Saturday 26th August MONASH CITY PUMAS 1 lost to BOX HILL INTER 2
SQUAD : Nigel Appelboom, James Bouziotis, Caleb Delarue, Peter Dimopoulos , Vasili Liolios, Stefan Papageorgiou, James Rasool, Alex Scotto, Ken Smith,Lucas Smycz, Franco Vanni.
On a beautiful day with close to perfect playing conditions these two teams provided the goods for the best part of an hour. The last time these teams met Box Hill managed to give Monash a 4-0 drubbing. No repeat of that effort was going to be tolerated by our Pumas.
From the kick off the Pumas had Box Hill on the backfoot with Peter Dimopoulos and Lucas Smycz providing a pincer like attack on both flanks. These two were ably assisted by Stefan Papageorgiou who made many incursions into the Box Hill defensive half only to have his runs halted in uncompromising fashion by a stern Box Hill defence. Whenever Box Hill managed toget the ball into their forward half these attacks would be repelled by the likes of Franco Vanni and James Bouziotis and Vasili Liolios and James Rasool. Julian Sezenios dealt with any attacks that permeated the defence. Ken Smith and Alex Scotto together with Nigel appelboom sealed the midfield so that the flow of any Box Hill attack was continually stymied.
That the Panthers opened proceedings by registering the first goal came as no surprise to the crowd of spectators. A neat ball played by Caleb Delarue was allowed to run across the goal mouth and when everyone expected a shot the ball was instead rolled back into the path of Stefan by Lucas. The little chip / volley shot was goalbound in no time and the Pumas were a goal to the good.
The Pumas could ill afford to rest on their laurels and went about securing a safe advantage. Box Hill in the meantime wasted no time in getting back into the game. The chances that did come their way came via the odd free kick and corners that were whipped across viciously (Jesse has such a great technique). A lapse in the midfield and central defence allowed a solo run by a Box Hill player to advance on goal, round Julian and score the equaliser with half-time only minutes away.
1-1 at halftime and the appetite was whet for the second half proceedings.
The second half began with a little more apprehension shown by the Pumas and the game was taken to them by Box Hill. Julian was forced to make an unorthodox save from a shot that was going wide and minutes later a speculative, looping parabolic shot (from the best part of 20 metres) cleared the defence and Julian's outstretched hands and billowed into the back of the net. 2-1 to Box Hill who had come from behind to snatch the lead.
The test for the Pumas to get back into the game proved almost achievable and towards the end Box Hill defended their lead well. The game was allowed to flow by the referee and free kicks had to be earned before any stop to the play could be contemplated.
When the final whistle blew there was a feeling that everyone had witnessed an entertaining and free flowing game played in great spirits. Box Hill are the only team to have done the double over Monash City and we look forward to these two sides' participation in the upcoming Castlefield Shield.
Saturday 19th August WHITEHORSE 2 lost to MONASH CITY PUMAS 3
SQUAD : Nigel Appelboom, James Bouziotis, Aris Christou, Caleb Delarue, Peter Dimopoulos , Vasili Liolios, Stefan Papageorgiou, James Rasool, Alex Scotto, Ken Smith,Lucas Smycz, Franco Vanni.
Pulsating game played out by two competitive and fast moving sides that entertained from go to woe as the Monash City Pumas were put to the sword early by Whitehorse only to reclaim momentum and the winning scoreline in the second half of the game.
On a flat but small, sandy pitch the Pumas kicked against the wind (slight breeze) in the first half and were competitive throughout all positions even though they conceded two goals. The inability to get the ball into touch led to the first goal as the ball was retrieved from a scramble of players with keeper Julian caught out of goal. The second goal by Whithorse was an example of a simple and effective attack. The ball, having been cleared by the Whitehorse keeper made it to the midfield (with not a Monash City midfielder in sight), was trapped by James R. (who normally eats these opportunities for breakfast) and fumbled just as quickly.
The Whitehorse forward did not need a second invitation as he stole the ball and ran onto goals beating Julian for the second time. Whitehorse tails were up and Monash players' heads were bowed, if ever so slightly.
Attack became the order of the day as wave after wave ran onto the Whitehorse goal. The opposition was besieged in front of their own goals for the remainder of this first half and the keeper was forced into several one on one saves with advancing Monash forwards, Nigel and Stefan.
Two-nil down at half time but the Pumas Coach , George Dimopoulos, instilled in his charges the sense that the game could still be retrieved from this position. The breeze was at their backs and the game plan of trying to stretch the defence by playing the ball wide to the flanks was adhered to by the Pumas. The first all important goal came courtesy of Aris who was on the end of a neat little run and pass by Stefan. The goal was the spark that was needed as the Pumas pushed the opposition to defend their lead.
The equalizing goal was the result of this constant pressure. A corner kick had been conceded and Franco took the kick which defelected off a defender's head with Peter waiting at the far post to volley home the volley. The ball hit the underside of the crossnbar and bounced across the goal line and the game was all square at 2-2.
