Game 9:
Won 17 - 12 v Austria
Austria lost their quarter-final in sudden death the evening before after being ahead most of the game so we knew their heads could be down and another of our flying starts could put us in the driving seat. We came out on O and smoothly knocked in a score. The D line came on looking determined to get a break straight away and pressure forced the Austrians into turns. They struggled to make inroads into the Austrian defence until Celine magnificently took down a huck from Pete. The sideline went crazy, the Austrians looked down, and the D line used that energy and momentum to rattle in 3 more breaks thanks to a combination of Irish pressure and surprising drops. At 5 - 0 the Austrian offence recovered and they scored 3 before the half. Our O line was in no mood to give up anything in this half though, with Foxi in particularly good form.
The second half started much as the first half had finished. Austria were making less mistakes and scoring most O points but our O line was still finding life comfortable. Austria were marking us under, thinking that we didn't have much of a deep game, a theory we disproved! Not playing myself helped us out here, giving James and Fiona two big male cutters to huck for. At 13 - 5 Austria finally adjusted their D and we tired a bit as we had against Switzerland, Hungary and Slovakia and started making simple errors on offence. Austria got a few breaks back but after a couple of frantic points our offence found its calm and finished the game out.
Game 10
Lost 17 - 11 v Germany
A great game to end the tournament against easily the most spirited team we had faced, and the most interesting team tactically. They mixed up their offence formations a lot but generally favoured a 4 - 3, usually as a disguised iso. I was looking forward to playing D and trying to mess up their shape with some poaches.
We tried to remain focused in the warm up but I think that we all knew 6th was a huge achievement for us and we didn't start the game running as hard as usual. At 4 - 0 down we took a timeout, woke up and scored the next 3 points. Germany upped their level again to take those breaks back straight away, we fought back again to take another before the half and went in 9 - 6 down.
We tired in the second half and didn't manage to put away any of the turns we got on defence. Germany sneaked a couple more breaks and took the game 17 - 11, sparking off celebrations from both teams!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Day 5: Quarter-Final Defeat
A really committed performance wasn't good enough to compete with a very good and very unpleasant GB team. They should go on to win the competition, they seem a class above every other team here. We'll be battling for 5th place tomorrow. Every win means the world to us and we'll be putting everything into the two games we have.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
MVPs
We've been voting MVPs for each day.
Day 1: Jen Kwan
On a day most of the O line stuggled to get into the tournament Jen excelled and scored a number of important points for us.
Day 2: James Finn
Ran the show with Fiona in both games, their on pitch connection proving crucial on a number of occassions
Day 3: Ian French
Had fun against the Slovakian zone
Day 4: Fiona Mernagh
Scored or assisted 18 points in our two biggest games so far. Had the guts and belief to keep making the big throws when the games got tight.
Day 1: Jen Kwan
On a day most of the O line stuggled to get into the tournament Jen excelled and scored a number of important points for us.
Day 2: James Finn
Ran the show with Fiona in both games, their on pitch connection proving crucial on a number of occassions
Day 3: Ian French
Had fun against the Slovakian zone
Day 4: Fiona Mernagh
Scored or assisted 18 points in our two biggest games so far. Had the guts and belief to keep making the big throws when the games got tight.
Day 4: Two Victories
Game 6:
Won 15 - 9 v Switzerland
A phenomenal start from us saw us race into a 6 - 0 lead against a shellshocked Swiss team. For the first time our D line were converting turns without fuss. The rest of the half was traded out to 9 - 3. The Swiss came out very hard at the start of the second half and our concentration seemed to have dropped. They gained a few breaks back and it wasn't until they got within 3 points, at 11 - 8, that we woke back up. Once we focused again we dominated the closing stages to finish off the game. This was an interesting game with the Swiss putting on a junk defence designed to shut down our handler movement. They got a few turns from it but their offence wasn't strong enough to punish us.
Game 7:
Won 15 -13 v Hungary
The Hungarians had some very good results already in the tournament and with a quarter final at stake we knew we were in for a dogfight. We came out of the blocks quickly again to build a big lead in the first half but we saw a 7 - 1 lead reduced to a nervy 9 - 6 lead at the half. Hungary were the first team to really shut down our quick handler movement on offence and their aggressive marks were forcing us into errors. Their offence went through 2-3 players but we couldn't shut them down. We fought the game out but it was the most unpleasant game so far. Still, quarter finals is a great achivement for us and we can't wait to take on GB tomorrow.
MVP of the Day: Fiona Mernagh
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Day 3: More Victory!
Game 5:
Won 18 - 17 v Slovakia
Earlier results in the pool warned us that Slovakia weren't to be taken lightly despite their seeding. Pete and Buggy had done some research, i.e. checked the stats, and it seemed that they were reliant on a small number of players. About half the squad got up early to watch their game against Belgium and immediately noted that they wanted to throw hucks from every part of the pitch. They relied on a pretty loose zone to disrupt the Belgians which delighted me! The biggest warning to us came from a late surge they made to draw very close to Belgium.
