Victor, Rubens, and Ethan were at the front of the attack for Bloomsbury and demonstrated lots of opportunities where they were able to apply the theme and topic. This wasn’t carried out as effectively as it could have been, however, it did show the confidence to try throughout which was great to see.
In this game, the boys worked hard, with frustrated opposition attacks and set up to enjoy defending and punish mistakes. The boys showed great tenacity and work rate against a team that kept the ball well and played some aesthetic football. The U12’s became careless in possession at times but made up for it with their effective counter press. An all-round good performance for Bloomsbury with a well-deserved win.
It was really impressive to see Louis Vara’s performance. He had really good positioning when receiving the ball and he was really dangerous in and out of the box. Additionally, Henry Jang Lazarou helped the team going through to the next round. He stepped up before penalties and asked to go in goal for the boys. He saved the penalty and got us through the next round. All players played brilliant today.
The game was a really competitive match from both sides. Bloomsbury turned the game around positively and were really unlucky to concede on the last minute of the match. All players had great performances and put all their effort into the game. Elias Nader had really good positioning on and off the ball. He followed all instructions given to him and he did really well during the whole match. Elias thought all the boys “played really well for 50 minutes.”
It’s always a tough task playing a year up but playing a team that perform very well in the year up made the challenge more of a mountain than a bump in the road. However, the U7’s Gold team never once gave up and showed a performance that they should be very proud of. The distribution on show, as well as some magnificent double and even triple saves by Rocco in goal, for sure paves a very exciting future between the sticks for this young man. There was some tough tackling from both Sean and man of the match Nabil in the defence who very much disrupted EFA’s attacking rhythm and ensured that Bloomsbury could launch frequent counter attacks. In midfield, tireless running by Liam, Ayman, and Noah both in winning back possession as well as exploiting free space in attacking areas, created many openings for the boys to add to their solitary goal. Oliver picked up some great positions in the EFA defensive third in conjunction with some great hold up play against opponents almost twice his size. There is a lot of work needed, but also plenty of positives to consider as the boys prepare for the rest of the season.
Mila did really well in terms that she was everywhere on the pitch and putting in the effort to get up and down the field wherever she was needed. All the girls were really resilient and due to them not having a goalkeeper, they managed to work it out between themselves who would go in goal. It was very impressive to see the girls enthusiasm when it came to tackling, they gave it their all. However, when it came to counter attacking, they did well but their touches were off, the ball would travel too far away from them, so the defender was able to latch on to it quickly. The girls started to get very tired in the second half resulting in them getting frustrated and letting in goals.
All the girls were positive at the end and were trying to lift each other up which was nice to see during the team talk. Of course the question of ‘when are we going to get a win?’ was risen but that comes with time and teamwork. And the girls are getting better at that already.
Back-to-back wins at Market Road is always a fantastic feat, but it was the manner of the performance by every single individual as part of a superb team performance that was truly impressive. With the strong team collective very much on show, it was evident in the various switch of positions that every player experienced. With the regular goalkeeper unavailable, Laurie & Mathias both stepped in for a half each, making great saves when required, and demonstrating very calm and effective distribution to launch attacks from the back. Both showed their clinical side too with 3 finishes between them that were all set up superbly by the on-fire provider Pax. Mazy’s numerous runs were finished off with deft passes that set up his teammates time and time again and his goal was more than he deserved! Franco marshalled the defence extremely effectively, pouncing on lose 1st touches by opposition players and putting his body between the player and ball to greet effect. His range of passing was a delight to watch too, effectively applying this week’s topic of switching play very efficiently, and no one will forget his ‘sitting down’ of a defender on his way to his goal any time soon. Both Marcelo and Tommy worked tirelessly throughout in order to win possession back for Bloomsbury, carrying the ball into dangerous areas time and time again, going on to a grab a goal each themselves. A very good team performance against a much-improved opposition with all 6 players on the scoresheet. A very well-done boys!
Noah was this games man of the match who volunteered to go in goal for the first half, making a few good saves and playing some strong passes out from the back. He then played outpitch for the second half, pressing high and winning the ball back, leading to 3 or 4 Bloomsbury goals. Ori defended well, blocking multiple attacks, and placing some good passes to start attacks, he then volunteered to go in goal for the second half where he made some strong saves. Laurie made an instant impact from the bench, getting a wonderful assist, and also pressing the opposition very well and had a few great chances going forward. Nico’s intensity on the pitch was unrivalled, chasing down the opposition and earning himself a well-deserved goal. Christian once again showcased his excellent defensive positioning, stopping many opposition attacks and making some great last-ditch challenges. Odyssey closed down the opposition with great pace, winning the ball back numerous times, and scored with a fantastic finish.
