A different perspective of Goodman/Cosmos Collision

Looks like things got out of hand on the other thread again, and it got deleted while I was typing up a response...

I actually read the original thread last night before it got deleted, and the description of the play in question where the keeper got injured reminded me of a very similar play that I witnessed a couple of years ago...

It happened in a pool game of one of the generic fall tournaments when my DD was a U11.  Two evenly matched U11 D1 Supergroup teams playing each other (both teams are currently in D2 heading into U13).  Ball is in our team's defensive end of the field, and opposing back line is pushed up close to midfield.  A long ball get's played out of our end and our speedy forward has a jump on the fullbacks.  Basically, a 20 yd sprint to the ball between our fwd and the opposing keeper.  Our fwd was actually offsides on the play, and the AR's flag went up, but the CR was 30 yds. behind the play and barely blew his whistle loud enough for someone 10 yds away to hear him, let alone 2 players sprinting a full speed 30 yds. away.

Keeper beats our fwd to the ball by a step.  Our fwd can't stop her momentum in time, tries to jump over and to the side of the sliding keeper, but to no avail.  HARD collision.  Keeper goes down, and after about 10 minutes, is helped off the field by medical staff and taken off in a golf cart.  Originally thought keeper might have a broken jaw from our fwd's knee hitting her in the face, but luckily, it turned out to be just a bad bruise, although it was bad enough that the keeper missed the remainder of the tournament.

I can't remember if our fwd was given a yellow card on the play, or just a verbal warning from the CR, but I do remember feeling a yellow was certainly justified in this case.  However, there was no forum uproar over this play the next day.  After the keeper was attended to and play resumed, several parents from both sides got talking and all agreed that it was just an unfortunate result from 2 girls hustling and playing hard (and most agreed that the collision could have been avoided had the CR blown his whistle harder than an emphysema patient when the offsides flag went up).

Here's the rub...  The size factor in this case was inverted from the reported play in the Goodman/Cosmos game.  Our fwd was one of the smallest, most agile, players, while the keeper was one of the biggest players on the pitch that day.  The fwd was probably giving away 5-6" and 40-50 lbs. to the keeper.

Otherwise, the two plays in question sound almost identical...  matter of perspective IMO.

Now I'll just sit back and wait for the rest of you to fire away at me...

Wait, did you just Jake Brigance me from A Time to Kill?

Big difference being a generic fall tourney vs LHCGL QT.

soccerdad1969 wrote:Big difference being a generic fall tourney vs LHCGL QT.

How so? If yesterday's collision took place between the same 2 players, in a pool game in the XARA Fall Classic this November, do you think the uproar on this forum would be any less? I don't.

I see your point...with what might be described as a hard nose play with no bad intentions....and unfortunately someone got hurt.
But,  your small, agile forward didn't have a history of punishing opponents every week.
Thus, there was no forum uproar.
People are sick of it....and frankly a little worried for their 03 daughters' safety.

It shouldn't matter what game or at what point of the season it is. A foul is a foul. The "G" team has a few players that play reckless, as do a few other teams, that is the bottom line. If the bigger players were of average size and had their current foot skills no one would have them on their team. Their is a long list of players that have been taken off the field with injuries because of 1-2 players on the "G" team. Without the size most of them would be playing Rec soccer. It all comes back to the whistle.

If you all haven't figured this out yet, stop calling out a 10 year old girl on the board. Seems to me that this is a sure fire way to get a thread removed.

soccerdad1969 wrote:Big difference being a generic fall tourney vs LHCGL QT.

No difference at all...the laws are the laws...

bwgophers_carl wrote:I see your point...with what might be described as a hard nose play with no bad intentions....and unfortunately someone got hurt.
But,  your small, agile forward didn't have a history of punishing opponents every week.
Thus, there was no forum uproar.
People are sick of it....and frankly a little worried for their 03 daughters' safety.

Correct, one collision, one foul, once in a while is the game. Players taken off the field injured EVERY game is a big deal. Many times it's hard to discern whether or not it is just aggressive play for a 50/50 ball, but some times it is obviously not and in a few occasions it arguably happens intentionally, off-ball when the referee is not looking.

In before the LOCK!!!

bwgophers_carl wrote:I see your point...with what might be described as a hard nose play with no bad intentions....and unfortunately someone got hurt.
But,  your small, agile forward didn't have a history of punishing opponents every week.
Thus, there was no forum uproar.
People are sick of it....and frankly a little worried for their 03 daughters' safety.

    

tornado11 wrote:

soccerdad1969 wrote:Big difference being a generic fall tourney vs LHCGL QT.

No difference at all...the laws are the laws...

But we're not talking about rules here. We're talking about the outcry of a forum (or sideline for that matter). My point was everything is magnified during QT over a generic tournament because the generic tournament won't affect where the team's will be playing in future years.

Look at the latest topics. Almost every topic either directly or indirectly references LH. Contrast that to any other time of the year when the academy ages get all the traffic.

I am just about to delete this thread again. I do not want to spend all day deleting this post and that post. PLEASE, stop referring to any single player. Not just by name and number, but any direct references to a particular player needs to stop.

