This was to be a special day. No one including @BDSLRumors could predict what was going to happen in the regular season finale between West United and Azzurri. The winner of the match would take the regular season championship of the BDSL O35 league. After years of domination by Aliens a new champion was to be crowned. West United have never finished higher than 3rd in their existence and Azzurri, despite being close, just couldn’t knock off the powerhouses of the league in recent years. The two teams have always matched up well, so a great game was expected. Even in the lean years of West United they often found a way to play well against Azzurri and they even knocked them out of a championship position a few years ago.
Azzurri, who has had a string of bad luck lately on the injury front, was to be without their captain Darren Doell and their stalwart in the middle Mike Blake. Blake recently endured a serious knee injury. (All of West United wishes Mike a speedy recovery!)
As the game began, it was apparent that the two teams would be locked up in another epic battle of possession and counter possession with every offensive opportunity needing something special to break down these two stellar defenses. Azzurri, who only two months ago executed the perfect game plan on West United, found it more difficult this time around to contain the West United attack completely.
The game was tightly contested in the midfield with neither team willing to give way. West United probably had the majority of possession but not by a huge margin. Throughout the first half Azzurri conceded the width and West United attacked it regularly. Crosses came through in the air and some nice cut back balls were sent across but Azzurri handled them and the score remained 0-0. Azzurri struggled with offensive opportunities on this night in contrast to the last meeting when they had numerous shots and opportunities. This game was truly turning into a quality chess match. As the battle for possession ensued near the end of the first half a ball was sent into the box by defenseman Rob Marsham. The ball found midfielder Bill Seifert’s head and he flicked it back post where Brian Kalls pounced on it with a diving header! The score was now 1-0 on another highlight reel goal by West United. This was just the start that West United needed. The one thing they did not want to do again was battle back from a one goal deficit. Azzurri continued to battle hard despite the goal and constant battles throughout the field started to amp up the intensity of the game. The half would end soon after the goal and West United had the ever important 1-0 lead.
The second half played out the same exact way. West United probing, using the outside of the field while Azzurri tried to counter through the middle. Midfielders Bill Seifert and Sean Morrissey were relentless in stopping the counter through the middle of the field. When Azzurri could break through them, they had the best defense in the entire league to deal with afterwards. In an odd twist, the game got quite chippy at times between these two teams who rarely have any sportsmanship issues but in the end, both teams held it together. All in all, it proved to be too much for Azzurri to overcome on this day and the game would end with no scoring in the second half. The final score 1-0. Another complete game from every player on the pitch for a strong West United side who were are to be crowned the Regular Season Champions of 2017.
Man of the Match: Brian Kalls- for his sprawling diving header which proved to be the game winner.
Honorable Mention: Sean Morrissey- for his intense defending in the middle of the field all game and his usual poise with possession of the ball.
Next week these two teams do it all over again for the League Playoff Championship! West United will be going for the double and Azzurri to avenge this week’s loss. Knowing the quality of these two sides anything can happen in the Championship game!