Either team could have won it at this stage but Whitehorse just could not manage a shot on goal in the latter stages of this half. The Pumas' sealer came after a jinking little run by Stefan that allowed him to take the ball past two / three tackles and guide the low shot into the right hand corner of the Whitehorse goal. The Pumas were back from the dead and the game had been rescued by a great team effort combined with the inner belief of the players.
Final scoreline was Whitehorse 2 - Monash City Pumas 3.
Credit to Whitehorse and their management for preparing a competitive outfit that has provided two enthralling games in this year's fixture. Look forward to the continued challenge for these teams in years to come.
Saturday 12th August MONASH CITY PUMAS 3 def RINGWOOD CITY 1
SQUAD : Nigel Appelboom, James Bouziotis, Aris Christou, Peter Dimopoulos , Vasili Liolios, Stefan Papageorgiou, James Rasool, Alex Scotto, Ken Smith,Lucas Smycz, Franco Vanni.
Good come from behind win by the Pumas as they did the double over Ringwood City to the tune of 3-1. A hat trick by Stefan ensured that the margin was a comfortable one, though things did not look to go the Pumas' way for the majority of the first half. The Pumas went behind after conceding possession of the ball to the Ringwood players. Aris in goal could not repel the forward move as the defence looked on helplessly and Ringwood were a goal to the good. The challenge was thrown up to the Monash City Pumas.
The task ahead did not daunt these plucky Monash boys as the score was levelled almost immediately from the restart through great offensive play by Peter and Stefan who delivered the welcome equalizer. 1-1 became 2-1 when Stefan late in this first half made a nuisance of himself in he Ringwood goal mouth to secure his brace and put Monash City in the lead for the first time.. half time and the score was 2-1 in favour of Monash City Pumas.
The second half began with good defensive application on the part of James B. and James R. and Franco. Our very own Vasili is proving a stalwart at left back. Ken in midfield together with Lucas, Stefan and* Alex * and Nigel providing trusts down the flanks managed to keep the Ringwood defenders honest.
The sealer provided by Stefan ensured the game would be Monash's for the keeping and the 3-1 scoreline emphasized the resilience of this group of playes to get the job done with the minimum of fuss.
Saturday 5th August MOOROOLBARK 0 lost to MONASH CITY PUMAS 7
A muddy pitch and a rising mist were what awaited the Pumas at Mooroolbark's home ground. Those who made the journey were treated to a game that was well balanced at half-time with the Pumas leading 2-0 and with Mooroolbark hanging on grimly in a defensive formation that never threatened. The flood gates opened up after half time and the Pumas ran out comfortable winners to the tune of 7-0 with James Rasool bagging a hat-trick.
That it took at least 10-12 minutes for the Pumas to score their first goal is testimony to the effective defensive spoiling tactics adopted by Mooroolbark. James Rasool's first goal was the result of a lofted pass into the goal arc by James Bousiotis. James Rasool brought the ball down and turned in his shot wide of the keeper. The second goal provided the match highlight. Peter Dimopoulos connected well with a cross/shot that ballooned over the keeper into the back of the net. These were the goals scored in the first half amid numerous excursions forward that took the players to the half-time huddle with Monash Pumas leading 2-0.
The second half saw a frenzy of forward moves that bore more goals. Caleb Delarue was on hand to seal his only goal of the game when he followed up the play to drive home from close range (3-0). Lucas Smycz did likewise to bag one for himself as the Moorolbark defense looked like wilting as they had done in these teams' last meeting (4-0). Neat passing to Stefan Papageorgiou by Lucas resulted in Stefan getting on the scoresheet (5-0). Caleb Delarue's and Alex Scotto's crossing of the ball into the "hot spot" put the Mooroolbark defence under constant pressure. One of Alex's attempted crosses hit the frame of the crossbar. A beautiful chip cross from Franco Vanni allowed James Rasool to deliver his second with a deftly headed effort (6-0) and for his hat-trick James had the simplest of tap ins to complete another barnstorming attack (7-0).
The defence of Julian Sezenios, Franco Vanni, Vasili Liolios and Ari Christou in goals had little to do during the game. What they did though is effectively deal with the few attacks that Mooroolbark dished out to the Pumas. Wiith so many of their own team mates pushing forward it is good to see disciplined defenders who concentrate fully on their task at hand (often with little fanfare). Vasili did venture forward towards the latter stages of the game and had a shot that just skimmed over the crossbar.
Sterner tests await the Pumas in the coming weeks with the season about to culminate in some interesting match-ups against good opposition sides.
Saturday 29th July MONASH CITY PUMAS 3 def DONCASTER ROVERS 1
Tight game that was in the end decided by some good goals especially a beautifully taken volley struck by James Rasool...but I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
On a day when windy and gusty conditions (interdispersed with brief interludes of sunshine) made the ball tricky to control, the Pumas set about slowly grinding out a result against determined opposition in Doncaster Rovers. Play seemed to flow from one end of the field to the other as both sides' midfielders tried to wrest control of the game.
The Pumas defence has an immovable object in Franco Vanni who tharted may of the Rovers' forward moves with timely interventions (a miniature Cannavaro) that speak highly of this players' ability to sense and deal with dangerous situations. Ably assisting in a libero role, James Rasool made the most of loose balls in the backline to set up midfielders with passes that were accurate and deliberate in their execution.
