5 a side tournament change

The pitch is not large enough to accommodate two games at the same time.  Therefore, half-time will be eliminated.  Players can rest in between games.  First game must commence no later than 9:10, so all players must be there on time to start.

Game schedule as follows:

Game 1: 9:10 -- 9:50

Seabass v. Tickle me

Game 2: 9:50--10:30

Penguins v. Blue Steel

Game 3: 10:30--11:10

Penguins v. Seabass

Game 4: 11:10--11:50

Tickle me v. Blue Steel

Game 5: 11:50--12:30

Penguins v. Tickle me

Game 6: 12:30--13:10

Blue Steel v. Seabass

Champ game starts at 13:10 between two teams with most points.

I realize some teams have back-to-back games etc. and others have two-game gaps.  There's no way around this issue at this time.  I have tried to be as fair as possible.

Tournament details

1. Address: 1401 28th Street South, Arlington 22202.  Field turf with roof but no heat.

2. Please meet at 9 am for dues, photo, and field set up.  I'll have a basket/hat for the dues.  Tournament dues are $10, more if you can afford.  If you owe me for shirts, I'll take some for that as well.

3. I'll have beanie hats to buy ($15).

4. Let's get excited and have a great tournament!


Here are the rules again:

1) Games will have 20" halves. In first round games, a draw will be accepted as a final result. For the championship game, teams will play for a "golden goal" until a winner is declared.

2) In the first round, 3 points will be awarded to winning squad. One point each squad if a draw results. Zero points for losing squad.

3) First round is "round robbin." The 2 squads with the highest point total will play in champinoship game. If there's a tie in points, then first tie-breaker is "head-to-head" results and second tie-breaker is goal differential.

4) No offsides, no slide tackle, no goalkeepers.

5) Each squad must have at least one woman on the roster. There is no specific requirement for gender ratio on the pitch, but each woman on the roster must play at least half of each game.

6) The "Zaidi rule" is in effect at all times. We will play corners. Out of bound re-starts are all kick-ins, no throw ins.

7) Substitutions are done "on the fly," but must enter the field of play from the defensive side.

8) The pitch will be approx 25 yds X 40 yds. The goals are semicircular, 6 ft at the base, curving up to 3.5 fit at the tallest part of the semicircle. Goal-tending, i.e. placing a player in front of goal, is legal but discouraged (unsportman-like).

9) Goal kick cannot cross the center line unless it touches a player first. Violation will lead to a free kick for the opposing team at the center line where the ball crosses. Goals can only be produces from shots on the same side of the field as the goal itself, unless it touches a player before going in. Balls that go into the goal from beyond the center line results in a goal kick.

Getting Pounded...

How could I not lead in with a "that's what she said joke" while Walter is away?!

So what on earth is the graph that you're looking at?! While recession in the US brings many bad things, we need to keep our glass half full (Walter's Blue Label glass is always 3/4 full and Louis' is empty because he thinks it's a shotglass, and down the hatch it goes...I digress). What you see is the dollar to pound foreign exchange rate, and makes you cringe if your income is paid in Pounds. Through September of 2008, $1.90 would buy you £1.00 while today, that same £1.00 would cost you only $1.45.

In short, buying tickets to see an EPL game (use Man U vs Fullham as an example) would have cost you $332 pre September and that same seat, bought today, will now cost you only $253.75.

That's all for now, hopefully Carlos and Walter are making the most of their increasingly less expensive cost of goods across the puddle. -Sir Whiteness

Monday Morning Report: February 23

Greetings from London.  Carlos and I are in town for Tuesday night's Arsenal game against AS Roma.  We'll report on our trip in due order, but first, the weekend indoor game.

We avenged our loss to the "Reds" with a 10-nil thumping.  This is Georgie's second clean-sheet this season.  With any luck, we should be able to qualify for the championship game on 3/7, the same day as our team party.  

I hope everyone is excited about the 5-a-side tournament this weekend.  I'll send out the details on meeting time, and address at the end of the week.  Briefly, we'll meet around 9 to set up the fields and take a group picture etc.  Play will begin shortly afterwards.  We hope to start the championship game no later than 1pm.

I'd ask everyone to read the rules very carefully.  If there are questions, we should discuss them now.  Here are the rules:

1) Games will have 20" halves. In first round games, a draw will be accepted as a final result. For the championship game, teams will play for a "golden goal" until a winner is declared.

2) In the first round, 3 points will be awarded to winning squad. One point each squad if a draw results. Zero points for losing squad.

3) First round is "round robbin." The 2 squads with the highest point total will play in champinoship game. If there's a tie in points, then first tie-breaker is "head-to-head" results and second tie-breaker is goal differential.

4) No offsides, no slide tackle, no goalkeepers.

5) Each squad must have at least one woman on the roster. There is no specific requirement for gender ratio on the pitch, but each woman on the roster must play at least half of each game.

6) The "Zaidi rule" is in effect at all times. We will play corners. Out of bound re-starts are all kick-ins, no throw ins.

7) Substitutions are done "on the fly," but must enter the field of play from the defensive side.

8) The pitch will be approx 25 yds X 40 yds. The goals are semicircular, 6 ft at the base, curving up to 3.5 fit at the tallest part of the semicircle. Goal-tending, i.e. placing a player in front of goal, is legal but discouraged (unsportman-like).

