Sunday, September 13, 2009

Dalhousie Tigers W) v. Cape Breton Capers (W)---Round 1 AUS---As It Happened

12:19: Hi, and welcome to what,with several hundred dollars worth of technical equipment, could have been/could be a live report. Such technology is not available to Dal Soccer Live at this time. As such, we're not actually “live” anymore. If you're upset about that, you can go and see our legal department, which would cost several million dollars that we don't have, either.

12:22: CBU have really nice new orange and black kits, so they look like a cross between AS Roma and Jack O'Lanterns. Snazzy.

12:25: Big news! “Eye of the Tiger” has yet to be played and we're 25 minutes into warm-up!

12:26: Pre-game stuff you actually might want to know. CBU are really good, but key striker Kristina Weatherbie has left. Dal weren't so good last year, but have 12 new players and look really good in preseason, which means we're in for a stagnating 0-0 draw here, I'm afraid. Yep, that's my official prediction.

12:33: Kate MacDonald has a substitute pinny on for Dal. Does this mean Jack Hutchison is actually going to sit his most potent offensive player to try and throw off CBU? Not sure I agree there. Let's see if she starts.

Teams: CBU: MacDermid, McNeill, Kavanaugh, Katherine Mills, Lannon, Burke, Shaw, Snow, Rogers, Budhoo, Abenheimer.

Dal: Armstrong, Morrison, Colleen MacDonald, Richard, O'Reilly, Kate MacDonald, Huck, Donald, McKilligan, Landry, Henry.

1min: Dal kick-off and we don't have a clock. For AUS play? Unconscionable!

4min: Not much to report so far. Huck loops one in, but it's high. And Alannah MacLean, who has been, but for 10 minutes against SMU last Sunday, curiously absent, is still listed on the team sheet. She's evidently not dressing today, though, since she and most of the other Dal reserves are sitting two rows in front of me. I'll try and look into that.

6min: CBU free kick, after a chop from O'Reilly, I think. Shaw sends a dangerous ball in, but everyone misses it and it goes out for a goal kick.

8min: It's rather crucial to keep an eye on Erika Lannon. That job falls to Amanda Henry today.

10min: Now a Dal free kick, about 35 yards out. Donald lays a pass for O'Reilly to chase. She never gets to it, though. Sloppy, there.

11min: O'Reilly shoots from 30 yards. MacDermid yawns before catching it.

13min: Ref's a bit whistle-happy at the moment.

17min: It's worth bearing in mind that much of this CBU roster has CIS national experience, and a lot of it at that. Dal look like they're a bit nervous. A lot of debuts today, after all.

21min: Kate MacDonald gets an elbow in the teeth and politely indicates to the ref that a foul was in order. She's right, too. Speaking of which, Dal want to make sure Lannon doesn't get a chance to win a penalty. This ref would call it.

22min: Kate MacDonald with another long range effort, which MacDermid snags.

24min: Henry forces Lannon to tackle from behind. Henry stumbles a bit and keeps running when she should have gone down. That challenge was illegal and would have felled most players—make sure the ref sees it. Any chance to get Lannon booked should be taken, especially if it's legitimate.

25min: Dal's first change, McKilligan out for Blodgett. Capers Kristine Mills in for Snow, possibly. Blodgett's a great player—now she has to conquer the debut nerves.

27min: CBU are dirty. Lots of late kicking and a lot of elbows. Ref's calling none of it.

28min: Huck gets a chance, but CBU escape with a corner. It's cleared.

29min: Great chance for Blodgett, who controls a missed opportunity, cuts to her left boot and smashes a lethal-looking shot across goal, which MacDermid just fingers away.

30min: Lannon gets through, but is inches offside.

31min: To me, Katie Richard is wasted at left back. She's so creative, but she never gets any tocuhes at the back. When Stephanie Crewe and Alannah MacLean are watching the game, it makes no sense. Without Richard linking in midfield, Dal end up booting long balls up to 5'7” Kate MacDonald, which isn't overly effective.

34min: CBU gets a free kick after the ref calls Huck for contact CBU have been getting away with all day. Huck ignores the ref's lecture. CBU's ball in is brilliant, but so is Armstrong, who claims very well.

35min: Free kick to Dal, 20 yards out after O'Reilly is hauled down.