A bit of a slow start from the team, but, with an encouraging half time team talk, the boys bounced back and were a lot better in the second half. The players were all able to recognise that they needed to try a bit harder, then proceeded to do just that. Unlucky to not have completed the comeback!
The highlight of this match was playing out from the back through the centre midfielders, Kurt and Riku. It was impressive to see the decision making from the defenders in possession and Joao was excellent in goal! Parents were also impressed with the performance. The team had inspiring technical quality, however, decision making of when to dribble and when to pass could improve.
The boys combination play in the final third, drawing players into them and playing a through ball to split centre backs was impressive to see. In addition, they succeeded in most 1v1 battles. Layla fox made her debut and was excellent in her individual battles. Players understood what could be improved, and they recognised that they were bunching up and in the second half which they made amendments to. The girls played very well, listened to instructions, and gave 100% in the game.
Bert was this games man of the match who carried the ball excellently, leading the attacks on numerous occasions and never shying away from a challenge if the defence needed support. There was some great passing on display too, picking out teammates in space and attempting to shoot when possible. Yili’s fantastic footwork allowed him to create attacks from virtually anywhere, and his constant movement around the pitch left ensured that all ground was covered. His fearless pressing prevented many creative opportunities from the opposition. Max made his debut today, showing promising signs for the future! Some great footwork and pressing demonstrated by the newcomer. Zak once again played excellently in the wing-back position, defending well when under pressure and using his tricky feet to create space for some great passes, he also attacked well when further up the pitch. Yacine gave it his all today, constantly pressing the opposition to try to win the ball back as high up as possible. He kept fighting even after some cynical challenges from the other players. Kieran defended very well, positioning himself in ways that enabled him to intercept the ball with ease and played it out from the back where possible, frequently switching the play. Morley had a strong game in goal, making some good saves, and distributing the ball excellently. Adam stretched the pitch very well and rattled the woodwork multiple times, very unlucky to not have scored today. When playing defence he closed the opposition down with great speed and intensity, limiting their time on the ball. Otto performed well in all areas of the pitch, covering his teammates when out of position and driving forward to create chances when he could.
At half-time, some players made comments about the fact that others had been drifting out of position slightly. This was done in a constructive manner, and the appropriate changes were made in the second half. This showed great communication amongst the boys. A tough one to take this week as Bloomsbury were very unlucky to not have scored on numerous occasions, but all players should keep their heads up and be proud of the way they played, as individuals and as a team.
Archie, todays man of the match, was very defensively solid, always stepping up to meet the opposition when required, making multiple last-ditch tackles, and distributing the ball with precision. Vanya scored two great goals, pressing high and winning the ball back, before clinically slotting away his chances, and his use of his physicality was high quality once again. Oli demonstrated fantastic ball-carrying, beating the opposition with an abundance of skill, and scoring two brilliant goals. Jon helped out in all areas of the pitch, defending when required and joining the attack if needed. His constant pressing proved difficult for the opposition to deal with and lead to many Bloomsbury counterattacks. Zak defended well, blocking out opposition attacks and grabbed himself a goal when playing up top, capitalizing on an opposition error. Morley positioned himself well, making multiple key passes and scoring two good goals, one down to fantastic attacking intelligence. Jacob once again proved difficult to dispossess, working his way around loads of players and creating multiple chances for the team. Jorge had a fairly quiet game, and there was very little he could do about the opposition’s goals but made some good saves when required. Yili played very well. Quick, decisive passing led to multiple attacks, sticking his foot into challenges whenever the opposition attacked.
It was a slow start from the team as they lacked intensity, and the opposition looked to have the upper hand in the match. After a good half-time team talk, the players showed great maturity to realise that their performance had not been good enough. There were multiple comments about the issues that had come from the first half and what they could do to improve on them. They then went on to make those suggested changes and secured the result because of that. The boys bounced back with much higher intensity and pressed the opposition right from the off, winning the ball back high up and scoring lots of goals.
Bloomsbury competed early on with direct play and counter attacks. The boys were extremely unfortunate not to score more after hitting the woodwork 4 times and with a goal being disallowed after a tight offside call. After being 3-0 down, Tristan Turner pulled one back after chasing on to a rebound from Archie Alberts freekick. Great attitude and effort were put into the second half of the game as the players pushed and pressed as much as possible. Zeid Mehareb had a great day with a promising performance in midfield and defence, winning a number of attacks and allowing the boys to move forward with some great composure and passing range. Alfie Demetriou put in a great shift as he was responsible for a number of great pieces of play, direct, aggressive and a great engine. A dominant winger performance that deserved a goal. Just a tough day in front of goal for the U11’s, however, the progress is clear as the boys will push on for the rest of the season. A massive credit to the opposition for their clinical attitude.
