29 October 2008

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

This is my last report for the U-21 Pan American Games tour.

Our final day of the tournament started with the usual swim at 8:45, breakfast at 9:00, and then a few hours of quiet time for the players while the coaches put together video clips of the USA v. Chile semi-final game and prepared their notes for the team meeting.  Lunch was at 12:15 in the revolving restaurant on the 14th floor of the hotel.  The weather was good and the view of the city, the ocean and the surrounding mountains from the top of the building was wonderful to see. 

At 1:15 p.m. the players met in the “Teak Room” on the first floor for the meeting and reviewed clips of the USA attacking penalty corners, defending penalty corners, free hits from their sixteen, free hits into the attacking circle and other elements of the USA game.  John and Charlie laid out what they felt were the appropriate strategies for winning the game.  It was now very much up to the players.  All the players were healthy except for Sean Ford who was feeling under the weather and Elliott Marsh who seemed to have developed an ear infection.

We loaded up the truck with all the game bags at 2:00.  Alvin Bissett was great here, as he has been throughout the tour, helping to load the truck, tie down the tarp and ride shot gun with the driver each time we went to or from the pitch. 

The bus ride to the pitch was a quiet affair, with players either talking softly or listening to their own music on their ipods.   When we arrived at the pitch Kevin took Elliott straight to the medical room to have his ear examined.  His infection was confirmed and a prescription was given.  Elliott would still be fine to play the game, however, which was the immediate concern.

With ten minutes to go the whistle went to summon the team captains.  Ben won the toss for Canada and elected to have first ball. 

The teams lined up for the march out and anthem, with Canada wearing white, white, black, and the USA wearing blue, blue, blue.  The USA jumped out of the starting block with an immediate press.  The ball was driven into the Canadian circle.  The Canadian free hit from the top of the circle resulted in turn over and the USA won a long corner.  At the 3 minute mark the USA manoeuvred the ball into the top of the Canadian circle and fired a shop just wide of the net.

Canada was clearly in for a tough dog fight.  Mark Erickson relieved some of the pressure with a hard hit that cleared the ball down to the USA end of the field.  The Canadians pressed, but the Americans got the ball out of their end and countered attacked with a quick drive back into the Canadian end.
At the 6 minute mark the USA took a free hit at the Canadian 25 yard line.  The Canadians defended well and the play moved back and forth between the 25’s.  At the 12 minute mark Canada earned its first penalty corner and Taylor Self opening the scoring with a hard hit that found the back board of the USA net. 

The play continued to move quickly around the field, with the Canadians attempting to gain control of the game.  At the 17 minute mark the USA earned their first penalty corner. The US drag flick hit Ben Martin in the face mask as he was running out in the number 3 position and as a result deflected into the Canadian net.  Forget the goal that was given up – thank goodness for the protective head gear that saved Ben from injury!

Two minutes later the Canadians drove into the USA circle and a hard shot was deflected up and off the cross bar.  This really is a game of inches!  At the 27th minute Devohn Teixeira carried the ball for an impressive drive down the left side of the pitch and over the USA 25 yard line.  At the 32nd minute Hudson fired a weak reverse stick tomahawk shot that was easily stopped by the USA goalie.  The clock ran down to end the first half with a tied score of 1 – 1.

The players retired to the changing room for their half time talk.  The general feeling at this point was that Canada could still win this game, but they needed get back to playing their own game  the way they had been  throughout the tournament.

The play resumed with the Americans in possession of the ball.  At the 36th minute the USA penetrated the Canadian circle and fired a hard high shot that hit the outside of the Canadian goal’s netting.  A Canadian drive resulted in Canada’s second penalty corner at the 39th minute, but Jesse’s drag flick was blocked by the USA keeper.  Canada’s third penalty corner was immediately awarded.  Taylor’s shot was blocked by the goalie.  Taylor recovered possession of the ball and passed it to Mark Erickson whose shot just missed the net.  The USA took a quick free hit and drove the ball all the way down to the Canadian circle to earn their second penalty corner.   Toni deflected a high drag flick, which resulted in a long corner for the USA.  The ball was sent back into the Canadian circle.  They fired several shots at the net in the course of the ensuing scramble with Toni making a number of saves before Canada was finally awarded a free hit.

At the 49th minute Canada earned its fourth penalty corner.  Jesse’s drag flick was deflected wide.  At the 56th minute Canada earned its fifth penalty corner.  Taylor’s hit was blocked, resulting in Canada maintaining possession with a long corner.  The ball was hit into the circle and a deflection by Bruce Currie hit the post!

The speed and intensity of the game increased with the ball moving rapidly around the pitch.  At the 65th minute the USA drove the ball down their attacking left side, entered the Canadian circle and scored.  90 seconds later the Canadians answered with a drive into the USA circle and Derrick Norton scoring the equalizer.  Regulation time ran out on both teams, with the score remaining tied at 2 – 2.

The teams were given 5 minutes to prepare for overtime play.  Two 7.5 minute halves would be played.  A golden goal would end the game.  If no goal was scored in the first 7.5 minutes the team would have one minute for water before switching ends to resume the sudden death overtime game.  At the 7th minute of the first over-time half Canada earned its sixth penalty corner.  The clock ran out and all 10 Canadian field players gathered at the top of the USA circle.  The ball was well pushed out and stopped, and the drag flick went in.  The Canadians jumped for joy and embraced each other, but the Dutch umpire waived off the goal because he felt that the ball was stopped on the line at the top of the circle and never went 100% out of the circle.  This was a real emotional let-down for the Canadians.  After the game we reviewed our video footage of the penalty corner.  It was difficult really to determine whether this was a correct call, but right or wrong the umpire made his call and the game continued.
The last 7.5 minutes was heart stopping hockey for both teams.  At the 2 minute mark of the second overtime period the USA fired the ball from a free hit into the Canadian circle and the deflection went just wide of the Canadian net.  The Americans really pressed for the final 90 seconds of the period, but the clock ran out with the score remaining tied at 2 – 2.

