boys, playing a year up, continued to work hard. Bloomsbury then conceded a penalty when the oppositions striker tripped over a flailing leg, but Morgan was the hero, saving to his right much to the joy of his teammates and our supporters on the side line! The biggest positive from the first half was DeNiro’s introduction and impact; he gave the team energy and kept the oppositions defenders under pressure, ensuring they had no time on the ball with his high press. Others followed his lead in the second half and, despite conceding a goal on the counterattack from a corner, Bloomsbury pulled one back through Ardi. Mason then got a second to give Bloomsbury hope.
Vanya, playing up from his usual age group, impressed at the back and organised the defensive unit really well. It was great to see him looking so confident at the back. In regard to the theme and topic, the team still needs further work when retaining possession, but there was excellent use of Morgan in goal to switch the play, with our full backs coming wide to receive. There were also good examples of passing priorities, with Ardi and Zac Levan-Harris playing forward where possible but not being afraid to play back and reset where required.
It was enjoyable seeing the team working hard and pressing high in the second half to put the opposition under pressure. The team never bowed down to the older opposition, they would break up the play and win 1v1 battles. However, it was mostly individual errors that cost the boys goals and took them out of the game.
This weekend saw the last fixture of the year for our U12’s, in which they end on a high! Their hard work and constant improvements resulted in a victory and their first clean sheet of the season so far.
During training this week, the girls focused on ‘Retaining to create, using the GK as an outfield player’. This involved building the GK’s confidence and awareness, developing skills and turns on the ball and listening to communication, whilst being creative and producing effective movement on the ball.
Coach Emma has expressed her joy and pride towards the girls’ performance today, in which the focus areas in training truly paid off. Following the girls exceptional performance on Friday at the CIYFL, and with Phoebe back, the bar was set very high. The girls did not disappoint, especially Phoebe who used her great distributions to build the attack from the back. The change in formation from a 1-2-3-1 to 1-2-1-2-1 complimented this, as it created depth to allow passing lines and more space. The counter attacks and playing from the back were possible due to Eleonore’s vital role in shutting down 1v1 attacks and ability to read play, making her commitment to training extremely evident. The final third saw three great finishes from Jet and Janet, which were possible due to Aliki’s positioning providing these players with support in attack.
Eleanore’s dad mentioned how this is the best he’s seen her play, which Emma agrees with. The improvement in not only Eleanore’s performance but the whole team is very hopeful to watch, making the team’s upcoming games in the New Year exciting to see what they will bring to the table next.
Having Janet step up and playing as a goalkeeper in Phoebe’s absence helped the girls apply the topic of the week in a particular way – as an outfield player played in goal. Janet is confident on the ball which is a real game changer. Her vision of the game is highly advanced, so having a strong player behind them aided the girls in trusting their goalkeeper, playing the ball backwards on numerous occasions in order to play forward. Something we have worked on in training is understanding when to make good decisions, taking more time on the ball (challenging the girls to play with two touches to avoid losing the ball against a high press), and assessing our passing priorities – forward, sideways, backwards. The change in the usual formation from a 1-2-3-1 to a 1-2-1-2-1 created depth, and allowed the girls to effectively create active angles, passing lines, and “lots of shapes”.
Our women of the match were undoubtedly Marwa and Laura – the latter made her debut for the Girl’s Academy in this match. Marwa, usually a winger, adapted superbly to playing at the left back, closing the gap between the offence and defence, working very hard to track back and retrieve the ball despite players getting past – no one got past her without a fight. Despite her small stature, Laura’s strength was demonstrated in her ability to be strong on the ball and off of the ball. Her ball striking caused numerous problems for the opposition goalkeeper, hitting the crossbar a few too many times. Her reading of the game in and out of possession was very impressive, a great first appearance for the ball and crown! When the girls conceded, they didn’t stop. They forced the goalkeeper under pressure and stole a goal back within two minutes.
It was very impressive to see this group of girls in this fixture. Having lost to this particular opposition in the first game of the season, it was the starting point to their development – a score worthy of a cricket match. The game not only represents their hard work and commitment to training, but their ability to bounce-back under pressure, challenge a tough opposition, and demonstrate that hard work pays off.