36min: Great strike from Huck, who beats the wall. MacDermid is just able to touch it onto the bar. Capers bring Sabina Solymar in for Tara Rogers.

37min: Dal's corner slices through the six-yard box. There's no contact and it runs out.

38min: Lannon's withdrawn for a rest. Jennifer Sheppard comes in.

43min: Blodgett extends MacDermid with a long range blast. MacDermid misses, but the ball
flashes past the post. CBU bring off McNeill for Cunningham.

45+min: Morrison is plowed in the back of the head with an arm, and fails to draw a card. That was yellow, at least.

45+min: Kate MacDonald finds Landry, who tries to head home from 15 yards out. She doesn't.

45+min: Corner to Cape Breton. It's put out and they'll do it again. This one is played aorund a bit before Solymar mishits a two-yard tap-in. CBU should be 1-0 up. Great cross from Burke to find Solymar, but utterly wasted by the CBU striker.

45+min: Kate MacDonald is dropped from behind with a nasty challenge. No foul.

Half-time: The ref calls the half, which is possibly the first reliable thing he's done today.
And we're back. Here come as many subs as I can find. Santilli has replaced O'Reilly as Dal play 3 deeper midfielders. Lannon's back in, I think for Solymar. McNeill's back in, too.

48min: Armstrong robs Lannon! Dal's 4th year keeper dives to her right to deny CBU's dangerous scorer the low corner of the goal. Pure reaction at point-blank range.

50min: Richard gets lots of possession down the left, but doesn't make much of it. She's great getting forward, though.

51min: Katherine Mills just about catches MacDermid on a back pass. They survive, but concede a free kick.

52min: Morrison kind of wastes the shot.

53min: Corner to Dal, which MacDermid drops, but Dal can't convert.

56min: Landry is withdrawn for McKilligan again. Kate MacDonald gets flattened again. Free kick to Dal.

57min: Cleared off the line! Twice! The free kick comes in, MacDermid steals the first header from Santilli, and Kate MacDonald follows up only to see Cunningham clear again.

61min: Cool goalkeeping from Armstrong, claiming well under pressure from Solymar. CBU now withdraw Solymar for Sheppard and Burke replaces Lannon.

62min: Dal sub, with Kate MacDonald coming off for Emma Landry.

63min: Good-looking CBU cross flies narrowly past three attackers before Dal clear.

64min: Snow is booked for pulling back Landry in the midfield. That was deserved.

65min: Dal looks sharp—but not much like scoring.

66min: Santilli's been a beast for Dal in midfield after her concussion last week (albeit a mild one). CBU remove Sheppard for Kristine Mills.

68min: Landry has a pop, which MacDermid watches sail wide.

71min: Corner to Dal. Donald controls, but she can't get her shot through.

72min: Dal narrowly miss as Blodgett screams one across the face of goal. Dal have to be careful: wasted chances can hurt if CBU snatch a winner on a set-piece. Dal should get three points here—they deserve it—but they don't have forever. McKilligan is off Kate MacDonald. Sheppard is replaced by Solymar.

74min: Morrison has a shot, but it's off her weaker foot as MacDermid claims.

79min: Budhoo out for Lannon as CBU get a corner. Watch out: Lannon can score quickly. It only takes one mistake.

81min: CBU get a ball in the box off another corner, but Dal hustle it clear.

83min: Kate MacDonald goes down in the box. Snow throws her arms up in the air as MacDonald tumbles and the ref buys it.

85min: Santilli stings MacDermid's palms with a free kick and Landry somehow misses the wide open rebound before MacDermid can claim it.

87min: Donald takes her time, meditates on the matter, consults Aristotle's “Ethics” and thrashes a shot over MacDermid and off the bar. Landry misses another gaping rebound as MacDermid was lying helpless.

90min: Corner to CBU as Sheppard replaces Lannon, I think. Dal clear the corner and bring on McKilligan for Santilli. Landry then goes on a mazy run looking for a shot, which she never finds.

90+min: The ref's tagged two minutes on. Huck launches a cross-shot which MacDermid pulls in.
90+min: Burke is borught off for Tara Rogers.

Full-time: And my prediction comes true, with a 0-0 scoreline, although it wasn;t as boring as I predicted. Solid showing, but both teams—especially Dal—will be disappointed with a single point.

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