LFA Settles for Fourth at Bridgman

From the first whistle, you could sense the team was running on empty. Spent from the effort it took to get to the bronze final, LFA just didn't have the jump in their step and zip in their passes that had characterized their play before this game. Still, to their immense credit, they dug deep and ran hard throughout. The first few minutes actually resulted in an LFA short corner as we took them off guard with our commitment to team play. Our game plan to overload the one side and pressure them on the ball was mostly effective, as they failed to swing the ball with any purpose. 

In the end, however, being tired led to mistakes. We couldn't complete passes we would normally seldom miss. We coughed up the ball. And every time the Kelowna team came back at us in waves. Nearly all of their attack came off the counter, as their central midfield started to take over the game. Down 3-0 at half, we just couldn't find a way to bury our chances, and the score reflected Kelowna's energy much more than their edge in clinical play. In some ways, completely the opposite to the Handsworth team we had seen hours earlier.

The girls fought right til the end, even managing some sustained pressure through the last 6 or 7 minutes. Finishing fourth at a premier tournament with the elite AAA teams is an accomplishment they'll take with them for the rest of the season. We're back on the pitch Wednesday at Livingstone Field to play York House in a critical league match that will have a big impact on the Provincial qualifications and ranking.