| May 9th,
2004: Hawks 2 – Dynamos FC – 4
A banged up and depleted Aegean
Hawks took the field on May 9th in a Mother's Day matchup vs current
WPL leader, Dynamos FC. When the Hawks had their legs, they proved
difficult for the Dynamos to handle, but in the end the excessive
heat, injuries, and a lack of substitutes proved the Hawks' undoing
and the Dynamos prevailed 4-2.
The opening half showed the Hawks tormenting
the Dynamos with a precision possessing game and a determined attack
up the flanks. A brilliant sequence in the 10th minute had Vince
LaPorta, fresh from final exams at St. Mary's, serving up a driven,
swerving ball from the right corner onto a host of Hawks crashing
the Dynamos box. Center midfielder Alan Golden crushed a one-time
volley to the upper right 90 in brilliant fashion to give the Hawks
the 1-0 lead. It would not last long, however, as Dynamos was quick
to counter with a one-time goal of their own in the 20th minute.
A ball was served from the left side of the Hawks pitch where it
was headed down towards the Aegean Hawks goal by the Dynamos central
midfielder, Mounir. While the header was not struck with much velocity,
the ball somehow managed to squeak through the legs of stunned Hawks
keeper, Anthony Peters to tie the game up. As the first half wore
on, the excessive heat was starting to mitigate the Hawks fast paced
game, while Dynamos were leveraging their numbers with ample substitutions
that resulted in their gaining momentum as the half wore on. In
the 40th minute, the Dynamos found the net for the second time after
the Hawks midfield was caught pressing and the Dynamos were able
to orchestrate a counter attack down the left side of the pitch.
A ball was passed to an unmarked Dynamos midfielder about 16 yards
from the right side of the goal mouth. He calmly hit a soft, floating
shot to the left upper ninety. Hawks keeper was screened by a wall
of defensive and offensive players, and was unable to react quickly
enough despite the lack of velocity on the shot, which was very
well placed. Hawks down at halftime 1-2 after dominating much of
the first half play.
The second half proved much
the same as the end of the first, with Dynamos by far the fresher
team. The Hawks were able to threaten on numerous occasions, but
were unable to find the net prior to the next Dynamos goal. In the
55th minute, a Dynamos forward sent a bibbler to the right side
of the Hawks goal that was inexplicably mishandled by Peters and
leaked into the net. The Dynamos were up 3-1 and did not look back.
After the second Dynamos goal, the Hawks fought on bravely, but
the heat and a lack of subs were difficult obstacles to overcome.
The Dynamos were able to muster another goal off a defensive miscue
in the box to go up 4-1. Soon therafter, Hawks center midfielder
Alan Golden sent a piercing ball onto the stride of right midfielder
Vince LaPorta who blasted a 20 yard rocket to the near post to notch
the Hawks second goal of the game in the 75th minute. The Hawks
were able to threaten with several other opportunities, including
a 18 yard blast from central defender John Stephens that was very
well struck, but hit right at the keeper. At the end whistle, the
Hawks had gone down with a score that was not reflective of the
action on the pitch. Despite having more talent that their opponents,
the team could not overcome the disadvantage of injured players,
the elements, and a lack of subs.
The team will regroup against
a hot Rangers FC team next Sunday at the Polo Grounds in DC, winners
over league rivals Village Settlements 5-2 on the same day. The
game promises to be intense, with the Hawks looking to prove that
they belong in the upper echelon of the league standings. In other
league action on the day, La Universitario beat Glover Park 2-0,
Bier FC beat UAE 3-1, and LCC beat World Bank 3-2. Hopefully, our
wounded players can heal up over the week and the substitution situation
will be improved for a better result.
--
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