This week’s CIYFL fixture ended in an unfortunate defeat. Off the back of a high playing against LFS Tufnell’s Daffodils, the U12s were no match for the Snowdrops. Conceding early in the first minute was a tough blow to withstand, but the girls started to get back in the game. This week’s theme and topic proved to be of very good use, particularly as the opposition team was fit and strong, and bigger than most of the Bloomsbury girls. A combination of Emily, Janet, Cecilie, Kitty, Jet, and Laura, were extremely effective in switching the play in order to retain the ball and create opportunities to press. Bits of play that were particularly impressive to watch from the side-line started when the ball would be played from the back to Nea or Laura, into Aliki in the centre, and on the wings to Emily, Cecilie either side and found either Jet or Janet in the box. Cecilie, although small in stature, managed to tackle the tallest girl on the pitch and created numerous chances! Our woman of the match had to go to Emily, who not only effectively switched play to release pressure and create scoring chances for her teammates, but who was strong in 1v1 situations and had numerous shots on goal. Despite taking 9 shots on goal in the first half, 7 of which were on target, and 12 in the second, another 7 on target, the girls came away with the 3-0 loss against a strong side.
It was very impressive to see the girls understanding of switching the play. To see this group evolve so much, particularly in their technical and tactical understanding, has been a joy to witness. We couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to work with! Now that their tactical understanding has evolved, it’s time to work on strength and conditioning so that when the time comes to play against bigger opponents like this week’s one, we are ready!
Rubens was impressive with his constant threat in possession, causing defenders to turn and run backwards. Seb was excellent at steadying the team from the back in an unnatural position for himself but executed it brilliantly.
A difficult weekend with back-to-back fixtures for the U12’s. This game saw plenty of tired legs. It was a valiant performance with lots of effort again in tough conditions with the boys unlucky not to get the win with countless chances and controversial offside decision. Playing older opposition, the boys showed great physical fight to cope and held their own which was important.
Today’s match was a great show of resilience and perseverance! An early goal scored by Jet within the first 40 seconds of kick-off got the girls into the highest of spirits! However, this excitement was met with a lowering of their guard, and for them to remove their foot off the gas pedal. Not sticking to the game plan and struggling to stay composed and move as a unit, cost the girls to concede in the 4th minute of the first half. The girls were forced to work even harder. Laura, Kitty, and Emily stepped up and maintained the ball in the second and attacking thirds. A challenge that had been set for the girls before the game was to take at least 12 shots on goal per half. The challenge was met, accompanied by the press-breaker, which was switching the play, retaining the ball, and exploiting the space to create opportunities to go for goal. 8 out of 12 of those shots on goal were on target, one of which found the back of the net by super Emily! Combination play between the wings, middle, and strikers was most effective in getting past the Lymore players. A combination of fuses: 1-2s, overlaps, and crosses switching the play, were key in the build-up to the goal.
Captain Kitty was in charge of delivering the team talk at half-time. The biggest takeaway from the team talk was “communication equals goals”. This was definitely translated into the second half, where the deadlock was broken early on by Jet, and then sealed in the last minute of the half by Emily! Ay ay, captain! In the final minute of play, O’miya in goal distributed the ball to Emily who came to receive it deep in the middle, went 1v1 against the Lymore midfielder successfully, scanned to see Laura open on the left-wing, who received the ball and redistributed it into space 1-2 to Emily who overlapped her, and then took two touches from just inside the box and booted it top left corner! A true demonstration of the understanding of this week’s sessions, and a great effort from our joint players of the match! A great game to redeem themselves with after a slow start to the week of fixtures!
It was really impressive to see the lads discipline out of possession and managing to keep a clean sheet. Ebenezer scored another wonderful strike from outside the box following Saturday’s game and Aaron scored a well-deserved hattrick. There was a fantastic work rate from Joel who was unlucky to not get on the score sheet himself after hitting the woodwork.
