St James’ Catholic School staged Saturday’s skirmish and the U14s started strongly, applying the pressure and placing their staple all over Camden; just unable to finish the phases with the goal they deserved for their exploits.
The message was loud and clear when they entered the first break: patience. Don’t rush, the goals will come. The team re-entered the pitch but seemingly became overwhelmed, in a bid to try relax and calm down the play, the opposite happened and passes found themselves going astray and the illusive goal looked further away than before.
In response, the formation was switched from the usual three-at-the-back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing the team to press higher with two natural wingers in Josh and Adam. This change in strategy was a masterstroke, causing both goals as the team set more effective pressing traps much easier thanks to the extra wide players as Camden now found themselves as the ones struggling to get out of their half.
Entering the last quarter of an hour, Camden would get one back to make the final stages of the match a much more nervous one for Bloomsbury, but they found a way and managed the game very well to see themselves through to the final whistle victorious. Massive shoutout to goalkeeper Elvin on his debut, he was out quickly and confidently, and was great with his hands too.
Losing is a negative, but the performance was anything but. Especially from Princess Avia, she turned the game around and her brace uplifted the girls, she combined brilliantly with Mila in midfield too, their individual strength on the ball sanctioning their symmetric synergy.
The team’s efforts in defending the counter was shattering, quite literally: when they lost the ball in the opposition’s third every one of them sprinted back to stop the incoming shot and is why all the girls were exhausted by the end of the match. Despite the result, the performance was great and marked a distinct improvement since the start of the season as pointed out by some of the faithful Bloomsbury Dads. Big shoutout also to debutant Isolina who’s endeavour shone through and made a great impression on the coach.
A tough game for the U9s. They competed hard in the first half and were unfortunate to be behind, however, after a few reshuffles at the break, the game went beyond the team conceding too many in quick concession. The result was unkind but the effort from the players cannot be faulted and on another day more would have hit the back of the net and the score-line would have been brought back to their favour. Massive well-done to Amir Boudebane who represented the Bloomsbury badge perfectly with his relentless fight, aggression and tenacity, looking to the game to the opposition at every moment.
A big second half of the season for the U9s is coming up, and what better way to kick start it then bouncing back for the next game!
Riku opened the scoring with a tidy finish around ten minutes in, Kurt added a second just before half-time with a well-placed strike. Christian scored a wonderful chip shortly after play resumed, with George scoring the winner late in the second half with an excellent ranged strike.
It was a really impressive team performance for so many reasons: excellent decision making when passing that allowed multiple attacks to begin – following on perfectly from this week’s theme and topic of ‘passing priorities when playing through the thirds’, the team transitioned from attack to defence well – maintaining formation and positioning well, players on the side-lines made multiple insightful comments on positioning and how they thought they may be able to improve when on the pitch which allowed the coach to use his substitutions effectively, but maybe best of all – the number of special performances.
Riku showed excellent determination and skill, constantly pressing the opposition, giving them very little time on the ball, and creating multiple opportunities when in possession, topping off the performance with a clinical strike. Kurt played very well in the midfield, battling for the ball at all times and forcing errors out of the opposition, he also demonstrated good decision making in possession of the ball, carefully choosing his passes and when to drive forward. Alex, this month’s captain, showcased solid positioning, good strength and ball-winning abilities in the defence. Deniro performed excellently, beating many players with well-timed tricks and skills, unlucky to not have scored but created many opportunities for his teammates, his fearless pressing and recovery did not go unnoticed! Christian defended well, stopping multiple opposition attacks and scoring a brilliant chip, catching the goalkeeper off his line. George kept going till the end, chasing the opposition down and winning the ball back in all areas of the pitch, scoring a fantastic goal from range to win the game in the dying minutes. Bastian constantly pressed the opposition and closed them down with great pace, limiting the time the opposition had on the ball, interrupting their decision making, another player very unlucky not to score today, getting close on multiple occasions. Joao made some great saves when in goal, and, when outfield, positioned himself very well and used his skill to beat multiple opponents and retain the ball very well. Vinny was very solid defensively, stopping multiple counter-attacks, and stepping up to meet the opposition in the appropriate scenarios.
A brilliant victory for the Bloomsbury U9s in the Camden and Islington Youth Football League.
Another seriously impressive performance and victory from the U9s, once again with many classy cameos.
The energy and intensity from the whole team was very impressive, they all kept going till the final whistle, constantly pressing the opposition and greatly limiting their creative ability. Excellent too that considering the week’s theme and topic of ‘passing priorities when playing through the thirds’, there were some great examples of correct usage of passing priorities in all areas of the pitch and from all players.
Deniro opened the Bloomsbury scoring with a fantastic finish from a good bit of team play midway through the first half, Riku added to the goals a few minutes later with a great finessed goal into the far corner. After play resumed after the break, Kurt stepped up and netted a sumptuous free-kick. Joao then scored a cheeky chip to beat the out-rushing goalkeeper shortly from the end of play.