The game would be decided by penalty strokes.  Toni Kindler would continue in net for the Canadians.  The five Canadian stroke takers would be Devohn Teixeira, Connor Meakin, Mark Erickson, Sean Ford and Ben Martin, in that order.  The first two strokes scored for both teams.  The third American stroke missed the net. The fourth Canadian stroke was saved by the American goalie.  The remaining strokes all scored, so at the end of the first five strokes for both teams the score was still tied at 6 – 6.

The game then had to be decided by sudden death strokes.  Canada would start and the game would end when one team scored and the other team failed to do so.  Devohn took the first Canadian stroke and scored.  The Americans answered with a goal.  Mark Erickson took the second Canadian stroke, which was saved by the American goalie.  When the next American stroke scored the game ended:  final score USA 8, Canada 7. The USA team exploded with joy at having qualified to represent the Americas for the first time ever at the Junior World Cup.  It was over for the Canadians.

The team shook hands with the Americans, saluted the Canadian fans in the stands, warmed down and retired from the field.  Everyone felt a little stunned by the loss.  We watched the final game between Argentina and Chile.  Chile played well but the Argies showed themselves to be the truly world class team that they are and won the final game convincingly. 

The closing ceremony was fairly brief.  Tournament organizers thanked the many volunteers.  Medal presentations were made.  The Canadians thanked the ball boys and girls and gave them all the Frisbees that Ross Stewart had brought with him from Canada.  These were eagerly received by these young boys and girls and it was great to see the smiles on their faces.   With the closing ceremony over we were one of the first teams to retreat back to our hotel. 

Back at the hotel the boys showered and went down to the restaurant.  A long table had been set up for us in a large room that looked out over the pool.  Alvin Bissett, Laurelle Nelson and Ruth and Stanley Martin joined us.  We hung a Canadian Flag on the wall.  Everyone helped themselves to the buffet dinner and then settled down to what became a really wonderful end of tour evening.  In the order of their shirt numbers each player stood up to say a few words to the rest of the team.   It was very moving.  Over the course of the last 6 months a strong bond had forged among all members of the team and staff.  It is difficult for me now to capture the feeling in words, but it was magical.   When the speeches were concluded the entire team stood up and at the invitation of Charles Stuart we locked arms around the long dinner table and sang the National Anthem.

Coach John Sacre presented small thank-you plaques to Charles Stuart, Cassius Mendonca and Kevin Schalk and I presented one to John.  We presented Team pennants to Team Captain Ben Martin and assistant captains Antoni Kindler and Mark Erickson.  We also presented an FHC cap and team pennant to Alvin Bissett for his incredible contribution to our program.   The players all signed the back of these pennants, which I know will be cherished keep sakes.   A standing ovation by the players at the end of the meal left us all rather uncharacteristically lost for words.

The evening continued with a slide show put together by Cassius with many of the pictures of the tour set to music, and then at about 2:00 a.m. most of the team went across the street to the Hyatt Hotel where the 24 hour coffee shop served drinks on their very comfortable ocean front veranda.   It was great to sit their together on that moon lit night with a view of the boats sitting quietly on the still water. At about 3:40 a.m. we all retired back to the hotel to pack.

The luggage truck was loaded up at 5:00 a.m. and we left the hotel at about 5:30 a.m.  Many of the teams were already at the airport.  I spoke with the Argie manager who empathized with our loss.  The Argies knew exactly how we felt since their senior team had recently lost to Canada at the Senior Pan American games and consequently missed out on the Beijing Olympics.  It was a similarly dramatic and painful experience for them.

The trip home went smoothly.  Most of us slept soundly on both flights.  Only one bag (Toni’s goalie bag) didn’t make it to Seattle, but the Continental Airlines staff traced it back to Houston and it should be delivered to Toni’s home later this week.  The bus trip also went without mishap!  We stopped at a Burger King along the way for the sort of fast food dinner that would never have been allowed during the tournament! 

A big thank you to all the parents and other members of our community who have supported this team and this program.  The team represented Canada well, both on and off the pitch.  We made friends and earned the respect of the Pan American field hockey community.  Every country there will be keen to see us again, which is perhaps the most important legacy that we could have achieved.

Sincerely,

Patrick Oswald

Saturday, 25 October 2008

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

I apologize for not getting my reports for October 24 and 25 off to you earlier but my goodness the days are full and go by fast over here.

Friday was of course the big game against Argentina.  If you recall, we had played a friendly match against them on Wednesday, October 15th.  We gave up two goals in the first of three 20 minute periods, and then held them to two scoreless draws.  I personally was of the view that the Canadian team was one of the few teams at this tournament that could give them a real challenge.

The game was scheduled for 6:30 but started at 7:00 because of the torrential rains that had delayed earlier games.  For the first time the Canadians took to the field in Red, Red, Red.  Right from the starting whistle it was clear that the Argies were not like any team we had played to date.  The ball moved quickly around the field, with the Argies pressing hard against our backs.  For the first time we had difficulty getting the ball out of our end, and our attacks were rushed affairs that often broke down leaving us spread out and vulnerable to the quick Argie counter attack. 

At the 16th minute mark the Argies earned their first penalty corner.  The high flick was blocked by Geoff Houghton, but resulted in a second penalty corner for Argentina.  The next flick was a rocket that went high left into the net to open the scoring for Argentina.