Vasili Liolios is relishing his time at left back - a position he has come to make his own. His interventions down the left flank and the "kismet-like" relationship he has with outside left Caleb Delarue / Peter Dimopoulos and midfielder Alex Scotto on this side of the field, is responsible for the numerous occasions that defence quickly turns to attack in the Pumas' side.
Nigel Appelboom made a welcome return for this fixture (having scored in the corresponding away game earlier in the year). His contribution was rock solid, workmanlike and no frills-great to watch. Peter Dimopoulos ran his legs off down the left touch line and provided the cross for the first of Lucas Smycz's brace of goals as he moved in to slide the ball into the back of the net . The Rovers were set back on their heels with this effort and could not manage a counter. Timely interventions again by Julian Sezenios in goals meant that the half-time score of 1-0 in favour of the Pumas stood.
The second half saw Julian earn his "chips money" as he kept the Rovers forwards at bay. Ari Christou and Ken Smith, James Bouziotis and even Nigel provided steel in a defence that was on the verge of buckling when the ball was moved forward and crossed into the path of Stefan who helped the ball onto Lucas for his second goal of the match.
The Pumas seemed to then be cruising and perhaps allowed Doncaster into the game slightly. The Coach's and spectators' nerves were set jangling when Doncaster pegged a goal back with less than 10 minutes to go on the clock. Beaten (once) but certainly not bowed, Julian made a great save to turn a shot wide of the goal. The clearance from the resultant corner was taken down the other end by the Pumas forwards. Alex Scotto took the corner that was returned into his path by a Rovers defender and the subsequent crossed delivery found James Rasool waiting at the back post. His sweetly-timed volley buffeted the net to the applause of the crowd.
The victory was sealed with this effort as the Pumas ran out 3-1 victors over Doncaster and completed the double over this accomplished side.
Saturday 22nd July KNOX CITY 0 MONASH CITY PUMAS 10
On a beautiful sunny away to Knox City there was not an umbrella in sight for what proved to be a much tougher game than the scoreline seemed to suggest. The goal tally achieved by the Pumas was possible through tenacious and constant application for the full 45 minutes of the game by all team members.
The team line up was missing regular central defender Franco Vanni (bruised heel) and James Bouziotis (unavailable) and may have looked threadbare on paper. In James Rasool and his able cohorts Ken Smith and Vasili Liolios the Pumas had a veritable indomitable fortress. A lean day for Julian Sezenios in goals (action wise) but everything that could be saved and retreated by this able goalkeeper, was!
The game started brightly enough with Stefan Papageorgiou keeping close control on a midfield ball and running at the goals unleashing a good strike that was well held by the Knox City keeper. Several more efforts by Stefan, Peter Dimopoulos and Lucas Smycz wer also thwarted by this game opposition keeper until Stefan found a way through by placing a gem of a strike into the back of the net for the Pumas' first goal.
A second followed soon later after a goal mouth scramble after a ball was put into the danger zone by Alex Scotto and Peter and Stefan managed to get faint touches to help the Pumas to a 2-0 lead.
The talking point of this first half though would have to be the strike by Caleb Delarue that sizzled along the ground and would have been buried in the bottom corner of the net were it not for an inadvertent defender's leg that got in the way. The ball by Caleb was returned viciously into the box after it had been cleared from a corner kick. The half time score of 2-0 in favour of the Pumas foreshadowed the second half onslaught.
That the Pumas were able to score the next 8 goals at will spoke highly of their domination in the midfield (Aris Christou, Caleb Delarue and Alex Scotto) and the constant menace that Stefan provided as he ran at defenders. The "little nipper" had three and then four goals in the bag in quick succession and was ably assisted in the goals scoring by Lucas (who chimed in with two goals) and Caleb Delarue who was rewarded for his tireless effort in fornt of goal with a brace of his own and Peter Dimopoulos who bagged one for the team. Stefan eventually netted five goals for the Pumas and the game must surely rank as one of his brightest performances to date.
As Coach George Dimopoulos said after the game " Great team game where everyone contributed and everyone stuck to their task!"
Saturday 15th July MONASH CITY PUMAS 5 def RIVERSDALE RAIDERS 0
Tough day at the office for the Pumas in a first half where the opposition set out to negate any semblance of free flowing football by accounting for the Pumas' players in a tight man-marking effort.
In turn the Pumas defence of James Rasool, Franco Vanni and Vasili Liolios and Aris Christou replied in kind and choked every forward thrust that came their way. In the first half Julian Sezenios in goal was doing star jumps and talking to his imaginary friend just to keep himself amused.
Wet conditions helped Riversdale's cause and the Pumas midfield tried hard to provide opportunities for their forwards. Lucas Smycz and Stefan Papageorgiou helped ease the coach's tension at halftime by slotting home two well taken chances during this first half that deflated the Raiders by the half-time break.
