Berenice Soccer

1st Scrimmage of the Year!

Dust off those boots, we’ve got a field for 2 hours! Let’s get a good game in. Hope to see you all soon.

Rain or shine on Saturday at 3pm, Crocker, Field #2.

The Board is getting together on Saturday, 11/14 to discuss the future of the Club, banquet and more! We will post notes from the meeting upon it’s conclusion!

After a grueling season filled with challenges and adversity, the BSC 1st team managed to post it’s first win on Sunday with a 6-4 victory over Club Marin. Granted, Club Marin were playing 2 men down… but hey, BSC will take the win. Despite the 2 man advantage, BSC found some difficulty dominating the match at first. However, eventually the inevitable came to fruition and BSC starting scoring. The excitement of a win and the open play sent most of the BSC players into the attack, which left some golden opportunities for a Club Marin counter-attack… hence they scored 4 goals throughout the match. Nonetheless, winning the last game of the season at least put a positive cap on the season. It also very well may prove to be a critical 3 points to keep BSC in the mix for the CPSA next season.

With only 10 men available, including missing some key players, what should have been a 1st win for BSC instead became a fight for survival against a full Guadalajara squad. However, despite being down a man the entire match, BSC showed spirit and possessed the ball for much of the game. Yilmaz played like a man possessed alone up top and Kurland counter-attacked from midfield like a cheetah on the open plains. Bedri, Millstein and Acevedo held down the midfield with Orion, Welch, Appel and Saucedo holding the back line. BSC kept the score 0-0 at halftime. Frustrated at not being able to penetrate and being exposed so often by Kurland on the wing, Guadalajara switched around the line up to start the second half. The strategy paid off as they were able to possess more of the ball and apply pressure to an exhausted BSC back line. Nonetheless, BSC counterattacked. The second half provided good entertainment as both sides had some excellent chances. BSC hit the bar twice and Guadalajara once. In goal for BSC, Frankel played another brilliant game, coming off his line early and often. It came down to the 89th minute, when a Guadalajara attacker beat the defense on the outside and sent in a low cross to the far post… an unlucky deflection off a retreating BSC player went into the net and the own goal proved to be difference at the final whistle a moment later. Guadalajara 1, BSC 0.

Starting out with only 8 players, the BSC 1st team was looking at annihilation against top team El Farolito on Sunday. However, help would come from the most unlikely source… Haitian Express of the SFSFL 1st Division. Haitian forfeited their game, which freed up the Reserve players to help out on the first team. As they rushed over to Jefferson field from Beach Chalet… the short sided 1st team packed it in an attempted to hold the line. Farolito couldn’t crack the BSC defense until the 15th minute. Moments later, the Reserve reinforcements arrived and got into the game. Taking advantage of the newbies, Farolito moved the ball well, as always, and netted two more. However BSC found it’s composure and started to fight back. In the second half, both sides scored two times each. Strong performances at all positions gave us a feeling of bitter sweet as the game ended 5-2. Had we started the game with a full squad, who knows what would have happened as we felt that we played up to Farolito’s level in the 2nd half.

Two games left as BSC looks to maintain it’s status in the CPSA.

A revamped Mezcala side proved too much for a Berenice team that was just hitting it’s stride. Playing well by not possessing the ball long enough, BSC struggled to create chances. With Mezcala moving the ball extremely well through the midfield left the BSC defense with too much to handle and, combined with a few great finishes, Mezcala proved the better side. The BSC 1st team has a tough match next Sunday when they go up against El Farolito, then they finish out the season with two must-win games against teams they can compete with.

In spite of being a man up the Reserves fell to Bosnajci 4-2. Excellent performances by Millstein, Orion, Bedri and Luis could not keep the Reserves ahead as a short handed Bosnajci played with more passion and determination. Goal by Acevedo off of an assist by Millstein and a goal by Millstein off of an assist by Acevedo pulled the Reserves even, but poor marking and lack of fitness would give Bosnajci too many opportunities.

In spite of being a man up the Reserves fell to Bosnajci 4-2. Excellent performances by Millstein, Orion, Bedri and Luis could not keep the Reserves ahead as a short handed Bosnajci played with more passion and determination than the Reserves. Goal by Azevedo off of an assist by Millstein and a goal by Millstein off of an assist by Acevedo pulled the Reserves even, but poor marking and lack of fitness would give Bosnajci too many opportunities on which Bosnajci would capitalize.

The Reserves were looking forward to this past weekend’s game against AC Milan, former league leaders that handed Berenice an early loss in the first weeks of the season. With the addition of Saucedo and Sweetnam, and with Jovel stepping in for Stadler in net, the Reserves were prime for a good showing. They did not disappoint.
Acevedo opened the scoring line fifteen minutes in. McDonald played a long arching ball to the left side. Acevedo’s mark mistimed his header and Acevedo found himself in the box. With only the sweeper to beat Acevedo faked left and took the ball inside. As the keeper stepped Acevedo slotted the ball into the left side netting.

Manna would add a second goal five minutes later. Spaull hit a hard driven free kick down the left lane. Millstein, playing forward, flicked the ball perfectly between the stopper and the sweeper to Manna who was cutting across the defense. Manna showed his typical composure, tucking the ball under Milan’s keeper.

With ten minutes left in the half, Milan clawed one back. The shot was clinical, a curving ball from the right hand corner of the 18 into Jovel’s top left corner. But the Reserves would answer almost immediately. Some great play down the left between Luis and Wolfe resulted in a corner. Krochik hit a driven ball straight at Manna who headed it into the left upper v.

Milan would again threaten, this time on a break away that Jovel expertly parried away. The half would end with the Reserves up by 2.

In spite of having the wind, Berenice struggled in the second half as Milan pushed. Twenty minutes in Milan scored again. This time, a miscommunication on the back line left a Milan player on a break away.  The striker finished easily and the momentum began to shift in Milan’s favor.

Luckily Orion would come to the rescue. Heuer, playing up top, showed wonderful skill on an inside/outside pullback that split two defenders. He quickly found Millstein, who turned and played a weighted through-ball right behind Orion’s man. Orion’s first touch was excellent, giving him a full view of the goal. He slotted the ball home with his left, giving the keeper no chance.

Milan would again respond, this time straight off the kick. The Milan forwards dribbled through our striking line and then passed the ball over the top to the right mid-fielder who had tucked just inside McDonald. The midfielder took his shot well and Milan was again down by only one.

However, the back line hunkered down.  Luis, Saucedo, Appel, and Jovel insured that Milan would not equalize.  Jovel made a few spectacular saves, while Saucedo, Appel, and Luis were simply dominant in the air. A great performance all around.

Man of the Match: Nat Manna

A short-handed side fell to Celtic Reserves 2-0 despite a strong showing. The Reserves started the game with 9 players and were forced to play a 4-4 for the first 35 minutes. Despite being two players up, Celtic was unable to crack Reserves back line until just before the half. Berenice would press in the second half, and Krochik and Bedri would find themselves with half chances to equalize. But with no subs the Reserves were unable to convert. With five minutes left Celtic sealed the victory with a perfect through ball that found a man running off the back line’s shoulder.