Please upgrade your browser. Certain features in this website are not compatible with your current version.

Close this message

Academy Match Reports

Finding Our Finishing Touch

23rd Mar 2023

Featured Fixture
Bloomsbury boys U13 5-1 North London Hawks

Taking an early two goal lead was really important because it filled the team with confidence and something to defend. The biggest moment was Alex’s second half penalty save that prevented the equaliser. The link up play between Rubens, Adey and Luca was key to the attacking success. The fourth goal gave us breathing room and was the one that sealed the game. There was good combination play for the second goal and the combinations between midfield and attackers after great build up play from the defence was one of our best passages of play this season! Adey completely changed the approach to the game. His ability to hold up play and give the rest of the team an opportunity to recovery but also on a number of occasions brought others into play with some great combinations. He looked a threat in the air, running on players and back to goal. This meant we could go direct as well as playing short or long. His two goals contributed to his player of the match award! In training, our 3v3 and 4v4 small, sided scenarios created realistic game relevant learning outcomes. It encouraged players to trust one another in 1v1 situations which reflected in the game. Our press was also focused on in training and the intensity and direct was brilliant. Our midfield screened passes which forced the opposition either back to goal or long which we then dealt with well. We could have taken more opportunities and finished the game off before we did. That composure in front of goal comes from confidence. Training will enable the boys to have more repetition in front of goal this week to build that confidence.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U7 Gold vs East End Lions U8

A wonderfully well-worked set piece led to a goal as Imraan and Elias combined fantastically to score a free kick. Imraan spotted Elias in space and played the ball to him, Elias then drew the defender in before returning the ball to Imraan who got the shot away to finish some brilliant play! Aadam impressed yet again with his strong tackling abilities, proving very difficult for the opposition to get past, alongside providing a serious attacking threat to the other team. Elias positioned himself very well today, and always found himself in the right positions to receive the ball and find others with well-weighted passes. He also grabbed himself a goal from his good positioning, intelligently moving to the back post to get on the end of a cross that was driven into the box by Imraan. With the final play of the game, Imraan showed incredible skill to receive the ball back from the winger, take on the opposition striker that was pressing him using a handful of tricks and skills, beat the first man, then the second, then the third, and finally the goalkeeper, before in an act of pure unselfishness, laid the ball off to Ahmed so he could get his goal for the day. Player of the match goes to Imraan for an incredibly dominant display, proficient in both attack and defence, constantly causing issues for the opposition, and being unselfish throughout the game! A very impressive performance! We have been working on the proper technique for passing, alongside backfoot receiving to allow us to retain possession and build out from a goal kick. The boys did this consistently throughout the game, with Bloomsbury rarely ever losing the ball from a goal kick, and always looking to either start an attack or keep hold of the ball until the chance arose. A bit of work on finishing our chances, and more importantly when to take them could have led to a much higher-scoring game, as the rest of the play was consistent and solid throughout.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U7 Black vs Camden Borough

The team showed fantastic resilience throughout what was a very tough game, not letting their heads drop when the opposition went up by a few goals, and staying calm when the other team began to get a bit rough. Nathan did incredibly well to keep pushing and got himself two very deserved goals, both great finishes. Despite having no subs, each player gave it their all for the entire match, always pressing the opposition, even when they were tired, and never giving up the whole time. It was a very tough game, but the boys tried very hard, and no one could’ve asked for more than that! Player of the match goes to Nathan for his fantastic tackling ability, always standing firm in his challenges, and proving very difficult to get past in a 1v1 situation. He grabbed himself two very deserved goals by constantly pressing the opposition, and using his strength to win the ball, hold them off, and finally score! We have been working on not losing the ball from goal kicks and proper pass techniques. The latter was seen sporadically throughout the game, but more often than in previous games. We kept the ball well from goal kicks, which is a huge improvement from previous matches! We will be working on positioning in training which will benefit this group greatly!

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U8 Gold vs PFA United

Scoring early on really set the tone of how we played the rest of the game, adding constant pressure to the opposition and each player showing off their technical ability. A fantastic opportunity to have two of the Black team players Roka and Henry to play with the gold team, showing fantastic levels of enthusiasm and willingness to play for the team. It was a joy to watch the high levels of intensity and quality throughout the game. Player of the match goes to Rocco for his outstanding ability to perform his brilliant basics, also holding the Bloomsbury Football values to such a high standard! In training, we worked on ball mastery skills, passing and receiving skills. These were shown to brilliant affect as the players flourished with confidence in these areas! We will be working on understanding our defensive position while creating balance throughout the team.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U8 Gold vs EFA White

Scoring 3 goals in the opening 7 minutes allowed the team to relax and play their free-flowing football. The key moment was when everyone celebrated Rocco’s goal which meant that every single player on the team had scored a goal! Ayman scored 5 goals but also gave lots of crosses and assists for team mates to score who were in better positions on the pitch. The team worked on their counter attacking ability and how to pick the right pass when in the best positions. This led to many goals being scored! In training, we will work on having a better defensive shape. We got into a couple of situations where we were left exposed at the back so we will be working on this.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U8 Black vs TGFC

There were some brilliant individual moments from Sebastian, showing off his speed and energy on and off the ball. Maxi made some incredible saves in the first half. Liam received the ball and was able to drive through the opposition on a number of occasions, creating an attacking threat. Liam earned player of the match for showing amazing ball mastery skills and confidence to take players on. He was able to bring the team forward through fantastic dribbling and passing. In training, we will be improving on decision making to hold off opposition pressure!