Kurt had a fantastic game in the midfield, listening perfectly to the instructions his coach had given him and performing his role brilliantly, not to mention scoring an excellent freekick and going in goal for the final few minutes! Riku had another impressive game, grabbing another goal and creating many chances for his teammates, all whilst constantly pressing the opposition. Vinny played very well in wing-back, defending when required and pushing up to create space and passing options for his teammates, also stepped up and went into goal for the first part of the first half. Alex had a very solid defensive performance, positioned himself well, especially into the second half and denied the opposition any real chance to get back into the game, he also played a very clever through ball to assist Joao for the final goal. Deniro had a brilliant game and a goal ruled out early on, but kept his head up and scored moments later, a very positive and mature reaction from him. His fantastic work rate had a huge impact on the game, causing heaps of issues for the opposition. Christian and Bastian both played well in the wingback positions defending well if required and always ensuring that they were helping out in the attack, both unlucky not to have scored at least once. Joao had another great game in goal, making some good saves and distributing the ball well, when outfield, stretched the pitch very well in the striker position and made lots of space for himself and his teammates, leading to him grabbing a well-deserved goal.
The U11’s were incredibly unfortunate to not come away with the win in their Camden Youth League fixture against Tetherdown Blues.
Numerous opportunities were created, and with the opposition only having a handful themselves, it was a game decided simply upon who was most clinical.
This week’s theme and topic, ‘passing priorities when playing through the thirds’ was demonstrated in aplomb, the majority of passing decisions were made excellently with our three passing priorities in mind: forward passes were made when available in order to progress us up the pitch quickly, sideways passes were made in order to switch play and shift the opposition defence, and backwards passes were made in order to retain possession in preparation to launch what could only be described as another assault on the opposition goal.
Although he was playing in the deepest area of the pitch as our goalkeeper, Morley demonstrated fantastic understanding of this week’s topic, passing priorities. Pass selection was mixed for every goal kick or open-play pass based on player availability, opposition pressure, and space available on the pitch which in turn created a multi-directional way of not only building our attacks, but creating opportunities to score. This fantastic distribution coupled with some fantastic shot stopping ensured it was a very well rounded performance.
A disappointing result, but by far not a disappointing performance. Simply unfortunate in front of goal.
A disappointing result and performance to begin the new year with. Unfortunately, key passing principles were not followed which was disappointing to see after what was a very productive and effective training week. The physicality of an opposition that were older played a part, as players focused on engaging in physical battles rather than technical play that, if applied, would have certainly achieved a different result for Bloomsbury. With that being said, the fight was there to see and was rewarded with a goal that created an exciting finish to the game.
Shoutout to Jon, he coupled both physicality with understanding of this weeks’ theme and topic to put in a standout performance amongst the group in what was a below par performance for the team. Playing in various positions, Jon understood the importance of our passing priorities and what each offer the team and applied them as effectively as possible.
Countless goals shared by the Three Musketeers: Niyah, Kaya and Ilya, handed Bloomsbury U10’s a huge Girls Super League Victory.
This week’s theme was playing through the thirds, with the topics being switching play and passing priorities. In the match, the players were challenged to recycle the ball and re-consider their passing priorities under different levels of pressure and when regaining possession from a counter-attack. The players were challenged to recycle the play when regaining possession in such counter-attacks, passing backwards or sideways to play forwards. The way the team carried out the learning of the week was brilliant. Players were receiving the ball onto their back foot and switched the play very well – drawing out defenders, creating space, and countless scoring opportunities.
The girls faced a strong side who caused them a bit of trouble, but they were resilient in their play, and bounced back stronger whenever conceding… a very strong performance from a very strong Bloomsbury team!
Highlights from the team included Layla’s ability to track back in the defence, regain possession and play the ball out of pressure! Frankie was a key player, holding the defensive line, and often got involved in the recycling of play, making great through ball passes, assisting a goal or two. The key highlight was Ilva’s player of the match performance, her versatility and quick adaptation to all positions, as well as her countless goals! A top performance from the 10s!
Another truly remarkable game involving the U11s, who seem to enjoy the high-scoring draw!
Starting with a flat back four, the key to this game was something that is being heavily instilled into the team: starting strong. A solid, competitive first quarter bookended by a close chance from Troy Selene, set the foundation for the team to have a great game as the first quarter ended stalemate.
The boys would take the lead, through great reactions from Tristan Turner, who continued to chase the ball after Freddie Littner forced the keeper into action. However, before the end of the second quarter, the boys fell 2-1 behind after some lapses in defence, but refusing to sit back once again, Adam Butragueno with a late run into the box just before the end of the first half, receives a wide cutback from Freddie Littner, who was simply unplayable in this match, and puts the ball into the back of the net.