At the 18th minute, shortly after the Canadian push back from centre, the Argies drove into the Canadian circle again and earned their third penalty corner.  The low flick went wide of the net.  Two minutes later the Canadians were mounting a fast attack near the top of the Argie circle when they were stripped of the ball.  With the Canadians spread out the Argies counter attacked, driving into our circle to score their second goal.  This was clearly a sobering moment for the Canadians.

The Canadian spirits were lifted in the 22nd minute, however, when Devohn Teixeira drove into the Argie circle fired a super reverse stick tomahawk shot just wide of the net.  Two minutes later the Canadians attacked down the left side, drove into the Argie circle again, and Devohn pushed the ball into the Argie net to score for Canada.

One minute later, at the 25th minute, the Canadians were again in the Argie circle and we earned our first penalty corner.  The option broke down.  Jesse Watson ended up pulling the ball to his left side and fired off a weak tomahawk shot that was easily cleared by the Argies. 

The game continued at a fast pace.  With just 2.5 minutes left in the first half the Argies earned their 4th penalty corner, and the fast flick went high left into the Canadian net.   With just one minute of play left in the first half the Argies earned their fifth penalty corner, and their fast flick went low left into the Canadian net.   What had been a 2 – 1 game was suddenly a 4 – 1 game, with the Argies seemingly in control.

One minute into the second half the Argies earned their sixth penalty corner.  The flick hit the left post and the Argie shot off the rebound went wide of the net.   At the 40th minute Canada earned its second penalty corner.  The push out and stop were fine, but the slip pass to Mark Erickson was intercepted by the Argentine defender.  A fast “jail break” ensued, with the Argies driving all the way down the field and into the Canadian circle.  Geoff Houghton blocked the Argie shot to prevent them from scoring. 

The second half was a back and forth affair, with the Canadians making a number of adjustments to their game and holding their own against the fast and skilful Argies.  At the 56th minute Argentina earned their sixth penalty corner.  The Argie flick was deflected wide by first runner Stephen Bissett.  At the 57th minute the Argies drove into the Canadian circle on a breakaway.  Geoff Houghton made two brilliant saves to prevent them from scoring.  At the 60th minute the Argies mounted a fantastic drive down their left side, firing the ball across the front of the Canadian net.  The sliding Argie attacker just missed the deflection. 

For the final ten minutes of the game the Argies were clearly in control.  They adjusted their game to counter the modifications being made by the Canadians, moving the ball around the entire field with speed and precision.  Canadian attacks rarely got much further than the Argie 25 yard line.   At the 66th minute Hudson Stewart found himself at the top of the Argie circle and fired a terrific reverse stick tomahawk shot at the net.  The Argie goalie batted the ball out to an Argie defender and an immediate counter attack found Geoff Houghton having to make several big saves in front of the Canadian net.  The Argies earned their eighth penalty corner, scoring with a hard high flick.

With less than three minutes to go Canada earned its third penalty corner.  The push out was miss-trapped.  The Argentine ``jail break`` counter attack went all the way down the field and ended with a very convincing field goal.

The clock ran down with the Argies finishing strong.  Final score score: Argentina 6, Canada 1.
This was a terrific game.  Rarely do young Canadian players get to play a world class team in a game where qualification for the Junior World Cup is on the line.  The defending Junior World Cup champion Argentina fielded its best players and played hard to win.  This was a real measure of where we stand and gave us a good indication of what we must now do if we hope to compete successfully against the top teams in the world.  We are not quite there, but we are close and with a determined effort I do believe Canada could rise to the top.  This game and the Canadian performance was inspiring.  Our players learned a lot, gained confidence and are eagerly looking forward to playing the Argies again.  Well done Canada!

Yesterday was our final rest day.  The day unfolded with the usual morning swim, breakfast, a few hours of down time, a two hour practice at the turf from 2:30 to 4:30, another swim, dinner, and a movie at nearby Movietowne.   When we arrived at the pitch for our practice we had the opportunity to watch the last 20 minutes of the Argentina practice.  They were working on their penalty corners at one end of the pitch and trapping aerials at the other.  Interesting to see.  We then started our practice with a good fun game of ultimate frisbee before pulling out the sticks and balls.

Yesterday evening, with the players at Movietowne and John and Cassius working on the USA game preparation, I attended a dinner for managers and heads of delegations hosted by Leandro Negre.  Hailing from Barcelona, Leandro is President of the European Hockey Federation and hopes to be elected President of the F.I.H. at the AGM on November in California.  He addressed the audience with a few words to describe some of the changes that he feels would be helpful for the development of field hockey at the international level.  Sue Neil, PAHF Secretary General from Ottawa, was the other Canadian in attendance.  Sue thanked Leandro for hosting the dinner and presented him with a PAHF tie.  It was a very pleasant evening and a great opportunity for me to meet some of the truly wonderful people who are working so hard in their respective countries to make field hockey happen in the Americas.  We are very fortunate to be a part of this community and I am so glad that our boys were permitted to represent Canada at this tournament.  On several occasions I was asked why our junior women were not at the U-21 games in Mexico City, with many delegates expressing their deep disappoint in this regard.

Tomorrow is do-or-die for both Canada and the U.S.A. as they face off in the Bronze medal game at 4:30 p.m.  The winner of this game will qualify for the 2009 Junior World Cup being held next June in Singapore and Malaysia.  Everything is on the line for this game.  Stay tuned!

Patrick Oswald

23 October 2008.

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

Yesterday was a rest day.  The team practiced at the pitch from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., and for a change from the hotel restaurant we went out to TGI Friday for dinner.  Alvin Bissett, Laurelle Nelson, Ross Stewart and Colin Ford joined us.   It was good to have a quiet day after the roller coaster ride of Monday (losing to Mexico) and Tuesday (winning against Chile).

