Home opener, Delgado opener ends in 1-1 draw

Under cloudy, grey skies the Sporting girls took their field in the first Delgado match of the season. It was great to have the whole roster present, and every player healthy enough to play. (It might also be noted that the field lines were highly visible and precise for all weekend games due to the efforts of parents on this team)

Following the opening kickoff, Sporting moved the ball towards the southern goal defended by the opponents, Los Gatos Wildcats, and kept possession there for the first ten minutes of the game. But the Cats held tough, and with the leg strength of their backfield, they moved the ball back into our half of the pitch and kept it there for quite some time. The offensive attack was continuous, though not particularly potent, but one Wildcat shot took an awkward bounce on the sparse turf and dribbled into the goal to send the Cats into halftime with a 1-nil lead.

Coach T made some half time lineup changes that yielded a more successful Sporting offense in the second half. The hoopsters charged northward several times, sending a half dozen shots toward the LG keeper. LG responded with several panic-inducing, though ultimately unsuccessful counterattack campaigns. Finally, in the 44th minute, the Sporting pressure forced a mistake by the Cats as they were called for a hand ball in the box. From the parent sideline, the infraction looked inadvertent, but the CR, nonetheless awarded a PK, which was sent beautifully over the left shoulder of the Cats keeper by a Sporting forward.

From this point on, Sporting was clearly on the attack as the defense moved to midfield to support the onslaught. Numerous campaigns down the left side of the offense were turned back by a resilient LG defense. Despite a number of shots into the box, Sporting could not connect to score and ended up settling for a 1-1 draw.