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U9 Gold vs LSS Reds

Without a goalkeeper, players were stepping up on goal to help the team! All round, it was a great performance, too many favourite moments to just mention one! It was great to see Marcelo using the defensive technique we have been working on in training for the last couple of weeks! Laurence and Marcelo share the prize of player of the match as both of them were very solid and helped the team to build from the back using the wide areas! The players brought their best attitude, good vibes and willing to learn which led to a great performance! We will be working on trusting our back players more, recycling the ball so we can restart and organize from the back.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U10 Gold vs Active FC

Scoring 5 goals before half time allowed us to be able to move players around into different positions and gave the players freedom in their play. Seeing every player celebrate each other’s success whether that be scoring a goal or assisting a teammate was great to see. Player of the match, Kurt managed to score some goals but also dictate the play with his skill and ability on the ball. We were able to score lots of goals because the power and accuracy in our finishing.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U10 Gold vs Soccerscool

Riku scored two goals in the 2nd half which pushed us to nearly get an equaliser and draw the game. The best part was that none of the boys gave up at any point in the match, once a goal was conceded they looked to try and get the next goal! The attitude shown from the team was really pleasing to see! Rex deserves player of the match as he made a series of crucial saves throughout the 2nd half which kept us in the game! We had previously worked on our counter attacking and this helped us going forward as it pushed us to develop attacking plays and we created lots of chances through this. We will be better with our recovery and tracking back when the other team has the counterattack on us.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U10 Black vs East End Lions

We got off to a strong start with a great goal from Amir! Fallon drove down the right side with a strong run, cutting the ball across to Amir, and finishes in the corner! A great goal! The struggle was to keep our flow going as we lost our consistency and struggled to get it back. The way in which we moved the ball became slow and there was a struggle to create clear chances. Amir had a great goal and a lot of effort applied. He deserved his goal and has had a great season!

 

 

Bloomsbury girls U10 vs SFC U10

There were lots of great passing patterns between the girls and some fantastic blocks, tackles and 1vs1s shown throughout the game. Piper, Alex and Bakita were solid in defence as normal, with all three driving the ball forwards to help us get up the pitch. Lyla, Anne, Poppy and Mila were excellent at doing their defensive work as midfielders and also played some great passes. Noa worked very hard the whole game and made some good passes that helped us score the goals. The goals scored were fantastic team goals and were a result of the girls high work ethic and togetherness as a team. Bloomsbury stuck together after the oppositions poor behaviour which was a testament to the ball and crown. While the opposition were moaning at the referee and being rude, our team gathered around in a huddle and did the ‘Blooms on me…’ chant and we all agreed to stick to our values and remain calm, which we certainly did! It’s a tough one but player of the match was Bakita due to her brilliant tackles and great vision for passes. We could constantly hear the girls praising her on the pitch every time she touched the ball! This week, we did some work on finishing and first touch to set up our next move. The girls definitely demonstrated this during the game. Next week, we will continue to work on our passing and moving to receive, in addition to scanning.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U11 Gold 4-10 Whetstone Wanderers Pumas

After reducing the score to 9-4, we began playing our best football, threatening to minimise the damage even further with 3-4 chances that would’ve reduced the deficit. It would prove to be too little too late however with 22 minutes of the 2nd half (52/60 minutes) played by this point. Oli increased his season’s tally to 22 goals by scoring all 4 goals in this fixture! All 4 were taken extremely well and were a result of Samuel’s fantastic work breaking the midfield line. Samuel showed the most desire on the pitch regardless of the score line. Introduced 10 minutes in, the intensity immediately rose, and we offered more of a threat with his strong running and link-up play in the final 3rd. If all 11 players in the squad matched this desire and level of work rate, the result could’ve been different. This week we worked on counter attacking. There were definitely elements of this on show, however, we were not clinical enough to convert the very limited chances we did create. It did show that we were able to identify spaces between the lines however, and get bodies forward at speed, which are 2 key elements of counter attacks. Simply showing a desire to win! I’ve echoed in recent weeks that desire and determination will be the foundation to any good performance and deserved result, and for the last 3-4 weeks this has been in abundance, however, this performance was the complete polar opposite, and it was extremely disappointing after making great strides against a better opposition.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U11 1-1 United Dragons