Lucas indeed seemed to be on-song with one of his attempted headed efforts just ballooning over the opposition goal in what appeared to be a instinctive reaction to a ball that was there for the heading.
Two-nil was the half-time score in favour of the Pumas.
With the drizzly rain perhaps everyone thought better about being out in such terrible conditions, but football is an all-weather sport and wet conditions sort out the ducks from the drakes. Players who run in a straight line at the ball and the opposition inevitably win out and in the Pumas' side there are plenty of such players willing to give of themselves entirely for the cause.
Ken Smith's tackling places him in the category of players who goes about his game with good effect and without much fanfare. Others of the same ilk are Franco, Aris and Vasili and James Bouziotis - their feet do the talking and their mates know they can trust them.
Lucas chimed in with his second goal shortly after the resumtpion of play in the second half. Peter Dimopoulos as always did his best Stan Lazaridis impression by taking the ball instinctively to the by line on numerous occasions and getting a cross in. Combining well with Peter on the left flank Alex Scotto on occasions appeared to strike the ball too hard when a gentle stroke or neat pass would have served him better. The boy has a left foot on him though, as a shot that sizzled over the crossbar proved. For sizzling shots none better that Caleb Delaure's beautiful left foot strike that the keeper managed to half-parry but could only watch as it sneaked underneath him and over the goal line. Scoreline Pumas 4 - Riversdale 0
Caleb also got on the end of another good strike with his right foot and had the shot that was on target well saved by the keeper at the base of his left-hand upright.
As foretold in his attempts in the first half this was going to be a day out for Lucas. A hat-trick awaited with the third goal a well taken shot that was crossed over from Peter on the left flank. Despite the best efforts of the keeper the ball trickled over the line because the shot was so well taken. Julian did get to see some action in goal pulling of a fine save low down to record a second successive clean sheet.
The final goal that sealed an emphatic 6-0 victory for the Pumas and was delivered courtesy of............Hang on what 6-0 win? I guess the Pumas owe themselves one for next weekend when they front Knox City away.
----Saturday 8th July MONASH CITY PUMAS 6 def GLEN EIRA 0
A concerted team effort by the Pumas underpinned this victory against a plucky Glen Eira side who only faltered towards the latter stages of the second half to succumb to the 6-0 final scoreline.
The Pumas were quick to get into top gear and several early chances on goals were defied by the interventions of a very able Glen Eira keeper. Stefan Papagerogiou made a nuisance of himself in the forward line and it was evident that he was going to have to be at his best to get any shots past the keeper. At the 10 minute mark of the first half adeft throughball from Lucas Smycz found Stefan one on one with the keeper and though the shot was well taken, the ensuing save must have felt like another opportunity gone begging. Luckily for Stefan, James Bouziotis followed up on the deflected save and buried the first goal for the Pumas for the day.
With a goal to the good the Pumas exerted some pressure and Lucas Smycz then got in on the act firing from close range to herald the second goal for the Pumas to take them to the half-time with the scoreline at 2-0.
Coach George Dimopoulos instructed his players to share the ball around in the second half and to this end the players complied. Goals were set up unselfishly in the goal arc for fellow players to tap in. Play was switched from one side of the field to the other enabling the forwards to stretch the dence and midfield contingents of the opposition. It became clever and easy football (easy on the eye that is). The beneficiaries of this simple and unselfish play were the remaining goal scorers (Peter Dimopoulos [2], Stefan Papageorgiou [1] and James Rasool [1] and the team as a whole who played compact and effective football.
Defence as ever solid with Franco Vanni at the heart and Kenny Smith, Aris Christou, Alex Scotto and Vasili Liolios as able contributors. Julian Sezenios made some fine saves when called upon.
One question remains unanswered- who's the new kid wearing number ?46?????
Saturday 1st July BULLEEN 1 lost to MONASH CITY PUMAS 7
The Pumas stalked the Zebras and having toyed with their prey for the best part of the opening five minutes of their game, Stefan Papageorgiou went for the jugular in a direct run through the middle to register the first of seven goals for the team.
Goals came in quick succession through great teamwork and determined offensive play. Stamping their authority in midfield were James Bouziotis, Alex Scotto, Ken Smith and Peter Dimopoulos whilst keeping the Bulleen forwards honest were defenders James Rasool, Aris Christou and Franco Vanni and Julian Sezenios in goals who earned his stripes in the first half before handing over the gloves to Aris in the second half.
Good midfield/wingplay by Vasili Liolios saw that player surge forward on more than one occasion whilst riding tackles and winning the ball. THe final delivery needs working on but this will come with strength.
The half time scoreline of Bulleen 0 - Monash City Pumas 5 (Stefan Papageorgiou 3, Alex Scotto 2) reflected the positive aspect that all players bring to their game when things go their way.
The second half proved to be tighter as Bulleen tried o salvage some pride from the game. In this half James Rasool made his customary contribution to the scoreline by popping up with one of his own and Lucas Smycz rounded off a solid performance for himself by getting on the end of a movement to herald the 7-0 scoreline in the Pumas' favour. Julian Sezenoios began throwing his body around (without fear to his personal safety) with some timely interventions in defence as he was let loose on a demoralised herd of Zebras.