This was the hottest day so far and the warm up was exremely tough. High twenties plus humidity is nobodies friend. I had gotten a knee in the quad in the Germany game which had been seizing up ever since and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to play at all. After a lot of stretching I got some flexibility back in it and was pretty certain the adrenaline of the game would get me through it.
The game started great for us: clouds rolled over, the Solvakians were tired from their exertions earlier, our offence was flowing nicely and our defence was converting their turns. We quickly took a three point lead and kept it all the way until 8 - 5 when we added another break to take half at 9 - 5.
By this point the clouds had gone and our energy was starting to drain. We were determined to stay focused, anticipating a late surge from Slovakia like the one we had seen against Belgium. At about 12 - 9 they started to creep back into the game as our minds tired and mistakes crept into our offence. They were snatching breaks now and at 16 - 14 they took two in a row to level the game. Time was called and the cap set at 18. A calm offence point put us 17 - 16 up but Slovakia responded and took the game to 17 - 17. Sudden death point: calm, fast offence until a travel called on me at the halfway line. Play stops. I get the disc back, check it in, fake a forehand to James. Disaster as the disc slips from my grip and is pushed to the ground by my marker. Both teams were in a frenzy as superb desperation defence kept the Slovakians pinned back. After a succession of passes with no progress an attempted break floats a bit to high for a cutter and James knocks it to the ground. A quick pick up and pop for me to throw an adrenaline fuelled huck to Pete for the win.
A massive victory for us and gives us a fighting chance to take 3rd in the group if we beat Switzerland and other results go our way.
Won 18 - 17 v Slovakia
Earlier results in the pool warned us that Slovakia weren't to be taken lightly despite their seeding. Pete and Buggy had done some research, i.e. checked the stats, and it seemed that they were reliant on a small number of players. About half the squad got up early to watch their game against Belgium and immediately noted that they wanted to throw hucks from every part of the pitch. They relied on a pretty loose zone to disrupt the Belgians which delighted me! The biggest warning to us came from a late surge they made to draw very close to Belgium.
This was the hottest day so far and the warm up was exremely tough. High twenties plus humidity is nobodies friend. I had gotten a knee in the quad in the Germany game which had been seizing up ever since and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to play at all. After a lot of stretching I got some flexibility back in it and was pretty certain the adrenaline of the game would get me through it.
The game started great for us: clouds rolled over, the Solvakians were tired from their exertions earlier, our offence was flowing nicely and our defence was converting their turns. We quickly took a three point lead and kept it all the way until 8 - 5 when we added another break to take half at 9 - 5.
By this point the clouds had gone and our energy was starting to drain. We were determined to stay focused, anticipating a late surge from Slovakia like the one we had seen against Belgium. At about 12 - 9 they started to creep back into the game as our minds tired and mistakes crept into our offence. They were snatching breaks now and at 16 - 14 they took two in a row to level the game. Time was called and the cap set at 18. A calm offence point put us 17 - 16 up but Slovakia responded and took the game to 17 - 17. Sudden death point: calm, fast offence until a travel called on me at the halfway line. Play stops. I get the disc back, check it in, fake a forehand to James. Disaster as the disc slips from my grip and is pushed to the ground by my marker. Both teams were in a frenzy as superb desperation defence kept the Slovakians pinned back. After a succession of passes with no progress an attempted break floats a bit to high for a cutter and James knocks it to the ground. A quick pick up and pop for me to throw an adrenaline fuelled huck to Pete for the win.
A massive victory for us and gives us a fighting chance to take 3rd in the group if we beat Switzerland and other results go our way.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 2: Victory!
Game 1:
Won 15 - 12 v Holland
Our first victory in the tournament and revenge against Holland for defeat in Amsterdam. We were in the early morning time slot of 9am and the cooler conditions seemed to help us out a lot. This was an all round good performance. Our O line mercilessly dealt with the Dutch attempts to set up poaches, running through them at will. The D line were getting turns in every point but initially struggling to convert. At half time we were down 8 - 6 but there was a confident mood in the air. We knew our O line had the beating of their D and would score every point; we knew that our D line would eventually convert all the turns they were getting. At 12 - 10 down the D line finally clicked. 5 straight points followed cueing a massive, jubilant celebration.
Game 2:
Lost 17 - 9 v Belgium
This game had been highlighted as a difficult game. We knew the Belgians and won Talampaya and were here to win a gold medal. For once, we started well and traded until 4 - 4. Tiredness, a very hot sun, increased Belgian pressure started to take its toll at this point. Drops appeared in our game and very quickly we were 8 - 4 down, 9 - 5 at half. We spoke about fighting to stay in this game and everyone was fired up to take the game to Belgium. We couldn't convert that determination into scores though and the Belgians continued pulling away. We fought to the end for every score but never looked in this game. Belgium were very impressive. They played a different defence in nearly every point, were willing to throw themselves around and had a couple of very impressive huckers. Their number 23 threw a succession of unbelievable forehand scores, seeming able to put the disc anywhere he wanted to. They'll be strong contenders for this tournament.
