Tuesday Night Soccer 19.11.19

I can't believe how much time has passed since I did one of these reports. I have played every 3 weeks or so, so that's quite a few skipped reports. I've been managing the bone inflammation pretty well, seems like giving it a week or more to settle down between outings is the key.

But now I am also dealing with plantar fasciitis in my left foot. When it flares up its 8/10 painful. It doesn't stop me playing, but the next day its very tender. Even then I can walk on it OK once I get up to speed. Colleagues in the office mostly see me hopping about  in my first dozen steps after getting up from a long stint at the computer – I assume they assume I have gout.

To the game, it started as a 6 v 5 but Pete picked up an injury very early. I started playing for Black, but once we'd lost our numerical advantage we struggled. So we stopped the game and I swapped for Johnno in a classic old & slow/young & fast exchange, and I continued as White.

I kicked Black's first two goals; a long range toe poke from the right that caught Rob out, and a short range shuffle-and-place to Cam's right. Then later I got two for White. The ball came to me with my back to the net just metres out and managed to spin and nutmeg Pat in goals - or so Matt said. I didn't see it. Then soon after I was out on the left hanging forward and joined a 3-on-1 attack, Rob slid it across and I was lucky not to put it over the bar, went into the roof of the net.

Other highlights: I made a few good saves; and somehow tricked Johnno over by the bench seats wing.

Extra injury note: my long term sore right ankle was really stinging by the time I got home, and with the fasciitis in my left foot it was my slowest ever walk up to the front door from the car.

Black: Ben, Pat, me, Pete, Young Sean, ?
White: Cam, Johnno, Rob, Matt, Andrew

Tuesday Night Soccer 1.1.19

We all waddled back to indoor soccer on New Year’s Day after a week or two of overeating and over-drinking. Or maybe that was just me. Liam was back from Canberra for Christmas, and we went for a beer afterwards to celebrate.

I played pretty well (scored five) until I was poleaxed. Pat was positioned to head the ball into attack, and being quite a bit taller I decided to contest it and pinch it off him. He didn't know I was there, pumped his elbows to get a bit of extra elevation, and got the point of one straight in my eye.

He missed my brow and my cheekbone, it just went squoosh right in the eyeball. Which sounds horrible but turned out to be quite lucky. My vision wasn't blurred, my contact lens came out but went in again OK (once Cam found it). And there was hardly any bruising or visible swelling.

But I know that there has been some swelling because my top lip and a few teeth went numb, and that's a result of a nerve being compressed. 9 days later there is still some numbness but it's good to know it's gradually coming back – I went to the doctor and cleared myself of any damage.

Black: Adrian, Mike, Young Sean, me, …?

White: Steve, Liam, Pat, Cam

Goals (3 left, 2 right);

• Out on the right looking for someone to cross to; instead I just leaned back and toed it into the roof of the net, almost took off Cam's head.
• Hovering around the defence just trying to drag them out of shape, I found a little space and Adrian put a lovely weighted ball through that I could just step in behind, one touch to control and then finish. I shaped my body to put it to the right corner, but swung slowly enough to wrap my foot around the ball and actually pull it to the left corner instead.
• Solo run past two guys dribbling with my right - I think I did a double shuffle past the 2nd and finished with my left.
• Close up 1-on-1 with Pat in goal, again a little double shuffle and poked it in with my left
• Late in the evening once we'd said 'next goal wins' – a firm pass hit me close to goal and I think I dummied on the right then hit it with the left. Was a bit surprised myself.

Then we went and had a few beers. Although I didn't get ice on the eye for a couple of hours after the injury it has never blown up into a noticeable 'black eye'.

Tuesday Night Soccer 27.11.18

Since I last played a month back, I had x-rays of my hips. Now I know why those joints hurt so much. There are bone spurs on both sides around the ball joints where the top of the femur slots into the pelvis, and so there is bone inflammation or osteitis flaring up when I overuse these joints. I am doing tons of repetitive stretching morning and night, to try to build up my core strength, which will hopefully relieve these joints.

White: Steve, Cam, Anthony, Rick, ?
Black: Adrian, Me, Pat, Hazel, Ben

Memorable moments;

• Early on I carried the ball up the middle, just dummied with body shape to get past Anthony and then no-one came to me so I kept taking the space and toed it past Rick. Cam not happy.
• I was lurking in the left corner and Hazel had possession over by the door – he placed a perfect magnetic pass into the box that pulled me towards it for a tap-in.
• I was in a similar spot on left, Hazel in goals hit me with a perfect throw. My first touch took me inside and across Steve and with my next touch I (unusually) clobbered it properly with my right, it went under Anthony in goals.
• Stuck in the back left corner, I passed to Hazel who was marked but who can work in a phone box. He couldn't get free so I called for it back, squared it to Pat in goals, and he sent it out the other way to Adrian on the right. Hazel had gone up the left wing, Adrian found Ben who found Hazel who scored. textbook play out from the back.

Tuesday Night Soccer 30.10.18

Well this was a bright idea - I hurt myself on Tuesday and won't be playing again for a while. But nevertheless I scored three goals (can only remember 2 right now) and did a couple of nice passes.

White: Steve, Cam, Troy, Old Sean, Pat, +1
Black: Adrian, Me, Rick, Hazel, Ben

• Took the ball up the centre and space opened up so I toed it at Steve in goals. He didn't see it coming and fumbled it in, and it hurt his wrist
• Little give and go with Adrian, punted it into the corner with my left toe
• Long looping pass onto Rick's head which he put away
• Left foot chip over traffic, again to Rick, led to a goal.

I was sore all week and probably shouldn't have played, was just curious to see what it would do to me really. Now I am really sore, had an x-ray on Friday to indicate if its tendonitis or osteitis. I am 50 years old.

Tuesday Night soccer 23.10.18

I love to think back over my soccer career and relive little moments to lull myself to sleep, or pass time waiting for a bus. As my memory is starting to develop small gaps and holes, I am going to record some details for our Tuesday night soccer kickabouts at Rosny college gym. This is extremely self indulgent but I don't know how long I'll be able to keep doing this, and I enjoy the memories so much - it would be a shame to carelessly lose them.

Black: Me, Cam, Adrian, Hazel, Matt
White: Old Sean, Young Sean, Rick, Anthony, Pat

I scored 4.

• Carried ball through centre, Adrian called for it on right and I half dummied then went left of old Sean, rebalanced and sidefooted it past goalie on right.
• Cannoned off me unawares and went in
• I took it off Old Sean over by the netball pole, then took it to the byeline, worked along it looking to cut it back, noticed Pat was off the goal line and just flicked it in with the outside of my right.
• Hazel was throwing out from goal, I was zigging and zagging looking for space. He hurled it hard, high and wide out left. It was out of normal reach but I was in tons of space so something made me leap out for it, maybe knowing I had time to recover if I got it. My first touch was in midair, and perfectly halted the ball. I landed and kept going with momentum which meant I swung around with the ball on my right. Took a touch and then buried it. A gem. I felt like Nureyev but probably looked like a flying wardrobe.