WAGS Division A

 

May 11, 2008

 

After having their trip to Ashburn rained out yet again, Juventus flirted with glory on the road at fancied Sterling Titans.  Regularly one of Virginia ’s strongest sides, Juve roared out to a lead courtesy of a solo effort from Karynne and then doubled that lead when Eleanor came from a wide position to blast home the rebound from Quetzal’s effort.  The visitors came close to holding that lead before the Titans pulled one back just before the break.  Disaster struck 51 clicks into the second half when the Titans drew even with a long range thunderbolt.  Within moments, Sterling had the lead as the Arlington defense hesitated to close and the striker spun and struck.  Amid controversy, Sterling extended their lead having felled the Juve defender as she attempted to clear, the Titans tapped in from close range.  More controversy came as Juventus broke free with Emma storming into the area with only the keeper to beat before she was taken down from behind.  Kirby stepped to the spot to stroke home the penalty and restore the one goal deficit.  But a pressing Juventus could not find another and were undone in the last minutes to end the 8 goal Mother’s Day thriller.  Next week…probably rain again!

 

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WAGS Division A

 

May 4, 2008

 

Juventus were frustrated at home today by a talented SYA Titans side who perhaps got off lucky in Arlington this afternoon. Deservedly up one at the break, Juve had a legitimate gripe not to be at least even after the first few minutes of the second.  Karynne’s powerful drive forced the SYA keeper back and over her line, only to be summoned back to life by the referee who did not allow the equalizer for Arlington .  On several more occasions, Juve came nearly as close to scoring without conceding much of attack in the other direction.  With only a few minutes remaining, though, SYA did get forward and were awarded a corner when the Juve goalkeeper intended to stop a ball that she believed had already crossed the goal line.  The resulting corner was swung in and off of the leg of an unsuspecting striker to double the lead.  After Juve pushed everything forward, SYA claimed one last goal with the penultimate kick of the match.  Perhaps made to suffer this score-line, Juve hope to regroup with away matches next weekend at Ashburn and Sterling .

 

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WAGS Division A

 

May 3, 2008

 

Juventus experienced the best of both the ‘travel’ and the ‘soccer’ aspects of travel soccer today on the road to Faquier SC Blackwatch Red.  Pleased just to be playing for a change, the Arlington girls quickly shook off any ill effects of the 75 minute ride and began to put some pressure on the home side.  After a couple of near misses, Juve were on the board when Karynne swept onto the end of Romina’s long diagonal ball to tuck past the stranded goalkeeper.  Romina then double the Juve advantage with a long and winding run which started inside her own half with a pass from Shelby and ended with a bullet shot from an acute angle on the right side.  The second half, highlighted by a couple of spectacular saves from the Blackwatch goalkeeper, yielded no further notes in the referee’s book.

 

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WAGS Division A

 

April 19, 2008

 

It would not be harsh to say that Juventus find themselves in their first slump of the U11 campaign, and in spite of a gluttony of chances, Juventus could not seem to piece the puzzle together for the visit to Reston to face the Comets.  Reston scored on their first chance of the match as the Arlington defense parted to offer the gift.  This is not to say that it was a well-taken strike – it was outstanding – but the player should never have been available to take it.  After 0-1 at the break, Juve seemed to be the side asking the questions, but there was never enough personality in the area to level the terms.  When Reston ’s next chance arose, they stepped just over midfield and blasted a lazy clearance nearly 40 yards and into the visitor’s goal.  A credit to the Reston goalkeeper whose two tremendous saves should have seen Juventus tie the match before a late tap in settled the action for the day.  Juve travel to FCSC to meet the Blackwatch tomorrow.

 

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WAGS Division A

 

April 13, 2008

 

Perhaps worn from the previous day’s battle, Juve struggled to recapture their defensive commitment and organization.  Visiting Annandale claimed the first when an open striker received a fine diagonal ball and dispatched it well into the upper corner of the goal.  Arlington responded quickly as Romina pushed a final pass beyond the X’Treme defense for Quetzal to slam into the roof of the net.  When the Chilis retook the lead, Arlington leveled quickly.  Erin took a tremendous shot from distance, which rebounded right to Eleanor.  The cagey midfielder made a delicate cut before blasting in from just beyond the outside of the area to bring the two sides drawn into the break.  In the second, Juve really struggled to find its rhythm and were undone when ABGC got to a corner kick first to finish from the simplest of angles.  Only in the final moments, courtesy of a winding individual run and shoot from Romina, did Juventus come from behind for a third and final time to claim a share of the points.