When we woke up this morning we were not sure exactly what would be needed for us to advance to the semi finals.  It all depended upon what the result of the Mexico v. Chile game would be.  Mexico and Chile were to play the game immediately before us, so by the time our game against Brazil started we would know exactly what had to be done.   If Mexico beat or tied Chile, then all we had to do was beat Brazil and we would finish second in our pool.  If Chile beat Mexico then we would have to beat Brazil by 9 goals minus the number of unanswered goals Chile scored to push past Mexico based on our respective goal differentials (goals scored so far in the tournament less goals against).  Indeed, if we beat Brazil by 14 goals plus the number of goals that Chile scored over Mexico then we could push past both teams to finish first the pool.

The day started in the usual way: swim at 8:45, breakfast at 9:00, a couple of hours of down time before lunch at 12:00 and a team meeting at 12:45 to review the video footage we had on Brazil and prepare for the game.

We left the hotel at 2:00 p.m.  It had been raining hard for much of the day and when we arrived at the pitch we were advised that the game would be delayed for an hour.  This was great since we got to watch the entire Chile v. Mexico game.  While Chile dominated, Mexico did manage some spirited attacks here and there.  It soon became clear, however, that Chile was going to win.  With every Chilean goal the differential we had to overcome to push past Mexico shrank while that separating us from Chile grew.  With Chile’s final 4 – 0 victory, Mexico was well within our reach, but catching Chile would really take an extra special effort and lots of luck as well!!  We would finish second in our pool with a 5 – 0 win over Brazil, but it would take a 19 – 0 win over Brazil for us to finish first.
The appointment sheet had Canada wearing Red, White and Black, but for the second time we requested and were granted permission to wear White, White, Black.  Our thinking is that under the fading evening light it makes for a better game if the team colours contrast as much as possible,
Because of the imperative that we score lots of goals coach John Sacre decided that only one goalie (Antoni Kindler) would dress, and there would be 5 field players on the bench.  This is of course a risky tactic because if anything happened to Antoni then we would effectively have to play without a goalie.

The Canadians sprang out of the starting block with a hard press against the Brazilians.  Indeed, the ball was fired into the Brazilian net in less than 90 seconds, but the goal was called back and the Brazilians awarded a free hit at their 16 yard line for some apparent infraction that I did not see. 

At the 5 minute mark Canada earned its first penalty corner.  The flick was blocked but in the ensuing scramble Connor Meakin, who had rushed to the left post after pushing the ball out, put the ball into the net to open the scoring for Canada.

Canada continued to press the Brazilians, driving into the circle and creating several scrambles in front of the net.  At the 11th minute Canada earned its second penalty corner.  The shot was blocked and the ball came out of the circle, only to be pushed back in and Canada’s third penalty corner was awarded at the 13th minute.  On a set play Mark Erickson put the ball in the net to score Canada’s second goal.

All I can really say about the remainder of the first half is that Canada pressed the entire time.  I do not think the Brazilian team ever reached our 25 yard line.  At the 29th minute Canada earned its fourth penalty corner.  Jesse Watson’s draft flick hit the left post.  The fifth penalty corner came at the 30th minute, but the shot was deflected wide.  At the 34th minute Canada’s sixth penalty corner resulted in a shot that was deflected high over the net.  The first half therefore ended with Canada leading by a score of 2 – 0.  Clearly at this rate Canada was not going to threaten Chile’s hold on first place in our pool.  Indeed if we did not pull up our socks we risked leaving Mexico ahead of us as well.  It almost seemed as though the Canadian players were trying too hard.  Brazil was posing no threat at all, but the task at hand was to score lots of goals and this was not happening.

I should say that the Canadians in the stands were doing a fantastic job of cheering us on.  Alvin Bissett’s huge Canadian flag completely dominated the stand behind the Canadian bench.  Ross Steward was waiving two large flags in each hand.  Colin Ford, Ruth and Stan Martin, Liz Gowan and Bill Marsh could easily be heard cheering on the players.  It was great to have such wonderful support!

The second half started just like the first, with the Canadians pressing hard all the time.  At the 38th minute mark Derrick Norton got the ball rolling with a beautiful field goal.  At the 40th minute Canada earned its seventh penalty corner, and Jesse Watson’s drag flick drove home for Canada’s fourth goal. 
At this point I should mention that the Mexican team and fans were sitting in front of the Canadian fans.  They were of course cheering for the Brazilian team.  They became quieter and quieter as Canada closed the gap on their goal differential lead.  They positively put their heads in their hands when Canada earned its eighth penalty corner in the 46th minute and Mark Erickson scored the deciding fifth goal.  At the 55th minute Canada earned its 9th penalty corner, but Jesse Watson’s drag flick was pushed just wide of the net.  In the 59th minute Canada’s 10th penalty corner also resulted in the ball sailing wide of the net.  At the 64th minute Keegan Pereira drove the ball across the top of the Brazilian circle and scored with a very impressive reverse stick tomahawk.  Two minutes later Keegan was at it again, receiving a hard pass from Mark Erickson and blasting it into the net.   Just as the final horn blew Canada was awarded its 11th penalty corner.  The game was over and nothing would be served by playing out this last corner.  In order to avoid the needless risk of injury Arne Oswald pushed the ball out of the circle and the game ended.  Final score:  Canada 7, Chile 0.  Canada advances to the semi-finals, and will play Argentina tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

After the game the boys returned to the hotel for a swim, dinner and another round of ice baths.  I of course had to forego an ice bath in order to prepare this report!

