sports
BY ANDY VALENTINE
Azul Come up Short After
End-to-End Matchup
EMFC Azul’s June 15 home match against Portland Rain may not
have gone completely according to plan, but nevertheless the Eugene
Women’s Premier Soccer team showed great determination and
defensive prowess in attempting to keep their northern rivals, who lead
EMFC (Eugene Metro Fútbol Club) by one position in the Northwest
league, at bay. Friday night’s end-to-end match was nothing short of
gladiatorial, and it’s a queer characteristic of soccer that time moves
all too slowly when your team is fi ghting to stay in the lead; but when
they fall behind — as EMFC unfortunately did early in the second half — it
sometimes feels as though the clock is ticking in double time.
The air at South Eugene High was perfumed with spirit, especially
during halftime, which saw contestants of different ages trying their
luck in a penalty shootout against the goalkeeper for EMFC’s men’s
team, and winners and runners-up alike took home prizes ranging from
$25 to T-shirts.
The name of the game within regulation time, though, was grueling
defense for both teams, and Eugene goalkeeper Elise Nord put in a
marvelous effort to keep the scores even just before halftime. Had an
additional goal been conceded before the break, the repercussions
might have proved dire. The number of goals scored throughout a
season factor into potential tiebreakers when it comes to the league
standings, so it is always the optimum choice to keep the other team’s
goal tally as low as possible — even if they are winning.
With this said, it certainly wasn’t the case that Portland Rain ran
rings around Azul; possession percentages were closely matched.
Inevitably, it became a matter of guts: waiting for any meager break in
the heavy defensive lines that both teams brought onto the pitch, seeing
the opportunity to score and taking it. It’s just too bad that a second
opportunity never came for EMFC.
At the fi nal whistle Portland Rain led EMFC 2-1, but it was valuable
experience for the green Eugene team, whose members have perhaps
not yet had the chance to completely lock into a rhythm. The future
remains bright, as does the weather.
The next EMFC Azul home game starts 7 pm Friday, June 29, against
current league leaders Issaquah SC, at South Eugene High School.
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
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EUGENE WEEKLY JUNE 21, 2012 11