It took just 3 minutes for Bloomsbury to open the scoring through Jake Cameron, who finished with a half volley into the roof of the net. Soon after he grabbed his second of the day, snaking through the defence and finishing with the outside of his right foot. It was an excellent start from Bloomsbury, but it was a perfect example of the need for focus in defensive areas throughout, as we conceded from wide areas and Benfica snuck in behind to score from a tight angle. The second half performance was rampant, scoring six goals and creating many more chances, particularly through Simon who had his best game for Bloomsbury to date! Simon made it three immediately after half-time as he received the ball in midfield, raj at speed finished at the near post, despite the keepers best efforts to keep it out. The fourth came from Jake Cameron, as he tapped in on the goal line, following Simon’s effort to score his second! But Simon’s second did come soon after as he finished a lovely team mood. Jake scored his fourth and fifth as the Bloomsbury boys, hungry for the ball, couldn’t stop scoring, and Jake finished off his excellent performance on the right wing! Joe Barron, playing in centre midfield in the second half, finished from a cross to make it 8 and score his first Super League goal of the season!
Special mentions must go to Jake Cameron and Joel Goodgame, who were superb in the midfield and created chance after chance for those in attacking positions. Joel won the ball and played forwards wherever possible, whilst Jake gave Benfica nightmares with his unpredictable wing play, often cutting in and shooting whilst also using his left to cross or cut back. The best performances of the season to date! On the other wing, Simon never stopped running up and back, understanding his defensive responsibilities whilst displaying a real threat playing on the shoulder of the last defender. As the game reached the final few minutes, it was good to see the retention of possession to create attacking opportunities, switching play through Orhan in goal, and building up using fuses whilst considering passing priorities.
The team were patient in possession, created many opportunities and we were so creative! This was recognised by the opposition coaches and saw 6 second half goals! Joe Barron was delighted to get on the score sheet, having played the majority of the season to date on the left side of defence. It was great to see him grab a goal!
The Girls Super League (GSL) saw another successful match for our U14’s against new opponents Sprinfield in a friendly at St.James’.
During training this week, the girls focused on ‘Retaining to create, using the GK as an outfield player’. This involved building the GK’s confidence and awareness, developing skills and turns on the ball and listening to communication, whilst being creative and producing effective movement on the ball.
The transition of objectives learnt in training to matches is extremely visible when it comes to these girls, adn this week is no exception. The confidence to play out from the back was seen through Clara’s good saves and then Carla’s ability to rescue the ball through poking it away from those dribbling towards her, in order to push the play up the pitch. Movement like this created goals for Yas, Laura and Theresa. All these goals were fantastic, but in particular Laura’s first one in which she had an amazing driven finish. Laura earnt player of the match through her brilliant work ethic throughout the game, as well as her clear development as a player, which her coach Kieran highlighted.
Not only was her coach pleased with her performance, but Laura herself exclaimed her happiness for her goals and how fun the match was, which was reflected in all the girls’ attitudes during and after the game. Going forward, finishing in the final third are the key aspects that need to be worked on in order to utilise all the girls’ chances, of which there is every faith in the girls that this will happen!
Raphy Chester recognized many times where the space was to receive the ball in behind the opposition’s defensive line. He combined really well with Dylan Summerhayes to break the opposition’s compact lines. The team have been in really good form lately. Marlowe Wigram said it was a “really positive result and positive performance from all players. We are going to keep working hard to achieve our goals by the end of the season.”
It is really pleasing to see how the team approached the game. Even in difficult conditions with the cold weather and a muddy pitch, players showed a positive reaction after Friday’s defeat to AIFC and that shows that the players have future as individuals and a team. The boys have played 5 matches so far in the JPL and have won 4 and only lost 1. It is crucial that in the next few games, we finish as high as we can in our group.
Dylan Summerahayes once again worked hard on and off the ball and there was a positive presence for the whole match. He managed to score a goal and to create many chances. He carried last week’s theme and topic on the pitch where he recognised when the right moment was to retain possession of the ball.
It was a really frustrating loss and especially with the way it happened. Being 2-0 up, we managed to give the opposition the opportunity to get back to the game from our mistakes. A day to forget especially after the 5 wins the team had in a row during November. The boys are going to keep focusing and working hard to improve those individual and team mistakes. Joao Paolo Ferreira said “we didn’t start the game bright as we usually do, and we were lucky not to concede first. We managed to score 2 really nice goals before half time. We let ourselves down by giving two goals away because we lost our concentration.”
Log in to your portal to book on to this event.
Not a member of Bloomsbury Football yet?
WELCOME TO BLOOMSBURY FOOTBALL.
You can now book onto sessions or camps.
The Bloomsbury team look forward to meeting you!