Bethesda Internationals

1 Apr. '09.  Out at the MD Soccer Plex for an evening match under the lights on the nice, new artificial turf field, the Internationals played its cross-town rival/friends and State Cup nemesis, Freestate Elite.  In last year's Region I contest, Inter edged Freestate, 1-0, while Freestate returned the favor in the MD State Cup Final, 1-0. Freestate kicked off in the 1^st half, but Inter countered inthe 1^st min. with Vitalis receiving a ball upfield on the left and dribbled down to the corner to send a wicked blast across the goal mouth which passed through the other side as no Inter players close by.  A few mins. later  at the 5 min. mark after a foul by Freestate, Skylar sent a free kick from about 40 yds. on the right into the box where Ebo’s header went just wide right. At about the 9 min. mark, a ball sent upfield in Freestate’s half near40 yds. right was stepped on by a defender and not controlled soundly.  Chris raced in to possess the ball, dribbled in 1v1 on the GK for an easy shot to put Inter up 1-0.  Freestate took a couple of shots from around 20 yds. left and 25 yds. right but both sailed wide of goal.  Freestate committed 6 fouls including a YC shown to #3/Eli for a hard foul on Chris and a YC shown to #8/Fabio  for a hard foul on Skylar.  Inter committed just 2 fouls.  At about the 31 min. mark, after a foul by Freestate, Patrick served a nice free kick from about 35 yds. on the right into the box where Chris timed his leap up to head strike in shot into the net to put Inter up 1-0.  A Red card was shown to Travis for USB/comment to official at the 36 min. mark.  Despite down a man, Freestate played very intensely, pressuring/challenging the ball on every play for the remainder of the match.   At about the 38 min. mark, Freestate served a high arcing ball into Inter’s box which appeared to be going out of bounds over the far post end line, but as Skylar was running backwards to defend the ball, his left shoulder slightly bumped a Freestate player/Julian who fell down in the box and a PK was awarded, which #8/Fabio finished, and the half ended a few mins. later, 2-1, Inter.  

In the 2^nd half, Freestate continued its intense pressure defensively and moved the ball around well.  Freestate managed to break through the back line on several occasions to take some dangerous shots including one which struck the left post and bounced  out harmlessly away.  Another shot went high over the cross-bar, and Seth caught 3 other shots and grabbed a low shot on the turf.  Freestate would take 6 shots on goal and 1 corner kick but all were unsuccessful while committing 4 fouls (including 1 offsides).   Atabout the 14 min. mark, Erik sent a nice pass in the middle to Chris whose shot went wide left.  One min. later,Skylar sent a nice pass on the right to Erik just inside 18 yds. whose shot also went wide right.  At about the17 min. mark, Skylar crossed a ball from the right near 30 yds. into the middle to Ebo whose blast on goal was caught by the GK/Kyle.  One min. later, Skylar received a pass on the right near 18yds., dribbled into the box and sent a strike on goal which the GK caught.  At about the 35 min. mark, Skylar served a corner kick into the box where it was cleared out to around 18 yds.and Ebo’s header on goal was also caught by the GK.  Inter committed 6 fouls (including 1 offsides), and the match ended, 2-1, Inter.

29 Mar. '09. Back out at EHS on an early, foggy morning with very light drizzle which abated just as the match started, the Internationals faced a new opponent, Empire SA Rochester, who traveled to VA from western NY in a 6-7 hour drive.  Empire fell to the surprising SAC United Premier yesterday, 1-3.  In the 1st half, Inter's strong back line held Empire to 3 shots on goal which were unsuccessful including one which Seth caught.  Empire played very hard and physical, committing 11 fouls (including 1 handball) while Inter committed just two fouls.  Inter setup several scoring opportunities but could only finish once on a set play.  At about the 36 min. mark, Patrick served a nice free kick from about 30yds. out on the right into the box where Schillo timed his leap up to head strike in the go-ahead goal and Inter’s first goal in almost 3-1/2 matches in Region I Premier play this season.  Other opportunities included a nice pass from Erik in the middle to Schillo whose shot from about 20 yards on the left went wide right, and another shot by Schillo from 25 yrds center which went high and over the cross-bar.  Also, a couple of shots by V from 25 yards left, both of which went wide right.  Ben also collected a ball in the box and sent a strike on goal which the GK caught.   Inter also created 1 corner kick opportunity which was unsuccessful, and the half ended, 1-0, Inter.