In the other pool the USA defeated Trinidad 3 – 1.  This means that Chile and the USA will face off tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. in the other semi-final game.

It will very exciting to play the Argies again.  They are an excellent team, and have just enjoyed two rest days in a row because their pool had only 5 teams.  Indeed, they must be feeling quite confident because they spent their two rest days over in Tobago.   Hmmm.  Stay tuned!

U-21 Team Day 9 Report for Tuesday, 21 October 2008.

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

Today was very much a do-or-die day for the Canadian team.  Following yesterday’s late evening loss to Mexico the boys slept in.  The day started with a swim at 9:45 a.m., breakfast at 10:10 a.m., a meeting at 11:00 a.m. to review the Mexico game, a late lunch at 4:00 p.m., and then another team meeting at 4:45 p.m. to prepare for the Chile game.

John and the coaches did an excellent job of reviewing the Mexican game.   In the second period the Mexicans adjusted their game to adapt to the Canadian strategy, and the Canadians were slow to re-adapt to the changes.  The lesson learned was that every player needs to be aware of how tactics are evolving and respond accordingly.  Communication among the players and the coaches is essential so that the team can roll with the fluidity of the game.

The bus picked us up at the hotel at 6:00 p.m. for the 40 minute drive to the pitch.  It was a quiet bus.
We arrived at the pitch to discover that a very heavy rain had flooded the changing rooms.  We were shepherded to changing rooms attached to the adjacent gym, only to be told we could not use them because there was no running water.  Volunteers then cleaned out two other changing rooms and we were able to get back to the business of preparing for the game.  The recent flood had delayed the previous game, which meant that our game with Chile would not start until 8:30 p.m.

The appointment sheet had Canada wearing Red, White, Black, and the Chileans wearing Blue, Blue, Blue.  Since it was a night game under the lights we asked for permission to wear White shirts instead, as the dark blue and red shirts would not offer much of a contrast.   Technical Director Eduardo Guelphand from Argentina, who is proving himself to be a real players’ TD, readily approved this request.

The boys did their pre-game run and stretching on an adjacent tennis court, then hit the turf for the pre-game warm up once Mexico and Barbados had cleared the field.  The Mexico – Barbados game merits a comment.  By some calculations a win by Barbados over Mexico would have increased Canada’s chances of finishing top two in Pool B.  When we arrived just before the half time mark in the game, the score was 6 – 0 for Mexico.  Part way through the second half the Barbadians suddenly shifted gears.  They scored 4 unanswered goals and seemed to have the Mexicans on their heels.  A latish goal by the Mexicans stemmed the Barbadian tide, with the final score in that game 7 – 4 for Mexico.

The Canadians looked very strong and confident during their pre-game warm up.  They had once again been well prepared by the coaching staff and all the players were healthy.  Motivational words from John, Cassius, Charlie and Kevin (who at the end of the afternoon meeting read to the boys the words that his brother had spoken to him before he went off to compete nationally in his chosen sport, Judo, five years ago) had put the players in a very good mental state.

The game started at a fast pace, with the ball being moved quickly around the field by both teams.  At the 12 minute mark Chile earned a penalty corner, and scored with a low drag flick.  At the 23 minute mark Canada earned its first penalty corner.  Derrick Norton pushed the ball out nicely, but Jesse Watson’s hard drag flick just missed the left post.  At the 24th minute Canada earned its second penalty corner.  Arne Oswald pushed the ball out nicely, but it was miss-trapped at the top of the circle and the Chileans broke out of their end on a fast counter attack.  At the 25th minute Chile earned its second penalty corner, but failed to score.

The game continued at a fast pace and with 4 minutes left in the first half Canada earned its third penalty corner.  The shot on net resulted in a scramble in front of the Chilean goal keeper and Canada was awarded a penalty stroke.  Mark Erickson made no mistakes, putting the ball in the net with a strong hard flick.   The first half ended with a 1 – 1 score.

The boys retreated to the changing room for the half time talk.  The second half started with the Chileans pressing hard.  They earned their third penalty corner at the 41st minute mark, followed immediately by their fourth penalty corner.  The Chilean drag flick went low left but Geoff Houghton stretched out to make a fabulous stick save.

At the 58th minute a Chilean attacker drove into the Canadian circle on a break-away but Geoff Houghton made another incredible save.   At the 61st minute Chile earned its fifth penalty corner, and again Geoff Houghton made two terrific saves to keep the Canadians in the game.  Then, at the 63rd minute, Canada was awarded a free hit at the top of the Chilean circle.  Mark Erickson walloped the ball hard and low straight at the net.  Stephen Bissett had his stick on the ground and deflected the ball up into the net to score Canada’s second goal.

The Chileans pressed hard during the longest 5 minutes I can remember.  With just over three minutes left in the game Arne Oswald did a terrific job of holding the ball in the left corner of the Canadian end of the pitch, fending off three or four Chilean players until the clock ran out.  Final score: Canada 2, Chile 1.

Needless to say, the Canadians were thrilled with the win.  The game was terrific to watch: good, clean, fast, hard, exciting hockey.  Perhaps the best game of the tournament to date, and with so many games in hand at this stage of the tournament that really means something.   And it was great to have fans from home cheering us on: Ross Stewart, Colin Ford, Richard Self, Alvin and Lorelle Bissett, Stan and Ruth Martin, Liz Gowan and Bill Marsh.  As it was the last game of the day the fans were welcomed onto the pitch to congratulate the players.  It was a great scene.

