Rahr City

Teams

Outdoor Schedule

Stats

Player of the Game

Outdoor Standings

Roster

Rahr City
Summer 2010
Last Name	First Name	Pos
Agbese	Ogewu	GK
Anderson	Thomas	M
Bird	Austin	D
Booth	Michael	M
Cooper	Travis	F
Couture	Brian	M
Flores	Luis	M
Gomez	Philip	M
Gonzalez	Erik	M
Hayes	Todd	M
Hunter	Jeff	D
Kaissi	Karim	M
Lamberth	John	D
Leake	John	D
Lightfoot	Bernie	D
Oamen	Isi	F
Osborne	Ben	D
Stringer	Brandan	M
Tapia	Mike	D
Thompson	Jerry	D
Turner	Bryan	F
Manager: John Leake
Captain: Ogewu Agbese

Previous Rosters

Team News

By John Leake

April 12th and Earlier By Art Fowler

July 26

Turner Hat-Trick Leads City to Victory

Rahr City defeated Vagabundos 3-0 Monday night at Gateway behind three goals from Bryan Turner and another solid defensive effort. City should have been up within the first fifteen minutes. Isi Oamen's shot was deliberately handled on the line, and the referee awarded the spot-kick but curiously kept both cards in his pocket, allowing Vagabundos to keep eleven on the field. Bryan Turner stepped up, but smashed his spot-kick off the left post and Vagabundos cleared to keep the game scoreless. City then rattled the crossbar with a header before surviving a scare when a Vagabundos shot went off the inside of the post, but stayed out of Ogewu Agbese's goal. The breakthrough came just before the half. Oamen released Turner with a wonderful first-time flick, and Bryan kept his cool to slot beyond the keeper and put City ahead at the break.

They claimed the second after the restart. Bryan Couture and Luis Flores combined down the left, and the former sent a teasing cross which the opponents failed to properly handle, allowing Turner to pounce for his second. He claimed his hat-trick on the hour mark, racing onto a Travis Cooper through ball and finishing past the keeper to seal the points and gain the Player of the Game award.

In its third season, City continue to improve, and the summer vintage has already set numerous records. Four wins (and counting), three shutouts, and a phenomonal twenty-one goals scored, an average of three per game. Monday's defensive performance extends the scoreless streak to two-plus games, or approximately 250 minutes of water-tight team defense. They will look to end the season on a high in next week's finale.

8:43 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

July 20

Six on the Beach: City Thrash 10-man Jackalopes

Rahr City ended their three-match winless run in emphatic fashion Monday night, beating the undermanned Jackalopes 6-0. The result was beyond doubt before the first water break, as City raced out to a 3-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes. New signing Bryan Turner teamed with Isi Oamen, Travis Cooper, and Todd Hayes in attack to unlock the opposing defense with surprising ease. Turner completed a first-half hat-trick to push the score to 4-0 at the break.

It was more of the same from City after the restart. Oamen grabbed his second, and Erik Gonzalez tucked away the sixth after combining beautifully with Turner on the edge of the box. When Jackalopes did get the ball, they were shut down before ever threatening the City goal by the work of Thomas Anderson and Michael Booth in midfield and the ever-strong City backline. City took full advantage of their cushion to allow GK Ogewu Agbese and defenders John Lamberth and Austin Bird to play as strikers for the final twenty minutes. Though the result was marred by a regrettable incident which resulted in a harsh red card for Erik Gonzalez, City gained another valuable win through their hard work and team play to move within three points of the top of the table.

Player of the Game goes to Bryan Turner, who scored three goals in three shots on his debut, and added one assist.