The game had been safe from the outset and would have served as an exercise in boosting the morale of a team that had only two weeks prior suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Box Hill Inter.
The late pegging back of a goal by the Zebras did not dampen the spirit of our young cubs who made the most of a breezy afternoon to put away their chances and thus consign Bulleen to a resounding home defeat.
Saturday 24th June EAST BENTLEIGH JSC GALA DAY
Beautiful morning with more than a nip in the air with the Monash City Pumas representing their Club in the under-9s round-robin tournament at Bailey Reserve, East Bentleigh.
The Pumas would be grouped with Hampton, East Bentleigh Stingers and Sandringham for a 3-match round-robin that would have decided the semifinalists.
SQUAD MEMBERS :
Nigel Appelboom, James Bouziotis, Joel Bowen, Aris Christou, Peter Dimopoulos, Stefan Papageorgiou, James Rasool, Ken Smith, Julian Sezenios, Alexander Scotto, Lucas Smycz, Franco Vanni (Absent : Caleb Delarue, Vasili Liolios)
GAME 1 East Bentleigh Stingers 1 lost to Monash City Pumas 3
Well controlled game by the Pumas with guest player Joel Bowen directing traffic in the middle of the park and contributing a well taken goal in the first half. Goal scorers were Peter Dimopoulos in the first half and Nigel Appelboom with another good strike midway through the second half. Uncertainty around the goalmouth contributed to the Stingers bagging a goal of their own but Pumas were in control for the duration of the match.
GAME 2 Monash City Pumas 0 lost to Hampton 1
This was a pulsating game to watch and be involved in. No quarter given or asked by two teams that had victory in their sights. The game remained scoreless for the main part of the match and it was only a breakaway late in the second half that gave Hampton the well earned 3 points. A draw would have been a fairer result and would have helped Monash immensely.
GAME 3 Monash City Pumas 1 def Sandringham 0
Sandringham rested some of their players for this game but remained a competitive outfit taking the ball forward on numerous occasions only to be foiled by aggressive defence or by Julian sezenios in goal..one shot stopped at very close range had the crowd screaming goal as it left the foot of the Sandringham player.
The only goal of the game came courtesy of a well taken effort by Stefan Papageorgiou when allowed to break clear of the advancing defence. Julian's effort in goal was outstanding!
As is clear from the table below, the group was very competitive and with a slice of luck and a little more concentration the Pumas may have advanced from the group phase to the last 4 (they could have made [STUFFED] HISTORY but the OLD GOAT got the last word) . JOGA BONITO, Fellas!
| Team |
win |
draw |
loss |
gls for |
gls agst |
goal diff |
pts |
| Sandringham |
2 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
2 |
+ 9 |
6 |
| Hampton |
2 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
2 |
+ 8 |
6 |
| Monash Pumas |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
+ 1 |
6 |
| E.B Stingers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
20 |
-19 |
0 |
-
Saturday 17th June BOX HILL 4 def MONASH CITY PUMAS 0
THUD!! That' s the sound that a pride of Pumas makes when they land flat on their backs and not on their feet.. Our team played away to Box Hill Inter and left Wembley Park with a 4-0 (against) scoreline to bring a big reality check into the squad.
An impressive Box Hill team kept the Pumas in their own half for long periods. Pressure and lots of it proved telling midway through this first period when a goal was fashioned from a scramble in the area. Julian Sezenios made several interventions as goalkeeper and the back four of Franco Vanni, James Rasool, Ken Smith and Vasili Liolios were put under the hammer far too long.
The midfield is where footbal games are made or lost. Far too much latitude was awarded to the opposition midfielders who continuosly drove attacks forward. When we needed someone to put their hand up and commit themselves to denying the Box Hill team space to operate, players took the easy option of letting team mates attempt to make the play. It just takes one player to put in for the effort to become infectious.
" INITIATIVE " is a word that begins with " I "
After the Pumas conceded the second goal following a poor goal mouth clearance Lucas Smycz did manage a looping header that brought a save from the keeper. Two-nil down at the half-time break and it was time to turn things around.
The Pumas came out charging at the beginning of the second half with renewed vigour in their play. Stefan Papageorgiou was taken down on his way to the goal area and awarded a free kick that was struck well by Alex Scotto.The kick was saved off the line by a combination of defenders and all too eager forwards and the ball was eventually cleared. Another good break down the left wing by Peter Dimopoulos later in the game led to a good cut-back delivery that was unfortunately not cleanly met by Stefan and Franco in the goal mouth.
Box Hill's pressing game led to the scoring of two more goals in the second half. One was the result of a well delivered corner kick that was whipped to the near post with venom enough for Julian to just try and flap it away. the resultant tap in meant that once again an opposition player had been first to the ball with not a Monash player to pressure him. Our team of Julian, Franco, James B., James R., Ken, Aris, Vasili, Caleb, Alex, Peter, Lucas and Stefan was well and truly beaten by the better side on the day.
An important lesson had been given to the Monash Pumas this weekend.
