HMH Claim U12 5-A-Side Win

Jeremy Berg - Monday 21st 2010f June 2010

MILLET SPORT

Maccabi National Open 5-a-sides
Mill Hill Power League
HMH 1 Alyth Belsize 0 (final result)
Sunday 20 June 2010

"Point me down the right line because it's time / To let me in from the cold/ Turn my land into gold / Cause there's chill wind blowing in my soul/ And I think I’m growing old"
(from Wot’s uh…..the deal by Pink Floyd)

Firstly, just an explanation on the quote this week which is from the Pink Floyd album before Dark Side of the Moon ("Obscured by clouds"). The album is underrated and well worth a listen. The lyrics of this particular song sort of sum up how the manager felt about this, his last tournament in charge of the team - the reference to chill wind/growing old reflects the wistful sadness of the moment when the reins of power have been passed on following this tournament - after all what is managing a football team other than a chance to play subbuteo with real players?... plus of course an opportunity to enjoy, vicariously, the glory and exhilaration of occasional successes with our children.

As it was the chance of success was grasped with glee by a superb HMH team - a team which had been reduced to a bare five, with no subs, shortly before kick -off, which had never played together as a unit and in which more than one player was carrying an injury.

The manager's mantra was "Don't stop believing" and that is what the team did as it stormed through the round robin first stage. That was not the simplest task as the team had been given the alias, Honduras, by the event organisers, a name which hardly inspired confidence in success. However, undaunted, the team immediately began stringing together some beautiful passes, with a wonderful, fluent passing game which would put Capello’s men to shame.

The team (barring one game against Redbridge in which an "experimental" formation and team positions were employed, was captain, Alex Berg, in goal, Jack Josephs in defence, Natanel Rubin and DJ in midfield and Harry Marlow in attack.

The early games went as follows:-
BRADY MACCABI: won 2-1 (from behind), with goals from Harry Marlow and Natanel Rubin)

ALYTH BELSIZE: won 4-1 (Natanel 2, Harry, Daniel Jacob (“DJ”))

HENDON INTER- SCHOOLS: won 2-1 (Harry 2)

REDBRIDGE: drew 1-1 (Natanel)

LEEDS MACCABI: won 3-1 (DJ, Natanel, Jack Josephs)

That sequence of results meant that HMH had topped the group going into the semi-finals.

Putting some flesh on the bones, the whole team played brilliantly from front to back, with both Alex (in goal for four games) and Harry (in goal for the Redbridge game) doing very well between the sticks, Jack Josephs displaying immense composure and skill at the back, in his last appearance for HMH, Natanel, in his first tournament for HMH, brilliant at times in midfield, DJ inspirational as always beside him and Harry who was again quite brilliant at times in attack, particularly with his finishing with either foot- in total he scored five goals and so did Natanel as they combined together like a well worked partnership in attack (think Beardsley-Lineker and Sherringham-Shearer…oh how we long for those days!!).

Having reached the semi-finals, HMH played Leeds again, as they had finished fourth; Brady Maccabi and Alyth, second and third placed respectively, met in the other semi and went to extra time with Alyth winning. HMH would join them as they came from a goal down to deservedly beat Leeds 2-1 with goals from Harry (superb, left footed) and DJ, (cool, composed, clinical).

How the manager’s Poker Face cracked into a smile! Somehow, it was as if, knowing that this was the manager's last tournament as manager, and that this was the only time that this team would ever play together as a unit, the boys were collectively saying: "Nobody is going to rain on our parade"! In order to make sure of this Jack Josephs launched into crunching last-ditch tackles and keeper, Alex Berg, made a number of crucial saves, two of which - one a dive to his left which stopped the ball reaching the top corner and another with an outstretched right foot, surpassed all previous exploits in goal- this despite an injury which incapacitated him throughout.

Now through to the final, HMH's collective mindset was "And I'm telling you…"…no-one was going to stop them now. That being said, after six games and over an hour of football in total, often played in sequential games, without a break, the team was almost out on its feet as they prepared to face Alyth Belsize in the final. However, in this the handover tournament, when the baton would be passed from one manager to the next, Dave Jacob, the boys benefitted from words of wisdom from dual sources and took every word on board.

Manager, Jeremy Berg's mantra for the final was simple: keep the ball, do not concede, play controlled football, pass it well, score the goal and do not let them back in; win 1-0. Unbelievably, the script was followed to the last detail. In a seven minute each way finale HMH dominated possession and did everything but score in the first half, creating chance after chance without quite taking them. The second half began the same way until, at last, the ball broke to DJ who lined up his shot and, as he had done in other memorable wins, he calmly slotted the ball past the flailing arms of the Alyth keeper. It was 1-0 and with HMH locking the back door with Jack at the back, it was all over.

This was undoubtedly one of the proudest moments of the football career of a father, a son, and above all, a team which played as a team. A joyous moment and a fitting end to five glorious years. Well done and thank you to all of the boys!

MILLET SPORT