The bus ride home was very lively.  The boys wolfed down their dinner and prepared ice baths, not only for themselves but for the staff.  Without my prior knowledge or consent, Kevin Schalk promised the boys that if they beat Chile then the staff would all take ice baths, starting with me!  So I have now had my first ice bath – a very unpleasant experience that I will not be repeating any time soon!  Kevin, you just wait!!!

Today`s win means that Canada still have a chance to finish top two in our pool and compete for a berth at the 2009 Junior World Cup.  That story will unfold on Thursday after the Chile vs. Mexico game and the Canada vs. Brazil game.  Tomorrow will be another well earned rest day.   Stay tuned!

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

Today was a long day.  It started with a team swim at 8:45 a.m. followed by breakfast at 9:00 a.m.  We then drove out to the pitch to watch Argentina pummel the USA 9 – 0.  The Americans were lethargic and slow and thoroughly outmatched by the skilful Argies.

We returned to the hotel for lunch and the boys rested in their rooms for a couple of hours.  At 4:00 p.m. the team ate a light snack and then met to review the tactics for the game.  I must compliment John Sacre, Charles Stuart and Cassius Mendonca for their very thorough and easily understood assessment of how the Mexicans were playing and what we had to do to beat them.

At 6:00 p.m. we headed out to the pitch.  The pre-game warm up was most impressive.  I for one certainly sensed an element of nervousness on the part of the Mexicans down at the other end of the field.

Our boys played extremely well in the first half, dominating the play, winning 50-50 balls, penetrating the circle and generating corners.  This was easily the most exciting field hockey we have seen at the tournament so far.  We moved the ball around the field with good pace and really pressed the Mexicans. Nevertheless, the half time score was 0 – 0.

For a good 15 minutes in the second half the Canadian team seemed a little flat.  We certainly did not control the game as convincingly as in the first half.   At the 42nd minute mark we turned the ball over at the top of the Mexican circle.  The Mexican player then suddenly launched the ball with a 40 yard scoop that went over the head of our last defender.  The Mexican high striker picked up the ball just inside our 25 yard line.  Antoni Kindler rushed out to channel him wide but the striker drove around him and his shot on net was narrowly missed by the covering defenders.

The rest of the second half was a fairly balanced affair.  With less than a minute to play Canada earned a penalty corner.  Connor Meakin’s push out was fast and smooth.  Sean Ford expertly made the stick stop.  Jesse Watson delivered a rocket of a drag flick.  Sadly the ball whistled past the left post, missing the goal by an inch at most.  Final score:  Mexico 1 – Canada 0.

Needless to say the boys are disappointed.  The bus ride home was very quiet.  The team ate a light pasta meal and prepared ice baths for themselves to speed their recovery.

Tomorrow is another day.   If Canada can beat Chile then they might still be in the hunt for a semi-final spot.    I firmly believe that they can do it.  Stay tuned.

Patrick Oswald

Sunday, 19 October 2008

Dear U-21 Team Fans:

Today was a so called “rest” day.  A swim at 8:30 a.m., breakfast at 9:00, a quiet morning, lunch at noon in the revolving restaurant atop the hotel (spectacular views), a team meeting at 12:30 to prepare for the Mexico match tomorrow, and a practice from 3:00 to 4:00 at the pitch.   On the way to the field hockey pitch we stopped by a cricket oval where our liaison officer, Mr. Everns Johnson, had organized a “slow pitch” cricket tournament.  It being Everns’ 65th birthday we presented him with an FHC cap and a Canadian flag signed by all the players and staff.  Photos were taken with Everns and his family surrounded by the Canadian team.  We then watched about 15 minutes of cricket before continuing on to our practice at the field hockey centre.

40 minutes into the practice it started to rain very hard.  The boys continued to play until the sky lit up with lightening and a thunder clap sent everyone running for cover.  The down pour converted the pitch into a lake.  When the rain stopped Derrick and Bruce demonstrated their body surfing expertise (see attached photo!).

Back at the hotel the boys hit the pool again, had a quick dinner and took in a movie at nearby Movietowne.  The day ended with a brief meeting.  It was a good rest day.

The next two days are very important.   Pool B has three strong teams: Canada, Chile and Mexico.  We play Mexico tomorrow and Chile on Tuesday.  Only two will advance to the semi-finals with a chance of qualifying for the Junior World Cup.  And as we all know, on any given day any team can win.  Stay tuned!

Patrick Oswald

Saturday, 18 October 2008 

Dear U-21 Team Fans,

Today the team settled into tournament mode.  Breakfast at a very civilized 9:00 a.m.  A Team meeting at 10:00 a.m.  We departed for the field at 11:30 a.m.

It was very hot.  The warm up lacked some of the energy we saw during Friday’s warm up.  The technical officer announced that there would be a 1 minute water break at the 17th minute of the first half.  Coaches were instructed that this was not a coaching opportunity – the players were simply being given 60 seconds to hydrate.

Wearing White Shirt, Red Shorts and Red Socks, the Canadians came out of the box fairly strong.  Just two minutes into the game Devohn Teixeira fired a convincing tomahawk shot that hit the goalie’s face mask.  The ball rebounded back to Devohn who fired a second tomahawk that was deflected wide.

The Barbadians sprung out of their end and at the 9th minute earned the first penalty corner of the game, a high drag flick blocked by Geoff Houghton.  At the 15th minute the Barbadians were again in our circle and Geoff had to stop two hard shots.  Canada appeared to be a bit disorganized, but broke out with a swift drive into the opposing circle.   At the 17th minute Keegan Pereira lobbed the ball over the goalie, but over the goal as well.  The Barbadians replied with a fast break and earned their second penalty corner in the 18th minute.
 