Admin wrote:I am just about to delete this thread again.  I do not want to spend all day deleting this post and that post.  PLEASE, stop referring to any single player.  Not just by name and number, but any direct references to a particular player needs to stop.  

I think it is time to stop this discussion since we are not accomplishing anything and we are violating the guidelines set up by the board.

I am sending a letter to LH and to the head of the club in question and hopefully that will prompt some changes to the officiating and coaching in question.

Did you see, MLB suspensions came down.

Except A-rod....

So given what I know, this is how I will summarize this issue without any specific reference to a player:

Whether an injury due to collision happens in a regular game, playoff game, or qualifying game is immaterial.  Rules are rules and those don't change based on game type and when it comes to an injury to your DD, it REALLY doesn't matter.

If a kid is amassing yellow cards for rough play, either the parents, the coach, or the organization the kid plays for need to take action to stop this from happening.  There is no reason for an established organization to EVER earn the reputation of being "thugs," yet we certainly have a few here in NTx.  If they are amassing the reputation because kids that can't control themselves either emotionally or physically, and they have exhibited a track record of causing injury to their opponents, they should not be allowed to play.

50/50 ball resulting in injury is part of the game.  Celebrating and getting high 5's/accolades after you hurt someone, not so much.  Celebration when a kid is down and being tended to by trainers/staff should result in an immediate red card to everyone celebrating.  There's no room for that kind of crap in one of the top leagues in the country.

Soccer is a skill/agility/finesse sport, not one of brute strength.  If you want a game where brute strength and size makes the biggest difference, go play American football and stay off the pitch.

NoFanOfDrama wrote:So given what I know, this is how I will summarize this issue without any specific reference to a player:

Whether an injury due to collision happens in a regular game, playoff game, or qualifying game is immaterial.  Rules are rules and those don't change based on game type and when it comes to an injury to your DD, it REALLY doesn't matter.

If a kid is amassing yellow cards for rough play, either the parents, the coach, or the organization the kid plays for need to take action to stop this from happening.  There is no reason for an established organization to EVER earn the reputation of being "thugs," yet we certainly have a few here in NTx.  If they are amassing the reputation because kids that can't control themselves either emotionally or physically, and they have exhibited a track record of causing injury to their opponents, they should not be allowed to play.

50/50 ball resulting in injury is part of the game.  Celebrating and getting high 5's/accolades after you hurt someone, not so much.  Celebration when a kid is down and being tended to by trainers/staff should result in an immediate red card to everyone celebrating.  There's no room for that kind of crap in one of the top leagues in the country.

Soccer is a skill/agility/finesse sport, not one of brute strength.  If you want a game where brute strength and size makes the biggest difference, go play American football and stay off the pitch.

New players and parents in LHGCL are in for a rude awakening! I feel sorry for you and will let you know right now LHGCL does not control the referees that officiate the games. You are going to be frustrated to no end and your complaining and letters will fall on deaf ears. Sorry!

BUNDESLIGA wrote:
New players and parents in LHGCL are in for a rude awakening! I feel sorry for you and will let you know right now LHGCL does not control the referees that officiate the games. You are going to be frustrated to no end and your complaining and letters will fall on deaf ears. Sorry!

I have no doubt that you are correct that the letters may fall on deaf ears, but they are being sent by certified mail, voicing valid concerns and will be useful to a plaintiff in a civil suit if some 10 year old girl receives a serious injury this year. They will have a hard time saying that there is no way they could have known.

turboblaster wrote:

BUNDESLIGA wrote:
New players and parents in LHGCL are in for a rude awakening! I feel sorry for you and will let you know right now LHGCL does not control the referees that officiate the games. You are going to be frustrated to no end and your complaining and letters will fall on deaf ears. Sorry!

I have no doubt that you are correct that the letters may fall on deaf ears, but they are being sent by certified mail, voicing valid concerns and will be useful to a plaintiff in a civil suit if some 10 year old girl receives a serious injury this year.   They will have a hard time saying that there is no way they could have known.

Good luck! My opinion no court will hear a case based on opinions in a sport where injuries do happen and have happened often due to physical play.

Just ask the 01 parents?

BUNDESLIGA wrote:


New players and parents in LHGCL are in for a rude awakening! I feel sorry for you and will let you know right now LHGCL does not control the referees that officiate the games. You are going to be frustrated to no end and your complaining and letters will fall on deaf ears. Sorry!

Clearly you chose to be selective with your reading comprehension....perhaps take another read...

First time post here. I enjoy reading all the various opinions/comments. This blog has taught me a lot about the game. Wow, what an intense soccer world we live in. As I read the postings related to frequent and intentional harm to other players on the field it is very disturbing. I realize it happens and is not limited to these two teams referenced throughout the thread. During our LH game we had a parent shouting from the sidelines, "let's just play tackle football instead". I laughed... is this real? Overall my recent induction into the select soccer world has been a blessing for my DD and family. Hopefully, our girls have limited interaction with this malicious style of play. Teach them to be aware of their surroundings.

I don't necessarily think these tactics are being taught. The pressure of Qualifying Tournaments, LHGCL Divisions, and State Cups just brings out the best in players, coaches, and Parents. Clubs hate each other, teams dislike each other, and parents disliking one another is a recipe for wars being waged on the pitch not soccer.