Day 5 Coastal Thunder vs Durham City Vipers

Coastal Thunder 3 Durham City Vipers 2

It was a 10 minute bus ride from Durham to the football grounds. The complex includes a new synthetic turf stadium with seating for ~ 1,000 and a separate indoor facility housing 8 indoor fields (20 X 40 yards each) and a pub/social center. This is a typical set up for the clubs over here. Most games are followed by teams and fans gathering for drinks and socializing. For our kids, the closest social experience I can compare it to is heading out to the movies on a Saturday night.

In our matches and the professional matches we've attended, we've noticed a distinct style of play - teams are very physical, strong on the ball and play directly to goal. The game is characterized by strong tackles, exceptional heading and quick counter-attacks. One of the things the coaches have emphasized in training is heading with a purpose, either clearing to a spot or directionally to a player.

The weather at game time (7 PM) was warm and humid. As is typical for Coastal, we started slowly and gave up the game's first goal in the 15th minute. We quickly evened the score in the 20th minute when Amo volleyed a ball into the net off a throw-in from Ben. In the 40th minute at the stroke of half-time, Amo played a slicing ball diagonally behind the defense to Gabe who collected the ball, cut back a defender and calmly drove the ball into the net. In the second half we gained control of the match and showed excellent passing and ball control. The Vipers seemed to tire (this was the teams first match in close to 8 weeks so they were not match fit) and in the 65th minute Matt P knocked in a rebound off an Amo shot. The game tightened up in the 75th minute when one of our defenders tripped a Viper in the box (questionable call!). On the PK Pete dove to his right and saved the shot only to have the rebound knocked in for the final score of the match. Coastal 3 Durham City 2.

Notable notes from the match.

• The referees let the boys play. Fouls typically called at home are overlooked here. And the local players know how to play aggressively to the limit.
• Our boys were physically very strong and not intimidated. Nat and Ben were particularly strong and tough on the ball.
• We were exceptional in the air winning most contested balls and directionally heading to players or clearing to spots - it was great to see the boys use what they learned in training and observed in games. Justin, Ben and Matty controlled the air.
• At halftime the coaches wanted to exploit our speed advantage on the outside. Alec had a very strong game as he was using his speed to attack the outside defender and serve balls into the box.
• Coaches were not happy with the lack of marking on the PK that led to the second goal so immediately after the game the boys were drilled on what to do - much to the amusement of the local team.

After the game we met the team in the sports complex for over an hour before returning to Durham around 10 pm. The boys went out for pizza and watched Chelsea vs Man U on the TV before heading back up to castle for lights out at 11 PM.

Day 5 Edinburgh to Durham

Today we traveled from Edinburgh to Durham. After breakfast we spent the morning shopping along Princes Street in Edinburgh. The boys were very excited to find a soccer shop in one of the malls and the credit cards were flying. I estimate there were at least thirty team jerseys (or "strips" as they are called here) purchased. I think Blake set the record with more than five. Before you rush out to put a hold on your credit cards, rest assured that the prices were low and the damage should be minimal. I was encouraged to see the boys buying gifts for parents and siblings as well.

After a pit stop at Burger King we hit the road to Durham. It's about a 140 mile drive from Edinburgh, across the English border, through Newcastle and on to Durham. The weather rained in the morning and miraculously cleared as we crossed the border into England - just as Mark predicted it would. Remarkably, it only rains when we travel - did we pay extra for the good weather? The team picture at the right was taken at the border crossing with the boys modeling their new strips.

Upon arriving in Durham we were dropped off at the bottom of the hill for the climb (with bags) up the hill to Durham Castle and the Norman Cathedral. From the brochure:

"The palatine city of Durham is dominated by its vast Norman Cathedral and the adjacent guardian kingdom of Northumbria in northern England. Standing side by side on their prominent hill-top site, encircled by the delightful wooded slopes of the incised meander of the River Wear, and overlooking the medieval city of Durham with its fascinating narrow streets, the Cathedral and Castle form one of the most exciting and impressive sites of beauty in Europe with numerous breath-taking and spectacular vistas, comparable with those of Avignon and Prague."

Put more simply by one of the boys, "This place looks like Diagon Alley."

We are staying in the dorm rooms of Durham University. The accommodations are what you would expect for a castle - odd shaped, drafty rooms with bars on the windows and peeling paint on the walls. The bathrooms are communal. Some of the boys are staying in the Keep which must be a climb of over 100 steps. For you concerned moms, we are hoping to use the laundry facilities during our stay.

After checking in to our rooms we had a late lunch/pre-game meal in the Great Hall. We did learn that we are sharing the castle with a girl's field hockey team ages 13 to 17. Yikes!