The final game of the Nike Cup was set for 2 pm on Monday afternoon, thereby giving the boys a little extra time to recover from the arduous playing schedule. The team faced its seventh game in four days, and, in addition to fatigue, some of the boys were nursing injuries or illness.
Our opponent once again was Fullerton Rangers. The score once again was 1-0 in their favor. The Rangers scored in the first half and our boys were not able to equalize. The Strikers pushed hard throughout the contest, and outplayed the Rangers once again in the second half, but to no avail.
In retrospect, the Strikers played extremely well throughout the Nike Cup. Whether they were leading or trailing, they played hard and never surrendered. They were in every game they played, and could have won them all with only a break or two. Despite the fact that they have only been together as a team for a short time, they gelled. The boys improved their play with each game. There is good reason for optimism - these boys can become a special team when they play together regularly.
All of the adults on the trip were proud of the lads, their play on the field, their behavior off the field, and how well they represented the Club.
The return flight was delayed and eventually re-routed to LAX, with everyone returning home in the wee hours. Even that inconvenience could not put a damper on what was a truly memorable experience for our boys.
Now… on to the Milk Cup!
