It was going to be a tough match. We had already played them away, and that hadn’t been pleasant: an extremely physical team. During that previous match, a teammate’s shin guards had even been snapped in half. We lost that game, and everyone was aware of the potential dangers. Alan had spent the past weeks practising extra on jumping and dodging.

Today was the day, and the start was immediately bad. In the very first minute we conceded a goal. 0-1. Ah well, I thought, Alan is starting on the bench, so we’ll see how it goes.

But then something unexpected happened: the equaliser! 1-1. Nobody saw that coming, and the whole game shifted. Slowly the match became more physical, but we held our ground. The goals kept coming: 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, and finally 6-4.

Alan also scored a beautiful goal. From midfield, high into the corner. Unstoppable. The crowd was completely caught up in the tension, and emotions were running high. The coaches and the referee even had to calm down some of the parents and family members. Well… that’s how it goes sometimes.

The game: Batan B – Real Sporting B
Results

We won again! A nice game with lots of goals. We can clearly see the teams are much more equal now, and that makes for much better games to watch.

The game: Lomo Blanco – Batan B
Results

Yes!, last Sunday Batan Alevín B achieved a convincing 6 – 2 victory. A welcome improvement compared to the previous phase. It was an enjoyable match that was finally rewarded with a splendid win.
The aftermatch: As you can clearly see in the photo taken after the match the players themselves were also in the mood for celebration.

There are two three types of clubs where children can play football. The first type is a club where kids can simply enjoy being active: running around, kicking the ball, and seeing if they can learn a bit of discipline. This is roughly the kind of team Alan currently plays in, and we’re quite happy with it.

The second type is a team where results matter. Here, you’re expected to show up for every match and perform well. If you don’t stand out as a player, you’re asked to go elsewhere. These teams are meant for top talent, and that’s not what we’re looking for with Alan. Today, Alan is playing against one of those professional teams.

The third type is the neighborhood team that could just as well be a wrestling club. Alan played against one of those last week. There’s little discipline and lots of pushing, pulling, and kicking.

The other team played like an oiled machine, and they won with 17 goals, but still, we had some chances and it was an enjoyable game.

Results

The next phase will start in a couple of weeks. This time the teams will be better aligned to their respective levels, and that will hopefully give us a couple of more interesting matches, with some options to win and boost moral.

Unfortunately, we didn’t win. This time it was an emotional match. Two of our coaches were sent off the field. The other team had some bigger players who were playing very physically. One of our players ended the match with a shin guard that had been kicked in half. Many players went home with a few new bruises. Luckily, Alan is alert and quick. I saw him jump over an outstretched leg a few times to avoid some unwanted pain.

The next match is against one of the strongest clubs, so we don’t have high expectations for that one. But after that, we’ll be in a group that’s more at our level, so it’ll be more fun again and hopefully with plenty of chances to win.

Results

Despite the heavy loss, it was still a very exciting match. Our team attacked fiercely, and there were many near goals. They just missed, bounced the wrong way off the post, or the goalkeeper jumped in just in time. The match could just as easily have ended 6–10. Still a loss, of course, but that doesn’t matter at all. The kids had a great time playing together as a team.

Results