- Accountability and a need to stamp one's authority (both as an individual and as a group) is important in deciding close games and in trying to retrieve games that appear to be lost. These boys need to take as an example the way that Australia ground out their recent victory over Japan at the World Cup finals.
- Good players never say die and stand up when things appear not to go their way.
Success is all the sweeter when you put in the effort and are rewarded.
Saturday 10th June MONASH CITY PUMAS 4 def WHITEHORSE 3
On the Outer (at The BBQ)
This proved to be the sternest test yet of the Pumas' side (as yet) unbeaten run in the course of the season.
The Whitehorse team had come to play and succumbed to an early goal from Lucas Smycz who ran in from his customary right wing position to drive the ball home. Lucas and his team mates celebrated the goal and perhaps took the opposition lightly or the next 10 minutes as Whitegorse made a game of it with two quick goals that had the defence and midfield flat-footed. Picking the ball out of the net has become something that Julian Sezenios has not had to do lately and to do it twice in quick succession meant a wake up call for the Pumas as a whole.
The defence took a no-nonsense approach from there on in. Strong tackling and tight positional play meant that the Pumas kept the Whitehorse players honest for the remainder of the first half. The Pumas welcomed back Kenny Smith and Aris Christou who both played in rightback positions. James Bouziotis had the job of man-marking the centreforward and in the absence of Franco Vanni (sick on the day) did a good job in holding out any forward threats. James Rasool as ever was dependable in the sweeper posse and put in a cruncher of a tackle to let the Whitehorse players know that they had a game on their hands. Peter Dimopoulos and Vasili Liolios made the left half of the field their own and exerted pressure by keeping the ball in the Pumas' own forward half. Caleb Delarue as consistent as ever provided midfield assistance and the odd sliding tackle.
The first half saw the Pumas regain the ascendancy and claw back the the lead. Alex Scotto lobbed a long ball towards goal that bounced and went over the sprawling hands of the opposition keeper. Then Stefan Papageorgiou chimed in with two snappy goals that had "goal mouth opportunist" written all over them.
The first of these saw Stefan one-on-one with the keeper and through pressure and presence Stef managed to steal the ball from the keeper and slot the ball home from close range. The second was an equally impressive exercise in positional play in knowing when & where to be to make the most of any goalscoring opportunity.
The half-time lead of 4-2 in the Pumas favour said much about the character of this side that refused to concede any momentum to the opposition.
The second half was an exercise in holding what advantage the Pumas had. Mounting pressure from the Whitehorse players proved telling in the latter half of this second period as a good team goal narrowed their deficit to 4-3. Luck helped the Pumas when a telling cross from the left was poorly met by the Whitehorse centreforward. The open goal went begging and with that the game went to the Pumas. Great defensive effort by the James et James duo and good flooding back by the midfielders that helped out in defence.
Julian you may get to use those new gloves after all.
I'm looking forward to the return fixture!
Saturday 3rd June RINGWOOD CITY 0 MONASH CITY PUMAS 7
ON the OUTER :
Approaching the eve of Australia's own battle against the Netherlands the Pumas visited the the orange-clad Ringwood City and came away with all three points scoring seven without conceding a goal in the match.
On a crisp and sunny morning the mist that had enveloped the ground at J.W Manson Reserve began to lift and the game began nervously enough. Ringwood pushed the Pumas into their own half and a few wake up calls had to be made as some of the Monash players found it difficult to kick the slippery ball clear of defence. Once settled in the conditions a neat passing game ensued where under the direction of Coach George Dimopoulos the players were instructed to use the flanks as much as possible.
Given the opportunity to shine Lucas Smycz made the most of all the balls that came his way and drove the play down along the right flank. Stefan Papageorgiou playing in an unaccustomed position at left back made every ball his own and in the process found himself clearing the ball strongly on occasions with his left foot!! (...previously unheard of coming from Stefan). Franco Vanni started in the centre of defence in the familiar role of stopper and James Rasool was given carte blanche to mop up any loose balls and drive the play forward.
The first goal came from an unstoppable drive from James R. in one of his many supportive forays forward. The ball had been played throught he midfield out wide where Peter Dimopoulos made another one of his jinking runs to centre the ball into the path of the marauding Rasool. Bang...GOAL! The game had started for the Pumas.
Ringwood were not shaken by the events and took the game up to the Pumas. Try as they might, thought they could not forge a clear shot on goal. Once again Julian Sezenios had little to do. The tight defensive formation that included Vasili Liolios at right back and James Bouziotis (who also had a stint in the forward line..cracker of a tacklle, James, in the first half) took a no prisoner approach to their play.
Julian did manage to throw a scare into his team mates by failing to grasp a ball cleanly and watched for a few agonizing seconds as the ball trickled towards the goal. The upright saved his blushes and he retrieved the rebound (shades of Pagliuca in the '94 World Cup final). Up stepped James R. to restore sanity into the proceedings. James was at the end of another good build up that ended in a low driven shot angled perfectly into the bottom right hand corner of the Ringwood net. The 2-0 scoreline which the Pumas took to the half-time break seemed to whet the appetite of players for the second half.