Bloomsbury started strong and unlocked The Eight’s defence after just 7 minutes, with Joèl driving the ball in to the bottom left corner and giving the goalkeeper no chance. The second goal came 6 minutes later when Khalid got his long-awaited goal, but a lapse in concentration shortly after the restart resulted in a penalty, when Sami brought down their striker. The coach decided to bring on a substitute to take this penalty, but this tactic didn’t work for England in the Euros, and it didn’t work for The Eight at St. James’, as the penalty flew past the post. From the resulting goal-kick, an error at the back led to an indirect free-kick, which was put past the post from the edge of the six-yard box. However, Bloomsbury had ridden their luck, and that luck was coming to an end, with The Eight finishing their next two changes, one at the end of the 1st quarter and another at the start of the 2nd. The Eight weren’t level for long, with Ebenezer firing in his first goal of 2022 from outside the box! Shortly after half-time, Bloomsbury won a free kick towards outside the area, on the corner of the box. Jake Cameron stepped up and curled it beautifully into the bottom left corner, another goal of the season contender! Joel then grabbed the fifth and sixth goals, two chances converted with expertise, a man confident in front of goal. When Simon got his first goal of the year, a well-deserved goal having put in many miles up and down the right side of the pitch, nobody anticipated what was to come next. From 7-2 down, The Eight began to claw the game back, with admirable fight and determination. A combination of Bloomsbury over-confidence, tiredness, and momentum for The Eight saw them score goal after goal in the third and fourth quarter, to the point where it was soon to be 7-6 with ten minutes to play! Bloomsbury were determined to see out the win, but the opposition broke through on goal and finished another 1 on 1 to level the game once more. With minutes to play and the scores level, you could cut the tension with a knife! The game was open, end to end with little to no defensive organisation, but that man Joel stepped up again to get his fourth of the match and cause pandemonium! He finished from the right, smashing the ball into the back of the net to the delight of all the players, parents, and coaches!
There were many players playing out of position and in roles that they were uncomfortable in. However, there were no complaints and every man stepped up and pulled through for the team. They should all be proud of themselves for this team effort. All players were quick to praise Joèl for his fantastic performance, particularly his fourth goal that won them the game! Despite a feeling of disappointment that we threw away a 5-goal lead, the perseverance and character of this Bloomsbury team must be noted. To find the energy and determination to win the game with no momentum in the final quarter was impressive. The natural leaders in the team stepped up and never gave up, and in the end the better team on the day won the game. However, The Eight deserved something to show for that impressive comeback, and they created one of the most entertaining JPL fixtures to date!
The team turned up focused after a great week of training for this game against Juventus Academy London. Motivated to start strong and win this game at all costs. They started quickly with chances coming thick and fast in different areas, but remained incapable of scoring, after some superb goalkeeping from the oppositions keeper. Eventually, the deadlock was broken, through a superb half volleyed strike from Elijah, going into the far side netting, a great hit indeed. Once this first goal was scored, the confidence was beginning to soar in this team, and they dominated the opposition. Remaining in the same 4-3-3 formation throughout the game, Dylan cruised through the team from centre back after a Juventus corner, going through the whole team into the opposition box on a magnificent run, only to miss the target ever so slightly. 5 minutes later the confidence continued for Dylan, attempting an overhead kick from a corner, creative and fun ideas to solve problems! Timothy was particularly impressive in goal as he was quick of his line and taking pressure off the back line on numerous occasions which led to this win being so comfortable. Overall it was a relaxed win for the team and one they richly deserved.
Marion made her debut and created width on the right-hand side to create multiple overloads and create space in the middle. She was also outstanding in 1v1 offensive battles being able to shift it past opponents with ease. Nina was the best defender on the pitch for Bloomsbury. She made multiple tackles and was able to rupture the opponents defensive line with a few passes into space. Aila on her debut was a very good player in many positions on the pitch and showed that despite not being with Bloomsbury very long, she is a real asset to the team technically. For the second week running, Amaya has been amazing at stab tackles in 1v1 duals and has also developed her passing ability being key when building the attack.
In the first game in a league with players that are all an age group up, the girls did amazing to create many chances and limit the majority of opposition chances. However, the topic and theme were not overly achieved mainly due to the small pitch making it nearly impossible to retain to create.
Oscar Cameron’s persistent relentless attitude and work rate both offensively and defensively dragged the team throughout the whole game whilst other players gave up when facing adversity in the game. A model example of how players should conduct themselves on the pitch. Creating chances, winning headers, winning every individual battle, and fighting till the end is crucial. Only a goal in addition could make this game a 10/10. Willem and Andrea also had brilliant performances.
Besides being offensively poor, the boys looked lethargic as they were second to every ball and just reacting to the opposition. They didn’t earn the right to play, and they didn’t show any heart besides 3 players. The boys need to learn that they cannot expect to win a game of football without winning individual battles and dominating the ball before playing fancy football as shown by the score line and overall performance. Oscar explained that the boys “have to use today as a learning curve not to feel like this again.”
An average performance from the boys on Friday night. They hit the bar 4 times and conceded two easy goals. Oscar Cameron played with his heart for the whole game. He created lots of chances for the team and could have scored. He was really dangerous on the ball. Alex Smith said that “we didn’t manage to score our clear chances and we got punished by the opposition. We have to be more clinical if front of the goal!”
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