 

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WAGS Division A

 

April 12, 2008

 

After the attacking frustration of the ASIST, Juve came into the WAGS season looking to score some goals.  However, a talented MCLN Challengers Green stood firmly in the way.  The neighbors traveled 45 minutes to play each other at Bull Run and for the first 30 minutes, save for a few forays here and there, it looked like only one team had actually made the trip.  However, in the second McLean would rue their missed chances from the first half as Juventus started to settle in and find its attacking feet.  After Karynne burst down the sideline to shake her mark and serve back across the 18, Rebecca strode through to coolly slot the Arlington equalizer in at the back post.  Buoyed by the effort, Juventus continued to attack and Romina’s efforts in the corner led to a service that went from pillar to post in the Green area before Eleanor smashed home Emma’s rebound to take the lead.  In spite of a late attacking barrage from the fancied Challengers side, Juventus looked to have claimed all three points at the 30 minute mark courtesy of some defensive and goalkeeping heroics.  But, a late decision to penalize the Arlington side when a ball bounced up against a player’s hand in the area left the McLean defender to clinically and deservedly restore parity from the penalty spot with the penultimate strike of the day.    

 

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ASIST

 

March 6-8, 2008

 

Juventus opened the Arlington invitational with high expectations of claiming the cup.  Perhaps tired from their haul of hardware through the fall and early spring, Juventus never really found the form that had made them such a dangerous side in recent months.  Held at 0-0 at the break with eventual Finalist ABGC X’Treme, Juventus probably had the better of chances, but could not finish.  In the second, Juve could not seem to keep the ball out of its own goal.  Conceding three goals on relatively few chances, the visitors continued to stymie Arlington who could only pull one goal back.  Juventus came to play in the second match with defending champion Loudoun Celtic, and despite several chances, could not find the net.  With a more committed defense effort, neither did Celtic and the sides shared the points.  The third match with visiting Richmond Kickers demonstrated the full breath of Juve’s finishing woes.  Arlington spent the bulk of the match in the attacking half and even third, but we stopped at almost every point of asking including several breakaways and even a penalty kick.  Fortunately, Romina made a late breakthrough to collect all of the points for the home side. 

 

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CMSSL March Mania

 

March 1-2, 2008

 

Juventus started their spring season bang in form with opening victories over Vienna Storm and MSC Magic on the frozen turf of Covenant Park .  On Sunday, Juve played what was effectively a semifinal against facied Freedom Flash - a side who competed as recently as Nov ’07 in the top bracket at the prestigious Bethesda Thanksgiving against the liked of LOUD Red, PWSI Red, and MCLN Green.  It was then little surprise that Juve found itself 0-2 at the break and out of the final.  But Juve were not ready to end their weekend just yet.  The Arlington side flew out of the second half gate to immediately chip into the Flash advantage.  The now more composed, more committed Juventus side then claimed the equalizer that would see them, and not Flash, into the final.  But as the inevitable tide turned, Juve withstood the Freedom pressure and even took a lead in the final moments to extend the run of Juventus’ finals appearances to 4 of 5 at U11.  And though Juve held firm in the first against the SAC Kickers, the more composed home side tallied three unanswered to claim the trophy.  Congratulations are certainly in order for Juventus who claim their first medal of the season against a talented field at the March Mania.  Thanks KO!

 

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NVSC Fall Classic

 

November 17-18, 2007

 

Juventus competed in their third NVSC Fall Classic this weekend.  At U9, they took the consolation with a last-strike goal.  At U10, they conceded a last-strike concession to just miss a spot in the final.  At U11, as with the rest of their fall season, Juve were on a mission.  Juve opened the proceedings with a cracking goal from Kirby against Stafford Fusion White and did not look back.  Further goals from Shelby via a tremendous through ball from Cara, a strike from Quetzal, and a double from Emma put Juve in pole position.  A draw later that afternoon with SYC Thunder White courtesy of a Shelby goal was all Juve needed to claim the group and the top spot in the semifinal.  Juve faced the home side in the semi.  Perhaps recalling their dismissal in the Battlefield Classic at the hands of the NVSC Majestics, Juve were rampant in the semi.  Karynne opened with four consecutive goals to put the contest out of reach, followed by a pair from Keelyn, and then a pair of swerving crosses from Erin which were eagerly banged home by Lauren and then Kirby.  The final - Juventus third such match of the Fall - seemed to be shaping up the same as Rebecca ran wild against SYC Washington Freedom scoring the first by registering Emma’s cheeky diagonal ball and then setting the table for Eleanor to snipe in from the edge of the area.  But in a short span later in the second half, Freedom scored back-to-back strikes to turn the match on its ear and bring memories of two earlier finals, which had only just slipped out of Juve’s firm grasp.  But that would all change when Emma received a punt from Keelyn in traffic, broke through the defense, juked the goalkeeper, and slotted the winner to claim Juventus first tournament Championship.    

 

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