OCALA ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT
By: David Thomas

GSA U14 boy’s first game was against the Rockledge Steelers. The game started with Rockledge controlling the ball but we soon took control and drove the field but couldn’t capitalize. GSA got another run not long after. We took control after Rockledge took a kick on an off side call. Diego received the ball on this possession and drove the field and kicked the ball just a little too far in front of him and the goalie was able to come out of the box and take control of the ball. Next Tomasz took the ball and passed a defender then kicked the ball off a Rockledge player to give us a corner kick. GSA to this point was doing a good job of keeping the ball on Rock’s side of the field. Rock got a run after an offside call and drove down our field and got their first shot on goal but missed wide.

After a water break, Rockledge took control on a few drives but couldn’t capitalize and Brody got a run on a ball but couldn’t slide it past the goalie. On an ensuing possession, Matt took a pass and scored into the left corner of the goal for 1-0 lead. On the next possession Rockledge took possession and drove down and scored when Cody couldn’t quite handle the ball and it slipped out of his hands and made its way into the goal for 1-1 tie. Rockledge got a penalty kick on us due to “dangerous play” call as the Referee called it. On the kick, Cody was able to handle this one and on the next drive we Diego took a pass and scored for 2-1 lead.

After halftime GSA started 2nd half off well. After taking a kick on a Rockledge hand ball penalty, Brody received a pas and scored for 3-1 lead. Next possession, Rockledge took the ball down the field and had a corner kick but once it went into the box someone on their team touched the ball again for another hand ball avoiding a possible score. Rockledge goalie kicked the ball and we took the ball and after two passes Diego received the ball and took a shot on goal but missed wide where the ball hit of right bar of the goal but Andreas was there to follow up and scored for a 4-1 lead. Rockledge got a drive on a penalty kick and the ball went out for a corner kick. They took corner but couldn’t capitalize. Then GSA took possession and Diego drove the field but couldn’t take the ball to goal and goalie took possession.

After final water break, GSA got a run but missed ten Rockledge retaliated but Cody handled. Then Diego got a run but kicked to goalie. Possession traded sides a number of times. After a few offsides by GSA we finally had a good opportunity with Alex F taking the ball to the goal and scoring 4-1. Rock then had a drive after the next start and drove down to our side of the field before the ball was knocked out for a Rock corner kick. Rock would have two attempts from the corner on this drive but both missed. Alex F had a penalty kick on the next possession from about 20 yards outside of the box but missed wide. Not long after the game ended with GSA winning 4-1.

OCALA VS GSA U-14
GSA took control of the game early with some good passing and Matt receiving pass and scoring within first 5 minutes of the game for 1-0 lead. GSA controls the ball and is able to keep it on Ocala’s side of the field. After about 10 minutes of passing and trading possessions on Ocala side, Diego received a pass and took a shot on goal and nailed it in the upper right side of the net just beyond the goalie’s reach for 2-0 lead.

After water, break there was some back and forth with Ocala making a long run but Alex T was able to chase a long pass down and turn it. Then after GSA’s drive failed Ocala got another run with Cody making his first stop of the night. Soon after Alex F received a pass and drove the field but was stopped by the goalie. GSA gained control not long after and had a shot hit off the left bar before Brody was able to shoot it in for another goal and a 3-0 lead. Alex F later received a pass from Andreas on the next series and drove past the defenders then pushed the ball into the goal for a 4-0 lead.

Alex F got tripped inside the box and a penalty kick was called and Andreas made the kick for a 5-0 lead.

After halftime, GSA started like the first half by dominating possession on Ocala’s side of the field. The team could not find any good opening in the first five minutes but had excellent passing that kept Ocala off balance. GSA got a good run off a pass from Alex T to Garrett to Diego who took the ball down the left side but couldn’t get a good shot on goal. Ocala got its first break with a penalty kick near the goal but their kick sailed wide right. GSA controlled the ball still and Myles received a pass and shot on goal sliding it past the goalie for a 6-0 lead. Ocala got their best run of the night with one player running the field with the ball and shooting on goal. GSA’s Cody dove and was able to get enough hand on the ball to move it wide of the goal.

END OF GAME GSA 6-0

FSA started by controlling the ball and getting the game’s first run and shot on goal from the left corner but Cody was able to make the stop. Early GSA and FSA felt each other out until finally GSA took control but after moving the ball around they could not convert. Both teams appear evenly matched but GSA isn’t as crisp as in previous games of the tournament. Possessions and field of play changed hands frequently in the first 10 minutes. GSA got a run first at the 11 minute mark but Alex F kicked the ball wide of the goal. FSA got their second shot on goal but the distance was too much to get much on the ball for a solid shot and Cody handled it.

After a water break GSA got a penalty kick with Tomasz taking it then FSA received it but Ryan kicked the ball after taking it off the FSA playing and knocked it in the upper part of the goal and the ball went off the goalie hands and into the top of the net for a 1-0 lead. FSA got a run after the next start then had their own penalty kick but it hit off the cross bar and Drew kicked the ball out to stop the FSA drive. GSA drove next then FSA took possession and tried giving it to their goalie but the ball bounced over his head and almost into their own goal before goalie knocked it out. GSA had a corner kick but just missed then another and the kick was too long.

After halftime possession went back and forth again without any real threats from either side. Diego got a penalty kick and hit a good shot but it went wide missing.

After the final water break of the game, FSA got a penalty kick about 20 yards from the box but Cody handled yet another attempt. On another FSA run, FSA got a penalty kick when one of their players got pushed. Cody stopped yet another ball then FSA forward got the ball and kicked into goal for what appeared to be a score but the whistle was blown for offside’s and the score didn’t count. A lot of penalties were called on both sides. Both teams having chances to score but couldn’t. GSA was able to keep ball on FSA side for last few minutes of the game and hold on for the win

The best chance of the game to score came in the start of second half when Alex T kicked a penalty kick and Diego got a pass but was unable to make a good kick on goal. Miami put a drive together that switched the field to GSA side before GSA was able to turn it and mount its own drive. Tomasz hit a shot that missed just wide. Possession kept trading sides during the remainder of the game. GSA had a difficult time staying on sides and this would kill numerous drives they had. Game ended in a 0-0 tie but with goal differential, GSA U-14 boys won the tournament.