At the 27th minute Derrick Norton drove into the circle on a fast break and passed to Keegan who scored the first goal of the game. At the 35th minute, with the Canadians spread out on an attack down the left side, the ball went over the side line.  Taking a quick side line hit, the Barbadians suddenly scooped the ball into the Canadian circle.  The Canadians seemed to pause, perhaps expecting a dangerous play whistle, and the Barbadian forward put the ball into the Canadian net just as the first half ended.  Score at half time: 1 – 1.

Just two minutes into the second half Barbados earned their third penalty corner.  It was well defended, and two minutes later Connor Meakin scored Canada’s second goal following a good counter attack down the left side.  At the 40th minute Derrick Norton just missed the net with an impressive tomahawk.  At the 45th minute Canada earned its first penalty corner, but failed to score.  Five minutes later Barbados failed to convert their fourth penalty corner, but at the 52nd minute tied the game with a field goal. 

At the 59th minute Geoff Houghton made a tremendous stick save to stop the Barbadians from scoring on a breakaway.   A minute later Barbadian #4 was sent off the pitch with a yellow card.  With a man advantage the Canadians pressed, and Connor Meakin just missed a cross.  At the 61st minute Canada earned its second penalty corner.  The corner broke down and the Barbadians broke out fast, all the way to the top of the Canadian circle.  At the 66th minute Sean Ford was issued a yellow card for playing the ball when not five yards from a Barbadian free hit.  With the Barbadians at full strength again and the Canadians playing a man short, the ugly prospect of a tie with Barbados loomed. 

However, at the 67th minute Stephen Bissett drove into the Barbadian circle on a breakaway and beat the goalie to score Canada’s third goal.  The final two minutes seemed to last forever.  A defensive breakdown allowed the Barbadians into the Canadian circle with 25 seconds left on the clock and with 10 seconds left the Barbadians earned their fifth penalty corner.  The final horn sounded and all 10 Barbadian field players gathered around the Canadian circle in the hopes of tying the game.  The push out was good and the drag flick went high and a bit to the left.  Geoff cleared the ball out of the circle with his blocker to end the game!

The team warmed down in a tennis court adjacent to the pitch.  It was a fairly quiet bus ride home.  The boys cooled off in the pool and had a light meal.  Kevin organized a round of ice baths.  The players then had a couple of hours to themselves while coaches John Sacre, Charles Stuart and Cassius Mendonca remained at the pitch to watch and film other matches. 
 
At 7:30 p.m. the players met for about 10 minutes on their own to discuss the game and talk generally amongst themselves about how things were going.  The coaches then led a review of the game with some video footage that evoked a fairly constructive discussion about what the team needs to do to get back on track. 

We ate a latish dinner at about 9:30, with everyone in good spirits again. 

On the domestic front, the air conditioning broke down in Graham and Jesse’s room, but luckily another room on our floor was available and they were able to move into it.  The air conditioning in my and Cassius’ room has never worked properly, so we finally also moved, bumping Charlie and John out of their room to a room on another floor as there are no more unoccupied rooms available on our floor.

So there we have it.  Tomorrow is a “rest” day.  The players get to relax but we do have a practice at 3:00 p.m. and our liaison officer, Everns Johnson, will be celebrating his 65th birthday.   Stay tuned.

Patrick Oswald

17 October 2008

Dear U-21 Team Fans:

This first day of the tournament was quite eventful.  The team was down for breakfast at 6:15 sharp.  Perhaps the excitement of the impending first game had everyone jumping out of bed eagerly at this early hour.

At the 6:45 to 7:45 team meeting John reviewed some of the basic strategies and announced the line up.  There was quite a bit of anticipation as no hints had been given about which two players would sit out.

The bus was scheduled to leave at 8:00 a.m. sharp, but five guys were still missing at 8:10.  The transportation co-ordinator was calling me on my cell phone asking what the problem was.  As it happened, the five missing guys were discovered in an elevator that was locked shut on the 3rd floor.   Maintenance was called and various hotel staff rushed about.  Meanwhile we were obliged to be at the pitch no later than 1 hour before game time.  We were on the point of leaving without them (they would have to follow in a taxi later if and when they were set free), when the hotel staff managed to pry open the elevator door.  Quite the psychological preparation for the game.  Would the boys recover???
We arrived at the pitch well before the opposition.  Kevin led an excellent physical warm up and then the players went into their pre-game routine.  They actually looked quite good.

The Guyana team arrived with only 12 players, some quite young looking.  Apparently they had trouble getting to Trinidad and had managed just one practice on the pitch before today’s game.  Sadly things were not about to improve for them.

Guyana started with the ball and pushed it back to their centre mid.  To their surprise and consternation Derrick Norton had the audacity to rush the centre mid, take the ball of him and pass it to Hudson.  Hudson beat one defender, swerved around the goalie and put the ball in the net.  This all happened in less than 14 seconds!

Two minutes later Derrick found himself in front of the open net but in his excitement pushed the ball just wide.  At the five minute mark Devohn scored with a fine tomahawk.   At seven minutes earned their first penalty corner.   Jesse Watson’s drag flick led to a second penalty corner that resulted in Canada’s third goal.

I could go on describing the game in this detail but it is close to midnight here, so the nut shell is as follows:  Canada 15 - Guyana 0.  It was a lopsided game.  Guyana did penetrate the Canadian circle once and earned a penalty corner that was successfully defended.  The young Guyana team must be given credit for playing with determination for the full 70 minutes.  They played with spirit and earned our respect.  I have no doubt that they will fair better once they get properly settled and have a few more games under their belts.  

Meanwhile the Canadian players must be concerned that they failed to score on many more opportunities.  This was not a satisfying game, but one that left the Canadian players and coaches concerned about our ability to put the ball in the net convincingly every time we get the chance.  This is not a dress rehearsal.  We must perform now, every time we take the field.