Chance upon chance went begging in the early phase of the second half as countless opportunities just went wide of the uprights with the Ringwood 'keeper beaten. Good left flank by-play by Alex Scotto and Peter Dimopoulos kept the Ringwood fullbacks on their toes. Peter even found time to dance with his opposite partner by the corner flag for a few seconds. Alex was responsible for several driven crosses that made their way across the face of goal. The barest deflection would have seen these chances converted. Unfortunately no-one connected with them.
Coach Dimopoulos had by this time given Stefan the opportunity to influence play in the midfield. The smart way in which ball moved across the width of the field time and again was tesmony to the emerging awareness of players like Stefan that building up the play is an important facet to creating good scoring chances .
It was exactly this way that a ball delivered across the perimeter of the goal semi-circle by Stefan was met by Caleb Delarue with his trusty left foot. (3-0) . The hat-trick achieved by James Rasool minutes later and a well taken shot by Lucas Smycz brought the score to 5-0 in favour of the Pumas. Lucas' effort prior to this (his first in a brace) was a reactionary kick that thundered against the cross bar and rebounded out.
Franco Vanni was in the right place at the right time for his goal..a rebounded effort that he did not know too much about but that said a lot about Franco's willingness to make things happen...and one cannot do that unless they are willing to tackle hard...even in the forward line.
When Lucas Smycz had his second goal registered after a poor goalkick clearance the Ringwood City players' heads went down and the referee blew the final whistle.
Game played in good spirits and with a competitive edge..players playing out of their "customary" pasitions are being given a rounded footballing education by Coach Dimopoulos.. Bravo.
M.I.A. Where were Kenny and Aris??? Missed you guys.
----Saturday 27th May MONASH CITY PUMAS 14 def Mooroolbark 0
ON the OUTER :
The day had a bit of everything, a still mist hung over the ground until the sun broke through later in the game. Good ground conditions with just a nip in the air - and then came the avalanche (.. of goals)!
The game was barely a few minutes old when left sided attacker Caleb Delarue latched onto a long ball from left back Vasili Liolios and let fly a stinging left foot strike that had the Mooroolbark net billowing. A procession of goals followed as the Pumas sensed that the opposition was helpless in defence. Time and again deft footwork and passing which has become the hallmark of this team allowed the ball to go where the players intended it to.
The half-time scoreline of 6-0 was made possible by good support from the back four Ken Smith, Franco Vanni, Aris Christou and Vasili Liolios (playing in the unaccustomed role of left back and impressing Coach George Dimopoulos with his assuredeness and good long clearances down the line. (At this rate Vasili will find himself goalkeeping by the time he turns 11). Julian Sezenios can vouch for how boring keeping is in this team as he had to keep his hands warm from the inactivity.
A further 8 goals were added by game's end and the Mooroolbark team knew that they had had enough.
The scorers on the day were as follows Lukas Smicz (1), James Bouziotis (1) (not including a beautifully lobbed chip to the far post which had to be disallowed by the referee), James Rasool (1), Caleb Delarue (2), Peter Dimopoulos (3), Alex Scotto (3), Stefan Papageorgiou (3).
It begs the question of where the supposed strong opponents are in this league. It has been far too easy for the Pumas and must make it pretty hard for Coach Dimopoulos to keep a lid on his players. Enjoy the victory, boys, but no more chants next time-it's hard enough for opposition teams to face such a scoreline without being reminded of it.
Saturday 20th May DONCASTER ROVERS 0 v MONASHCITY PUMAS 2
ON the OUTER :
A beautiful Saturday morning saw the faithful traipse to Donvale for the Pumas' encounter with the Doncaster Rovers. Coach George Dimopoulos shuffled the deck and encouraged players to play in field positions other than what they had been accustomed to. Stefan Papageorgiou and Alex Scotto found themselves playing at the right and left back positions where they were constantly pressured by the Rovers' forward forays. Julian Szezenios kept things cool at the back and had only a forceful backpass from team mate Franco Vanni to stop in the first half. Lanky James Rasool was placed in the centre of midfield and alongside him James Bouziotis and Aris Christou made for a workmanlike midfield pack. Ken Smith in his usual holding midfiled role never allowed the opposition to get the better of him. He won the ball in most if not all 50-50 situations and judiciously played the ball wide on a few occasions where Pumas ran into position for him.
Rigorous team play on the flanks by Peter Dimopoulos and Lucas Smycz meant the Rovers' wingbacks were kept in their own half for most of the half. When clear of defenders though, boys, every effort must be made to get the ball into thedanger zone in front of goals. Vasili Liolos made every effort to get on is own out wide to provide assistance to the back four nad his central midfeders.
If the deck had been truly shuffled by the Coach then the introduction of Nigel Appelboom in an attacking midfield role proved to be the ace that he had kept up his sleeve. Nigel covered himself in glory by latching onto a loose ball just outside of the goalkeeping arc and letting fly a net buster that heralded the 1-0 lead to the Pumas.