Tomorrow we have Slovakia in a huge game. Belgium and Germany look certain to take the top two spots in the group, leaving ourselves, Poland, Holland and Slovakia to fight out the 3-6 positions. Switzerland seem to be the weak link but we aren't taking anything for granted. Really big game tomorrow, can't wait.
Won 15 - 12 v Holland
Our first victory in the tournament and revenge against Holland for defeat in Amsterdam. We were in the early morning time slot of 9am and the cooler conditions seemed to help us out a lot. This was an all round good performance. Our O line mercilessly dealt with the Dutch attempts to set up poaches, running through them at will. The D line were getting turns in every point but initially struggling to convert. At half time we were down 8 - 6 but there was a confident mood in the air. We knew our O line had the beating of their D and would score every point; we knew that our D line would eventually convert all the turns they were getting. At 12 - 10 down the D line finally clicked. 5 straight points followed cueing a massive, jubilant celebration.
Game 2:
Lost 17 - 9 v Belgium
This game had been highlighted as a difficult game. We knew the Belgians and won Talampaya and were here to win a gold medal. For once, we started well and traded until 4 - 4. Tiredness, a very hot sun, increased Belgian pressure started to take its toll at this point. Drops appeared in our game and very quickly we were 8 - 4 down, 9 - 5 at half. We spoke about fighting to stay in this game and everyone was fired up to take the game to Belgium. We couldn't convert that determination into scores though and the Belgians continued pulling away. We fought to the end for every score but never looked in this game. Belgium were very impressive. They played a different defence in nearly every point, were willing to throw themselves around and had a couple of very impressive huckers. Their number 23 threw a succession of unbelievable forehand scores, seeming able to put the disc anywhere he wanted to. They'll be strong contenders for this tournament.
Tomorrow we have Slovakia in a huge game. Belgium and Germany look certain to take the top two spots in the group, leaving ourselves, Poland, Holland and Slovakia to fight out the 3-6 positions. Switzerland seem to be the weak link but we aren't taking anything for granted. Really big game tomorrow, can't wait.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tough First Day
Game 1:
Lost 14 - 10 v Poland
As I highlighted before the game, the Poles were underseeded for the tournament. With the seedings seemingly based off just 2 tournaments this year, which only half the teams attended, there is a lot of potential for upsets. With Slovakia also performing above their seeding today it looks like we may have ended up the the group of death.
The Poles played a similar game to us, based around hard cutting and tough man defence and no fancy breaks, or throws, or tactics. The athleticism and height of their D line shut down our offences deep game ann although we moved the disc well we would suddenly make a simple mistake to turnover in nearly every point. Our D line played better than they have all seasons and managed a good few breaks to keep us in the game. As the game neared the end the O line went on a shockingly bad run and the Poles punished us to run out victors.
Game 2:
Lost 17 - 10 v Germany
The Germans were top seeds in our group and we knew this game was going to be very tough. The Germans played unusal structures on offence, often having four and sometimes even five handlers and two or three cutters. Their range and accuracy of throwing made it very tough for our defence to turn them. We went on a few runs but never looked like closing the gap that they had established early on. Our heads never dropped though, and we kept fighting them until the end. A much more encouraging performance than the first game. The O line looked more comfortable as the game went on, though still kept throwing away chances.
We have another tough day tomorrow against the 2nd and 3rd seeds in our group. Belgium come with a very good reputation and we lost badly to the Dutch at Windmill. We'll be hoping to cause an upset of our own. The mood of the team is still upbeat: we all know we can play much better than we have and are eager to prove that.
Lost 14 - 10 v Poland
As I highlighted before the game, the Poles were underseeded for the tournament. With the seedings seemingly based off just 2 tournaments this year, which only half the teams attended, there is a lot of potential for upsets. With Slovakia also performing above their seeding today it looks like we may have ended up the the group of death.
The Poles played a similar game to us, based around hard cutting and tough man defence and no fancy breaks, or throws, or tactics. The athleticism and height of their D line shut down our offences deep game ann although we moved the disc well we would suddenly make a simple mistake to turnover in nearly every point. Our D line played better than they have all seasons and managed a good few breaks to keep us in the game. As the game neared the end the O line went on a shockingly bad run and the Poles punished us to run out victors.
Game 2:
Lost 17 - 10 v Germany
The Germans were top seeds in our group and we knew this game was going to be very tough. The Germans played unusal structures on offence, often having four and sometimes even five handlers and two or three cutters. Their range and accuracy of throwing made it very tough for our defence to turn them. We went on a few runs but never looked like closing the gap that they had established early on. Our heads never dropped though, and we kept fighting them until the end. A much more encouraging performance than the first game. The O line looked more comfortable as the game went on, though still kept throwing away chances.
We have another tough day tomorrow against the 2nd and 3rd seeds in our group. Belgium come with a very good reputation and we lost badly to the Dutch at Windmill. We'll be hoping to cause an upset of our own. The mood of the team is still upbeat: we all know we can play much better than we have and are eager to prove that.
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