Well we had a tough loss yesterday against the team in 3rd place, Zurkey. They are a team from Moscow, so we took another 10 hour night train on the night before our game. We had training earlier in the day, finished our packing, ate some dinner and then headed off for our train that departed at about 10 PM. We basically just got in our bunks and went to sleep. When we woke up in the morning at 7 our train was arriving in Moscow. We gathered our things and headed to a hotel for the day. Again, once we checked into our hotel we slept until about 12 and got up and went to lunch.
After the last game when I scored 3 goals it has become a joke about my pre-game meal of cucumbers and tomatoes so, naturally (and because we were served pasta and chicken) I ate cucumbers and tomatoes, some cheese and some of the chicken. After lunch we got dressed and drove to the Zurkey stadium.
We played on a small turf field. It made the game really fast and hectic because there was so many people in such a small area. From the very beginning it was clear that we were playing at Zurkey's field because the refs were happy to show them some love. They got an early PK because of a foul in the box. It was a controversial call, to say the least. Then just before half time our forward, Njoya, was tackled hard in our box and given a PK... on what probably should have been a red card. I stepped up and took the PK and scored to tie it 1-1.
In the 2nd half both teams had many chances and the game was really fast, but broken up by so many ridiculous calls that it was really frustrating. There was no flow to the game and it felt so choppy that everyone was frustrated with the amount of stoppages. Then in about the 65th minute they were given another PK for a supposed hand ball in the box. They again went up, this time leading 2-1. We were pushing hard to get a goal back. In about the 85th minute a cross came in and I was perfect on the far post with a defender in front of me. I jumped heads above her and scored a great header goal and was running back celebrating with my team when the ref called it back. I had no idea why it could have even been called back... I knew I was not offsides and I didnt even consider the probability of a foul because I didnt even touch the girl in front of me. But the ref said that I pushed her before the ball came in. So it got called back and we ended up losing 2-1. It was a really frustrating result to a good and hard game.
I know enough about myself now to know that I am a terrible loser. I do not like it at all and I think it is one of the worst feelings. But I have also found that I love winning and it is one of the best feelings. I love competition because it is like every game I am betting on myself and my team to win, using my emotions as betting money. When we win I get my good emotions back with the good feelings that were bet from the other team. But when we lose all I get back in my bad emotions and that sucks.
But in saying that, I have found that even in tough losses, if the other team is better than us and they deserve the win I feel at least content taking my sorry losing emotions. But when the game is lost (or even won, for that matter) because of a third party like the referee, I just feel cheated. It is such a frustrating thing to have a game decided by a force outside of the teams playing. Like two little kids playing together and sharing a toy and an adult coming in and taking away the toy from one of the kids and unfairly giving it to only one of the kids to use. It leaves the other kid feeling unfairly treated, cheated and incomplete. Thats how I felt about this game... I ended the game feeling more incomplete and treated unfairly than anything else. Despite the tough travel and the amount of running that should have left me feeling exhausted, I just felt unfairly treated, which is a terrible way to leave a game.
After the game was over we showered and got back in the bus and made the long trip back to Voronezh, driving through the night. My body feels battered, bruised and swollen but I must recover quickly because we play the 1st place team on the 18th. So, guess what we have today...? Yes, the sauna. And hopefully massages. Then we will be getting prepared for the big game on the 18th! Onward and upward, as I always say!!
Hope all is well back in the states! Take care, thanks for reading!!
Cheers!
Dani
After the last game when I scored 3 goals it has become a joke about my pre-game meal of cucumbers and tomatoes so, naturally (and because we were served pasta and chicken) I ate cucumbers and tomatoes, some cheese and some of the chicken. After lunch we got dressed and drove to the Zurkey stadium.
We played on a small turf field. It made the game really fast and hectic because there was so many people in such a small area. From the very beginning it was clear that we were playing at Zurkey's field because the refs were happy to show them some love. They got an early PK because of a foul in the box. It was a controversial call, to say the least. Then just before half time our forward, Njoya, was tackled hard in our box and given a PK... on what probably should have been a red card. I stepped up and took the PK and scored to tie it 1-1.
In the 2nd half both teams had many chances and the game was really fast, but broken up by so many ridiculous calls that it was really frustrating. There was no flow to the game and it felt so choppy that everyone was frustrated with the amount of stoppages. Then in about the 65th minute they were given another PK for a supposed hand ball in the box. They again went up, this time leading 2-1. We were pushing hard to get a goal back. In about the 85th minute a cross came in and I was perfect on the far post with a defender in front of me. I jumped heads above her and scored a great header goal and was running back celebrating with my team when the ref called it back. I had no idea why it could have even been called back... I knew I was not offsides and I didnt even consider the probability of a foul because I didnt even touch the girl in front of me. But the ref said that I pushed her before the ball came in. So it got called back and we ended up losing 2-1. It was a really frustrating result to a good and hard game.
I know enough about myself now to know that I am a terrible loser. I do not like it at all and I think it is one of the worst feelings. But I have also found that I love winning and it is one of the best feelings. I love competition because it is like every game I am betting on myself and my team to win, using my emotions as betting money. When we win I get my good emotions back with the good feelings that were bet from the other team. But when we lose all I get back in my bad emotions and that sucks.
But in saying that, I have found that even in tough losses, if the other team is better than us and they deserve the win I feel at least content taking my sorry losing emotions. But when the game is lost (or even won, for that matter) because of a third party like the referee, I just feel cheated. It is such a frustrating thing to have a game decided by a force outside of the teams playing. Like two little kids playing together and sharing a toy and an adult coming in and taking away the toy from one of the kids and unfairly giving it to only one of the kids to use. It leaves the other kid feeling unfairly treated, cheated and incomplete. Thats how I felt about this game... I ended the game feeling more incomplete and treated unfairly than anything else. Despite the tough travel and the amount of running that should have left me feeling exhausted, I just felt unfairly treated, which is a terrible way to leave a game.
After the game was over we showered and got back in the bus and made the long trip back to Voronezh, driving through the night. My body feels battered, bruised and swollen but I must recover quickly because we play the 1st place team on the 18th. So, guess what we have today...? Yes, the sauna. And hopefully massages. Then we will be getting prepared for the big game on the 18th! Onward and upward, as I always say!!
Hope all is well back in the states! Take care, thanks for reading!!
Cheers!
Dani
Cant wait to hear how you do in the up-coming game D! Im sure it will be great if you continue to do as well as you have. I am also really impressed with how much you blog- most of which I absolutely love because your stories are amazing! :-) hope youre doing well!
ReplyDeleteTone
I am so sorry. Having refs that ruin the game is just terrible. I hope u get some good rest and that ur body heals for the next game. Shake this one off...u need ur positive light and energy for the next game. Get ur mindset right....u r the best and u r going to win:) I love u so much. On a funny note....just to make u laugh...I took a little grandma home from the grocery store the other day...she only spoke french:) my french was really rusty..but after talking with her I kept mixing my english and french for the kids when I got home:) thought of u and all the languages u r immersed in....u r amazing! Love u!
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