The second half proved to be a terse affair with both sides trading counter attacks through the centre of midfield. As frustrating as this proved the Pumas' nerves were settled once Nigel pounced onto a ball in midfield and carried the ball past the Rover's defence. Once he was one-on-one with the keeper he kept his nerve and delivered what proved to be the killer blow to the Rover's chances of recovering something from the game.
The second half saw quick rotation of players by the Coach to allow players the chance to gather their breath and gain an insight into the masterful chess-like moves made by their Coach. Credit to George Dimopoulos qui audet adipiscitur (who dares wins) and the Pumas won 2-0.
Saturday 13th May MONASH CITY PUMAS v KNOX CITY
ON the OUTER :
A confident Pumas side hosted KnoxCity at their home venue, Argyle Reserve on a mild and windless grey day. The Pumas were out of the starting blocks in a flash an had the ball in the back of the Knox City net within the first 5 minutes of the game through the "Little Nipper" Stefan Papageorgiou who is a experiencing a goal-scoring purple-patch in the early part of the season.
Good team work from the back four as Caleb Delarue, James Rasool, James Bouziotis and Franco Vanni held at bay any KnoxCity foray into their half. Julian Sezenios had little to do in goals but look pretty as he did not touch the ball once in this first half. Distribution from the back was clinical in its effectiveness (boot the ball away at any sign of danger-first time). Through balls also made their way to the wide players Lucas Smycz and Vasili Liolos on countless occasions. Their efforts in turn to cut or cross the ball into the danger area in front of the opposition goals provided opportunities to stretch the Pumas' lead, but a crowded penalty area ensured no free shots on goals eventuated. The teams went to their half-time oranges with the slender 1-0 lead.
The second half saw a more determined effort from both sides and Knox did threaten on occasion to break through the defence which had till then been resolute in its efforts. Ken Smith again put his body on the line (in the midfield and later in defence) as did James Bouziotis who was crunched in the middle of the field during this half. Alex Scotto was linking well with Stefan and Vasili and Lucas and Caleb to put added pressure on the Knox goal. From a poor goalkick Alex slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the Knox goal to put the Pumas 2-0 up.
Monash were then lulled into a false sense of security and were brought to earth with a thud when KnoxCity made one of their forward forays count and secured their first goal. Aris Christou picked the ball out of the net as the Pumas failed to clear the ball quickly and effectively from the danger area around their goal. Aris then made not one but two saves from close range to keep the Pumas in it. The 2-1 scoreline shook Monash out of their slumber and urgency became the order of the day. Forward pressure from Alex and Lucas down the right allowed the ball to cross the area in front of goal as first Vasili, then Stefan and a resurgent Peter Dimopoulos failed to put the ball away. The ball eventually lobbed to Caleb who scored his first goal for the Pumas. Confidence and the 2-goal cushion restored, the Pumas made their way forward for one last effort and in the best attacking move the ball was played throught the midfield and laid out wide by Franco to Peter who cut the ball back in classic style for Stefan to simply tap in.
The final scoreline of 4-1 to the Pumas, as referee Archie Christou brought the game to an end, was greeted with applause from appreciative crowd of onlookers (amongst whom were mums awaiting their own special day).
Thanks go to the mums in the canteen and to the dads who helped set up the ground.. and to Steve Andrejic (vice-President) for beautiful ground preparation. You are a football tragic, Steve..albeit a perfectionist!
Sunday 6th May RIVERSDALE RAIDERS 0 lost to MONASH CITRY PUMAS 4
Great start to the season for our U9 Pumas with a 0 - 4 win against a gutsy Riversdale Raiders. With all the boys eagerly awaiting the start of the new season, all the hard work of pre-season was going to be unleashed to what ever was going to be thrown their way.Coach George Dimopoulos had the boys fired up before kick off and they didn't disappoint, all the team stuck to the game plan and where rewarded a lead of 0 - 1 by half time, thanks to the ever tenacious Stefan Papageorgiou goal. The second half didn't stop there, with defence and goal keeper not letting anything get close to being a goal from the opposition. The team pushed hard and were rewarded by a further 2 goals from Stefan Papageorgiou and a final gaol by Lucas Smycz. Once again great start to the season and keep up the good work.
ON the OUTER :
From where I saw it the thrust of many of the forward play can be attributed to the daring runs of the likes of James Rasool in the centre of the defence. The first goal was the end result of a lob from James into a dangerous situation that led to a simple tap in from Stefan.Franco Vanni added solidity and a back up to the centre of defence when James R went on one of his runs.Often tackling and winning the ball is the attribute of a good team player and we have no better examples than James Bouziotis and Caleb Delarue who occupied the right and left fullback posititons respectively. Even Ken Smith caught the tackling disease and put in a cruncher of a tackle in the second half. Some opportunities went begging in the second half and the boys in the Pumas squad must always attempt to elevate their game so that they have a pattern of play that one can revert to when required.Good contributions from all team players Aris, Julian (who shared the goalkeeping duties), Vasili, Peter and Alex who show left footed touch ( practice with that right peg of yours, boys) and Lucas who provided width on the right flank. Enjoyable sunny day with a good result to match. (Parents seemed pleased)
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