 In the 2^nd half, Empire continued its hard and aggressive play, committing 7 fouls (including a YC shown to #23 for knocking Alex to the turf, and 1 offsides).  At about the 7 min. mark, Empire launched a long, high free kick towards goal from about 35 yards out center.  Seth jumped up in the air and grabbed the ball but it unluckily slipped through his fingers into the net.   Empire would take 2 other shots on goal, one from 18 yds. out which went wide left and another from 20 yds. out which went wide right, and 1 corner kick which was unsuccessful.   Inter was held to just 3 shots on goal which were unsuccessful including a nice right corner kick from Skylar into the box where Nicholas’ header was caught by the GK, and a shot from Chris from about 20 yds. out which went over the cross-bar, and a blast by Alex from about 35 yds. center which sailed high over the cross bar.  However, Inter would notch the go-ahead goal at the 18 min.mark off of a free kick by Skylar from about 25 yds. on the right which fell into the box near 6-8 yards where Erik was in perfect position to strike in the go-ahead goal, and Inter held on to eek out the win, 2-1.  Inter committed 4 fouls (including a YC show to Nate for USB and 2 offsides).

28 Mar. '09.  At Episcopal HS on an overcast day with light drizzle, the Internationals battled its good friends from PA-E, LMSC Velez, for the 3rd match of the short Region I Premier season.  After coming off 2 hard-fought matches in the rain/mud at Jefferson Cup two weeks ago and prevailing 1-0 in both contests, the Internationals expected an even harder match with Velez, PA-E State Champs & Region I Champs 2008.  In last year's Region I contest, Inter and Velez played evenly and the match ended in a 1-1 tie.   Today's game was an entertaining match between two elite teams whose defenses stymied the other's offense, although the Internationals created more scoring opportunities but were unable to find the back of the net.  In the 1^st half, Inter’s solid defense held Velez to just 1 shot on goal which sailed wide left .  Velez committed 6 fouls (including 2 handballs).  Luck was on Velez’s side today as the ball would not find its way into the back of the net for Inter.  Inter took 6 shots on goal and setup 1 corner kick while committing 7 fouls (including 1 high kick).   Chris intercepted a ball near Velez’s 40 yds. center, dribbled forward in between defenders and sent a hard shot on goal which the GK caught. Alex passed a nice ball into the middle to Schillo who fired a blast on goal but the GK finger-tip-saved it for a corner kick which was unsuccessful.  Alex took a shot from about 18 yds. out center which went wide right.  Erik received a pass from Alex about 30 yds. on the left and struck the ball towards goal but it went wide left.  Schillo served a nice ball from Velez’s left corner into the box where Chris’ header just missed right, and Skylar served a nice cross from Velez’s left corner into the box where V’s header attempt just missed wide right, and the half ended, 0-0.

In the 2^nd half, Velez stepped up its intensity and broke through deep into Inter’s left back where a Velez player tackled the ball away from Seth as he attempted to dribble it away but the close-in shot towards the open net luckily bounced off the left side bar and out of harms way.  Velez took 2 more shots which were unsuccessful including one from about 35 yds. center which Seth caught and another from about 25 yards on the right which sailed low and right of goal.  Velez committed 8 fouls (including a YC shown to #4 for pushing Matt out of bounds on a run upfield on the left sideline).  Inter committed 5 fouls (including 1 handball), and would manage just 2 shots on goal including a hard shot by Ebo near 18 yards center which sailed high over the cross-bar, and a shot by Chris about 30 yards on the left but it went wide right., and the match ended, 0-0.