On top of the technical football being played, the boys also showed a high level of aggression, physicality, and the desire needed to compete against a team a year up. The team without doubt had a strong start but now required a strong finish. Third quarter: the U11’s conceded two goals in quick succession, the game now at a 4-2 deficit. But comebacks seem to be etched into the script of this team’s story…
Rabah’s fortunate goal from a corner, an unexpected source, pulled the boys back to just one goal behind, and now with a spring in their step they chased the equaliser. Now going more direct, Crocs the goalkeeper, continued to pile the pressure on the opposing backline with some extremely deep long passes for our hunting duo Tristan and Freddie who chased lost causes the entire game. One of the raking balls bounced off the opposition and resulted in a goalmouth scramble, ricocheting but fortuitously landing at the feet of Adam who buried it to bring us level, and with that awaited an exciting end for this thriller as the drama entered its last quarter.
The U12s took the lead with only ten minutes to go on the clock… but Adam would win a freekick just outside the box. Archie Albert stepped up, strikes the balls over the wall, and into the top right-hand corner, a blockbuster goal for a blockbuster ending to a blockbuster game.
The coach asked for a strong start and the team provided. The coach asked for a team ready for a physical battle, and the boys produced this in abundance. The application shown off the ball complimented the group’s high level technical football, and scarily will continue to improve massively over the season. Massive shoutout to Freddie Littler, his sheer speed, silky dribbles and constant flair throughout the game never stopped, an incredible performance, all that was missing was a well-deserved goal, or two.
Who said friendlies are boring!
After a bright start, the boys fell behind. After a failed attempt at playing out from the back, no movement to receive left no passing options to play to, meant the ball ended up being played into a congested midfield area, and we ultimately paid the price.
Almost immediately Bloomsbury fought back, a well-worked throw in on the right hand side capped off by Oli Brito turning his man and exquisitely lifting the ball over the stranded goalkeeper from around 25 yards out.
Brito’s brilliance proved insignificant unfortunately, as the first goal of the contest found itself duplicated: Bloomsbury again failed to provide options for the player in possession, ultimately leading to them playing into a dangerous area and paying the price. The team struggled to get out of first gear, conceding two more before the break. The team would fall further behind through a well worked Benfica goal which set off what was a seriously strong second-half for the opposition.
The team recognised their shortcomings in the fixture and understandably should feel frustrated at the performance and defeat, but they also deserve massive credit for earning themselves a consolation by rectifying their first two conceded goals: a positive team move that started in our first third and progressed smoothly down the right hand side and was placed swiftly into Leonardo who stuck fantastically from outside the area.
This week, it was the Bloomsbury U14 league derby at the Girl’s Super League London! Ava’s and Laura’s strikes either side of Yas’s hat-trick secured the U13s the 0-5 victory in the Girls Super League Bloomsbury bout.
The progress of both these Bloomsbury squads was clear to witness, the U14s, although losing, played really well in the second half and created countless scoring opportunities, just falling short of putting a ball in the back of the net.
Really impressive from the younger side was their application of this week’s theme and topic: playing through the thirds, switching play. Both sides showed great defensive strengths, and in building the attack were able to apply the key coaching point of the week, avoiding horizontal passes and switching the play from one side to the other, supremely to open up more passing lanes. Carla’s player of the match performance was one of the standouts in this respect, her ability to play forward but at the same time bulldoze through the 1v1 battles, shone through. Nina particularly succeeded in receiving the ball on her back foot and playing forward, a pivotal technical point when playing through the thirds. Laura was seriously effective, showing versatility as she played in different positions, and showed great perseverance in her goal, a re-bound following a quick counter-attack.
Both Bloomsbury teams should be proud of themselves, it was a fantastic match and an absolute pleasure to see such development on display!
Massive shoutout to Alex Pourfar and his unquestionable work rate. Playing a man down from the start, Alex worked hard to compensate the absence of a player during the out of possession phase, and did so exceptionally.
The team, stoutly and endearingly, were able to hold the opposition and keep the score 1-0 given the circumstances. They initially tried to build up long to be more conservative, but quickly realized that they were more effective playing through the thirds by building from the back, conformation of the brilliant work during training focusing on ‘movement to receive when playing through the thirds’.
Three goals in the space of ten minutes: Freddie’s double sandwiched either side of Alexie’s strike, meant spoils were shared in the Watford Friendly League as Bloomsbury drew to Borehamwood Youth.
The team had a fantastic first half, translating the week’s learning perfectly, ‘playing through the thirds quickly’ and creating multiple counter-attacks. The players were switched on and proposed the pace of the match. Unfortunately however, the team were unable to maintain this level of performance, individual mistakes began to creep in and meant the team were unable to take home the victory.
The goal scorers were fantastic, complementing each other beautifully up top, despite the fact it was the first time Alexey had played as an attacking midfielder. Having Alexey closer to the goal ensured he was able to create more scoring opportunities than when he played out wide. A goal and all-round fantastic performance from someone debuting in their new role screams very loudly how talented this young footballer is.
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