Match Report – 13 February 2011
Dinamo Red Star | 5 – 2 | Dep. Tierra Blanca

In an ugly game, marred by violence and extremely poor officiating, Red Star showed it’s class and talent by systematically dismantling Dep. Tierra Blanca.  The officials lost control of the game as Dep. Tierra Blanca lost all self control and respect after spitting on and sucker punching Red Star players.

CAFLA, Cal South and The LA City Municipal Sports office need to take a serious look at the head official’s lack of preparation and understanding of game control during a heightened double-elimination tournament.   Although the grading of officials should not normally be a part of match reporting, something must be said and done to protect the players on and off the field.  The head official is not to blame for the atrocious actions of Dep. Tierra Blanca, but the entire game was mishandled, leading to a rise in players tempers, shouting and ultimately reckless, needless violence.

When the same Dep. Tierra Blanca player was red carded twice, it is clear that the head official had no clue what was happening around him.  Rather than calm the situation and check  in with the linesmen to see what they saw and have them help disperse the shouting crowd of Dep. Tierra players, the head official shouted and players, heightening the situation and ultimately allowing the same player that was sent off for spitting to come back on and sucker punch another Red Star player.  Poor game management allowed a losing thuggish team to get riled up to the point of violence.

Everyone deserves better.

Match Report – 23 January 2011
Dinamo Red Star (Deppe, Cornelson) | 2 – 1 | The Internationalists

After the holiday/winter break, Red Star finally gets to see some action against a familiar foe. The game was messy on both sides, but in the end, Red Star pulls out a victory in the tournament opener.

Match Report – 16 May 2010 – Metro Playoffs Qtrs

Dinamo Red Star (Campos, Davis PK) |2 – 2 Regulation, 3 – 4 PKs| SC Croat San Pedro

Overcoming a season of injury and absence, we battled our way into the playoffs by securing the fourth and final spot in the PM division.  Our reward…a quarter final match against the number one seed from the AM division.  The Croats steam rolled the morning Metro going unbeaten in 14 while averaging a +3 goal margin.  We, the reigning Super Metro champions, had yet to find that champion form, but took one big step in the right direction entering the playoffs with a solid end of the season victory.

BTW – The league commissioner was heard fuming over the 1^st round match up.  Having, arguably, two of the best teams in the Metro play each other early in the playoffs is never good for TV ratings.  Sure there would be fireworks, but more of the premature kind that were sure to spoil an otherwise perfectly good prom night outing.

From the first whistle we caught the Croats off guard.  They seemed to play as if they saw the 1 vs 4 matchup and expected another cake walk.  They remained patient and methodical, while we outworked and outpaced them all over the field.  Most of our decision making was solid and our best spells came when we worked the ball, stringing passes and attacking both the wings and the middle.  We were building momentum when an unfortunate own goal off a set piece changed the course of the game, 0-1.

Our response to the shift was exceptional.  Rather than cave, we refocused and worked harder.  The intensity grew and the resulting play was a bit messy, but none the less exciting.  The chance to equalize presented itself on more than one occasion.  One instance saw Deppe skillfully flip a ball over their center back to Billy who was full speed toward goal.   Their keeper played out of his mind, coming way off his line to snuff out the golden chance.  And thus, half time soon arrived giving the frenzied onlookers a chance to collect themselves before what was sure to be a second half to remember.

The Croats were all over each other at the half as they realized they were throwing away the gift the soccer gods gave them.  They came out firing on all cylinders in an attempt to put the game away early…hoping to kill the spirit of a side that they now knew could beat them.  It was their game plan, their best chance and they did it.  They were the first to reach a ball deflected off the crossbar, putting what most thought was the final nail in the coffin, 0-2.

We were now full on in a Kill Bill moment.  There we were, buried alive.  And yet we still believed and we still had heart.  There was no way we were going down without a fight.  Switching to a more aggressive formation, we started doing the little things to break out of the coffin and before long we dug up through the dirt and resurfaced, determined and undeniable.  Their keeper may have kept Billy from scoring once, but the kid just won’t quit.  Rising high above their back line, Billy slammed home a smoking header off a blistering corner served up by Tyler, 1-2.  The confidence was already there, but now momentum was back on our side.

Pressing, we continued to keep them on their back heels.  They began to make mistakes and it wasn’t long before we earned a penalty.  I don’t remember who was brought down in the box, but I do remember Matt Davis stepping up to take the PK not once, but twice as we entered the box early on the first kick. It didn’t matter as he easily wrong footed the keeper both times, 2-2.  Clearly the game was ripe for a fantastic finish, but time was short and the final whistle seemed to blow early.

We all know soccer is an emotional game.  Had the game gone into overtime, I’m confident we would have won.  The momentum, confidence and a last second red card given to the Croats spelled out certain victory, but as this was the quarter finals, there would be no overtime.  Straight to penalties we went…all momentum lost.  One would hope that the confidence would carry over, but unfortunately, nothing but a ball of emotion did as we missed two penalties, losing the match.

The result is bitter sweet and yet quite fitting as a shortened version of our season.  We had high expectations, but at times under achieved, only doing enough to get by.  Backs against the wall, we then stuck together and as a team never gave up, never gave in.

Match Report – 2 May 2010 – Match Day 14

Dinamo Red Star |Forfeit 0 – 1 | Warriors

Sunday will forever be a dark day in Red Star history.  For the first time in several years, Red Star forfeited a game.

This season has been plagued by legitimate injury, work and family absence, but after going over 25 games unbeaten and winning two league trophies over the previous season and a half, it is more than obvious that priorities have changed.   What happened?  Simply put, when every game becomes a struggle to field eleven players out of twenty-two on the roster, it doesn’t matter why people aren’t there, you are going to drop points and lose games.

The broken record of this season keeps repeating a sad and irritating country song.

Luckily, the soccer God’s are also tired of our broken record and they have given us yet another chance to control our own destiny.  We still have a game in hand and can make the playoffs with a win this Thursday.

Match Report – 25 April 2010 – Match Day 13

Dinamo Red Star (Bruns, Rutkin x2) | 3 – 3 | Overworld

Always a treat when these two teams battle it out.  Overworld secured 2nd spot in the table while we were busy figuring out how to get eleven guys out to each game.  We did manage to get 11 the last time we played them, coming from 2-0 down to win 4-3.  What would this match turnout be like?  Massive.

Both sides brought out a full roster.  We had 16 and they may have had more.  There were players I’d never seen before and a pregame shouting match between Overworld and the refs.  Apparently one of their “unfamiliar” players had a league card but didn’t look anything like the picture.  He scrambled to find his Jamaican ID which had the same name, but did look like him.  Whatever.  Game on.

Finally playing full strength, we took a bit to get settled into a rhythm and allowed a couple of soft goals.  When things began to click we started tearing them apart all over the field.  Most notably, Tyler became a man possessed up top and had their back line tripping all over themselves.  Hard to give props to a guy who is already strangely loving himself, but he certainly strapped it on and took it to them.  Joking aside, Tyler’s first was hustle & finish while his second was pure finish as he not only headed in a cracking ball, but then completed a round-off back-tuck in a stellar celebration.  All those years wearing tights in gymnastics class paid off!  David also added a goal by sure footing a difficult skipping volley that was screaming his way across the box.

In the end there wasn’t enough time and we tied, but it was more than clear the damage we can do to other teams when we have a full roster on game day.