After the game we returned to the hotel for a quick swim and lunch before returning to the pitch to watch Chile beat Barbados 6 - 0, participate in the tournament’s opening ceremony, then see Mexico beat Brazil 8 – 0.  These are the other teams in our pool and it was good for the players and coaches to see them in action. 

The boys were very hungry by the time they got back to the hotel for dinner.  This long day ended with a brief team meeting to review today’s game and watch some of the video footage.
Tomorrow we play Barbados.  Stay tuned.

Patrick Oswald

15 October 2008

Dear U-21 Team Fans:

Today was an interesting day.   When we came down to the hotel lobby to depart for the pitch we found the entrance blocked by several heavily armed police.  Apparently a highly ranked U.S. diplomat was visiting someone at the hotel.  When the hotel entrance finally cleared we discovered that our bus and luggage van had not arrived.  The bus did eventually appear, but not the van, so we piled in to the bus with our bags on our laps.

When we arrived at the pitch we found that the Argies had suffered a similar experience.  While their bus got them to their practice on time, their equipment did not arrive until after we did!  They made the best of it by playing a game of soccer.

Our game was supposed to start at 1:00 p.m., but then it started to rain.  It rained so hard that the pitch could not drain fast enough and small lakes appeared.  Fortunately the rain abated and the game started at about 1:20 p.m.

The Argies are a good team.  Fit, fast, strong on the ball, quick accurate passes, excellent receptions, relentless.  It is no surprise that Argentina wins this tournament year after year.

Our boys played a good game.  Several attacks into their circle, shots on net, a penalty corner or two.  The Argies did have the edge, however, capitalizing on our errors and scoring two field goals to win the game 2 – 0.   The game was an excellent part of our preparation for the tournament.  It was great to measure ourselves against such a good international team.   Jon Stoller and a young umpire from Mexico did a very good job of umpiring this friendly game.  Jon has now moved over to the Holiday Inn hotel where all the umpires are staying.

It was super to see Liz (the raging librarian) Gowan and Bill Marsh who came out to cheer us on. 
After the game the team returned to the hotel  for another vigorous aquasize session led by Kevin in the pool.  The boys were hungry by the time they sat down to lunch, after which they revitalized themselves with ice baths and some rest.    Cassius spent the entire afternoon breaking down the video of the Argie game.  I am writing this message to you from the back of the nightly after dinner team meeting.  John is leading a review of the Argie game video.  It was a full day and I reckon most of us will be lights out early tonight!  

Oh, Trinidad’s national soccer team has been staying at the hotel.  They are playing a do-or-die game as I write this against the USA to qualify for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.  A number of professional English league players are on the team.  Apparently there will be a big party in Port of Spain after the game.  Go Trinidad!

Patrick Oswald

P.S.  Trinidad did win 2 – 1.  We met the triumphant team as they returned to the hotel and Cassius and Charlie shamelessly threw themselves at Dwight Yorke for a photo opp.  See photo.

Dear U-21 Team Fans:

Our 2nd full day in Trinidad was awesome.  We have recovered from the gruelling 18 our trip down here and more importantly we are getting used to the heat! 

Yesterday’s report was rather short and full of vital omissions, for which I apologize but I was beat by the end of the day.  The biggest omission was that coach Cassius celebrated his 41st birthday!  The hotel staff brought in a slice of carrot cake with two lit candles and the team raised the dining room roof with a very impressive “Happy Birthday”.    Happy Birthday Cassius!

The hotel is taking great care of us.  The rooms are comfortable with good air con, and the meals are just right.  “Shorty” and “Eddie” (our bus drivers) drive us to and from the hockey pitch each day in comfortable air-conditioned busses, with our team bags following in a second vehicle.   The tournament organizers provide an ample supply of water and ice.  Physio Kevin Schalk is keeping the boys cool with his patented frozen towels and other trade secret heat busting techniques!  Everns Johnson is our local liaison officer: a Libra who turns 65 on October 19th, has 2 daughters, 9 grandchildren and is hoping that his soon to be born third great grandchild is a girl!!!  Everns is a cricket enthusiast and has invited the team to a cricket test match on Sunday, our first rest day.  Yes, you will hear about it in Sunday’s report!

Oh, did I forget to mention that we actually played our first hockey game today??  We played three 20 minute periods against host Tinidad & Tobago.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  A good, reasonably paced game.  It was cloudy with a bit of a breeze and a five minute light sprinkle of rain.  It was cooler than yesterday and the boys looked much better than they did yesterday when travel weariness and the hot sun took more of a toll.

Five minutes into the first period Hudson Stewart scored a smart field goal.  Several attacks into the opposing circle followed, with Graham, Bruce, Devohn , Keegan and Stephen Bissett all having opportunities.  Fifteen minutes into the first period Arne Oswald found himself in front of the net with the ball and made no mistakes to score the second goal.  The balance of the game was fast moving two way hockey.  Both teams had opportunities.  We earned one penalty corner, with Jesse’s powerful drag flick just missing the top right corner.  Final score: Canada 2, Trinidad & Tobago 0.

Back at the hotel  the boys enjoyed more of Kevin’s aquasize in the pool, followed by a light snack, a team photo session most professionally choreographed by Charlie and photographed by Alvin. 
As I write this memo to you the team is reviewing a video of the game and also some footage from international games that demonstrate a few of the plays that John wants our boys to perform in tomorrow’s game against Argentina.

Tomorrow will likely be more of a test as we face the Argies who historically always win this tournament.   Will history repeat itself, or are the history books about to be rewritten?  Stay tuned!

Patrick Oswald