After going 1-0 down against the opposition, we pushed on and showed the determination and desire to not only equalise but threaten to score a winner in the dying embers of the game. Our goalkeeper, Vanya, was urging the team on through every single moment on pitch. His energy, enthusiasm, and praise filtered through the team and really drove us on. From the moment he entered the pitch as a 1st half substitute, Yacine fought for every single ball. His tackles were timed perfectly, and he used his body extremely well to protect the ball and win fouls in defensive areas. When in possession, his decision-making was great and the quality on his passes forward to break the line was great, helping us progress higher up the pitch whenever possible! Although we put ourselves under increased pressure at times, inviting an aggressive high press, we were able to play out from danger extremely well under the circumstances. From goal-kicks, we tended to give the ball back too easily rather than remaining calm and assessing the best option. This was largely due to the fact that we had gone 1-0 down and were chasing our way back into the game. However, building from the back is a key component of our game that when performed well helps to launch attacks!

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U12 Gold 6-4 APB Rhinos

The reaction to going 2-0 down was positive. Coming back from behind is always a difficult task, however this group showed resilience against adversity fantastically well today! We scored a fortunate own goal, followed by 2 goals from Freddie who was our player of the match. We came into half time, 3-2 up, with all the players stating, ‘It isn’t over’. At 2-0 down, Freddie took the game to the opposition, using his speed and fantastic dribbling, scored two to complete the comeback! His tireless energy and willingness to fight for his team inspired the rest of his teammates. Fantastic from him! We looked to counterattack in numbers, recognising which areas of the opposition box to attack when we win the ball in transition. We were extremely effective in supporting our teammates when counter attacking. We will look to be more confident in defending against counter attacks in future!

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U12 6-0 Regents Park Rebels

We were dominant and exciting throughout the fixture, however the major difference between both halves was the quality of our finishing. In the first half, we created numerous chances but due to poor finishing and good goalkeeping, we were held to 1-0. However in the second half, we found our finishing touch. Scoring some high-quality goals, both from open play and set pieces, ended the game 6-0 which the team thoroughly deserved! Adam’s goal was the key moment. A great cross from a corner followed by an even better header, going into the top corner across goal. He deserves player of the match. His industry and application was fantastic throughout, playing in a variety of positions and capping it off with a great header!

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U12 5-0 RHS Soccer

Conceding a penalty right after going 1-0 up can heighten nerves significantly, however after the opposition fortunately missed, we got back to dominating the game and scored the next goal. Despite a slow start and even game, we scored our first goal off of a great counterattack starting from our defensive 3rd. Quick decisions and execution allowed us to switch from across the pitch before Tristan scored to get us underway. Player of the match goes to Alex for his tireless work which deserved a great goal, finishing a curling effort into the top right corner!

 

 

Bloomsbury girls U12 7-2 HGS

Kaya, O’Miya and Kitty were a terrifying trio for the opposition defenders, with pace and skill. Our defence did very well in coming up with the attack and Esther scored after realising she could go in to help attack a corner. Tara scored an excellent goal after a run down the wing and there was some great build up play from Esther and El. El was awarded player of the match for excellent composure on the ball, in central midfield, to receive and find the right pass. El also scored a goal! We have been working on counter attacking and we managed to score 2 goals from this! A few times we ran towards one of our players with the ball and we should be finding space to be passed to instead.

 

 

Bloomsbury boys U18 2-2 Somers Town Youth

After a fairly quiet first half, in which the game was well-matched and competitive, both teams came out fighting in the second half. Bloomsbury went 1-0 down with a well-worked corner, which was fired across the goalmouth and headed in at the back post. It didn’t take us long to equalise, with Yotam through on goal following a sublime assist from Kamran. We were dominating play at this stage but got caught on the counterattack and the Somers Town striker made no mistake in slotting the ball under Arteen to regain the lead. With just over five minutes to play, Bloomsbury finally broke down the defence for a second time and Luke was able to equalise, winning himself the BFA competition top-scorer title that he was so keen for! Despite pushing for a winning goal and having countless shots blocked in a final push, we were unable to get the winning goal and it ended 2-2. It was great to see the boys showing genuine togetherness throughout, from the pre-match huddle through to the celebrations for the equalising goal. Being the final league game of the season, we increased our squad size to include as many of the team as possible, and individuals were rotated without complaint, cheering on their teammates from the side-lines. Although the saves required weren’t his most spectacular of the season, Arteen wins a deserved player of the match for keeping his team in the game, with Somers Town creating several chances of the counterattack. Another high intensity training session on Tuesday led to improved build-up, with only the finish missing on the night. We will continue to work specifically on our finishing of attacks, taking shots from varied angles and getting them away quicker than we were able to in this match.