9) Goal kick cannot cross the center line unless it touches a player first. Violation will lead to a free kick for the opposing team at the center line where the ball crosses. Goals can only be produces from shots on the same side of the field as the goal itself, unless it touches a player before going in. Balls that go into the goal from beyond the center line results in a goal kick.

There are no words....

.....to describe this

Monday Morning Report: February 16

I have a bad case of the flu. Every time I cough, my head feels like it's going to explode. But still have to be at work, cuz my patient today came all the way from N.C. to be cut on by the Penguin. So, you just got to do, what you got to do.

Anyway.... Peter got called up by both squads that played each other this weekend indoor at Fairfax. Aaaawkward. Are we supposed to feel privileged that he ended up playing with us? Aaaugh. This opponent is definitely the strongest in our league and the perennial champions. Last year, they beat us badly in the game when Carlos and Luis both were tossed. And again, during the playoff round.

This year is a different story. No one would have beaten us yesterday. Period. We were organized in defense and moved the ball superbly on offense. Our opponents didn't know what hit them, and they were down 4 nil within minutes. Kudos to Lindsay and Laura who played outstanding without subs. After raining goals on them for the entire first half, the score was 8-1 at the interval, and 12-6 final. Great job team.

There are several games left for the indoor season. We will continue our rotation system for the roster. If we get into the championship game, our roster will be determined mainly by who our opponent is. If, as I predict, del rey (our opponent from yesterday) is to face us, it would be hard not to field the same squad that beat them yesterday.

Chris sent an interesting missive to the 5-a-side tournament players with interesting thoughts regarding who should replace him since he has to pull out. As long as we are just talking in the hypothetical, I thought I would give you my take. Carlos Puyol is hurt. No help there. I wouldn't pick Gooch or Vidic as Chris suggested because their speed and height, though critical for the central defense on the big pitch, would be neutralized by the small field for the tournament. There are no break-aways or big crosses.

Boccanegra would be a great pick, if only becuase Eleonor, Jeff's girlfriend, thinks that he is the sweetest piece of arse on the planet. I bet she would hang by the Seabass bench just to watch him take off his shirt between games. That in turn would detract Jeff, so that would be hilarious.

This brings up the question: who are the most effective 5-a-side players in the world? I think, that all other qualities being equal (position sense, experience etc.), that speed, size and strength are all secondary to quickness (as distinguished from speed), and accurate passing / shooting. This is purely based on the nature of the 5-a-side game. If I could pick anyone to replace a player, I would go for Robinho, Schneijder, Xavi, or Robben.

I hope the Seabass doesn't go out and find those people to play....

5-a-side teams

OK, so the captains met. And the teams are set. Hey, that rhymes.

Team Luhsers: (aka Ill-Tempered Seabass)

Aaron

Chris

Carlos

Georgie

Kelley

Morgan

M.Alex

Tickle My Lucky Charm

Matt White

Imi

Nicole

Jamie

Erika

Ali

Robb

Not Gold, but Steel, Blue Steel

Jeff

Jan

Jim

Jen

Peter

Zan

Matt Welch

The Winners, by a TKO in the very first round, Killer Penguins

Parham

Lindsay

Opus

Laura

Mumbles

Kevin

Khalid

BTW, did I mention that Khalid's brothers are reffing the games. Helllllooooooooo.

May the trash talking begin....

-The tournament director, who has the refs in the pocket

Penguin

Monday Morning Report Feb 9

Things are heating up for the 5-a-side tournament on March 1. The squad leaders are meeting this week to set up the teams, and we've already determined the colors and names of the squads. For my nickname's sake, my squad will be "Killer Penguins."  You can see the team gear in the picture.  Matt has named his squad "Touch My Lucky Charm," and obviously going green.  Of note, Matt is 0% Irish but "magically delicious".  Jeff can't decide on either name or the color for his team, and probably won't until the very last minute (shocking, I know!).  Georgie has taken a bribe from me for taking a squad name that I picked out.  He's going yellow, and the squad name is "Ill-Tempered SeaBass."  If you don't get the reference, then...well....I have a "laser" to shoot you with.  

With a total of 28 players for the tournament, each squad will have 2 subs that day. Once the squad rosters are set, you will be contacted by your leader, and may the trash-talking begin!

Waiver:  Everyone has to sign a waiver.  For those who were not a practice on Sunday, I propose the following for the sake of efficiency.  Kevin Frank, cover your ears.  If you guys promise not to sue me, I'll write your signature on the waiver, which says you understand that you are playing at your own risk and that you will not sue Arlington County for any injuries sustained during the tournament.

WISL meeting 2/8/09:  Jeff and I endured the two hours of mind-numbing discussion and debate about blah blah blah offside rules blah blah blah new fields blah blah debate on rules of forfeit blah blah.  Of interest, this was the first time Jeff and I spent two hours together without fighting in that last two years.  Progress? or Apathy?  Who knows...

Le Luge Deux Party:  Please remember to save the date March 7 for the annual team party. Evite for this event will go out some point very soon.

That's all for now.  Next weekend, the small indoor squad has a tough challenge, and Peter will have to decide which side to play for....cuz we play his "other" team!  

Have a great week, everyone