8:42 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

July 14

Lone Maverick Goal Proves too Dangerous for City

Rahr City suffered its third straight narrow defeat Monday night, losing to Maverick EGW FC (or was it France in disguise?) 1-0. In their first game after the holiday break, City came out a little flat and struggled to establish possession in the opening minutes. They conceded the solitary goal on 25 minutes when Maverick broke down the City right with a through pass, which was then crossed into the box and finished first-time on the volley. They nearly equalized a few minutes later, when Brandan Stringer was denied by a fantastic diving save following a cross from Isi Oamen. The game entered halftime at 1-0.
After the break, City kept pushing forward for an equalizer, but could never find the killer pass or lethal finish. The defense performed admirably to keep the game close, as Jerry Thompson and Ben Osborne teamed up with GK Ogewu Agbese to repeatedly stifle the Maverick attacks. John Lamberth contributed with a spectacular sliding block when a Maverick attacker thought he would simply tap the ball into an empty net. In the end, City would come up just short yet again.
Player of the Game goes to Jerry Thompson, who led by example with his no-nonsense defending.

12:18 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

June 29

City "Blame it on the Rain" in Tough Loss

Rahr City slumped to its second consecutive defeat Monday night with a 4-2 loss to Viet Sports. No one believed the game would go on, considering the apocalyptic downpour unfolding, but manager John Leake responded, "Girl, You Know it's True. Now get out there and play." And play they did.

Shorn of several first-choice players due to injury and absence, City began cautiously but still allowed a goal inside the first ten minutes. A change in formation signaled a change in fortune. Converting to sweeper, Erik Gonzalez helped plug the holes in the back line and solidified City's first-half defending. He then went one better, delivering a beautiful free kick into the box which was nodded home by Isi Oamen. It was a warning to the opposition: "Baby, Don't Forget My Number." The game entered the half tied 1-1 after returning keeper Ogewu Agbese made a miraculous double-save from a penalty kick.

City started the second half well, containing and stifling each attack by the All-Whites. Encouraged to "Keep on Running" by captain O, Brandan Stringer nearly scored on the counter, but couldn't steer his header from Oamen's cross. City would pay moments later when a seemingly harmless cross benefited from confusion in the box and was knocked into the net for an unfortunate own goal by Austin "Big Daddy" Bird. Pushing for an equalizer, they then found themselves down 3-1 after being hit on the break. Despite the lack of a lip-syncing, dreadlocked duo, there was still plenty of simulation by Viet Sports, who spent the majority of the game working on their dives. Though the good guys pulled a goal back through Gonzalez's 25-yard blast, the "All or Nothing" comeback was not to be, and a late deflection meant the game finished 4-2.

Player of the Game is awarded to goalkeepeer Ogewu Agbese, for saving a penalty and walking around shirtless in the rain before kickoff.

7:03 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

June 22

City Dogged by Late Rovers' Defeat

Rahr City suffered its first defeat in heartbreaking fashion Monday night, falling to FW Rovers 4-3 after fighting back from a two-goal deficit. It was Rovers who struck first inside 25 minutes, as City failed to properly clear a corner and were punished by a header from point blank range. It would get worse before intermission, City going 2-0 down when Rovers beat the offside trap and put away a one-on-one.

The good guys in green responded admirably after the break in a wild second half. First Isi Oamen scored his 3^rd in as many games after beating his marker in the box to finish with his right foot. Then City fell behind 3-1 when a Rovers player miraculously dribbled through half the team and toe-poked from 12 yards after a fortuitous bounce. Showcasing again their newly found spirit and attitude, City rallied furiously in the last 20 minutes. First Erik Gonzalez combined wonderfully with Brandan Stringer down the right side, and Stringer unselfishly crossed for his unmarked teammate to side-foot home his second of the season. Then, with under five minutes remaining, City appeared to have completed the unlikeliest of comebacks when Stringer pounced on a loose ball from a corner and smashed past former City great Greg Sadler in the Rovers’ net to make it 3-3. It was not to be, however, as Rovers capitalized on an exhausted and depleted defense to score on counter in the final minutes.

In the long season, many lessons will be applied from this defeat. “We earned our three goals and gave them four,” defender Ben Osborne said. Stand-in keeper Chris Costa, playing his 3^rd game in 4 nights, echoed the sentiments: “Thanks for the help, jerks,” while Philip Gomez was slightly more poetic: “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m Austin Bird.” Indeed.

Player of the Game goes to Brandan Stringer, who tallied his second goal and first assist of the season and provided a constant threat with his running and crossing.

11:11 AM GMT | Read comments(0)