Salt City- Syracuse, NY

 

The Cobras season final ended at the Salt City Tournament in Syracuse, on July 27th and July 28th.

Many new faces joined the Cobras tournament team, but it was certain from the start of the first game vs. the North Rose Jets that it was going to be a festive weekend. Some division one NCAA recruits along with other Rochester HS and Premiere level talents played with the squad.

NRJ were a scrappy bunch that played well together, but some crisp finishing by the Cobras and a clean slat was too much for the opponants, a 2-0 victory. The second game was a very competitive duel with BYSA Soccer Central, a U 17 premiere team that end up third in the recent State Cup final four earlier this summer, a 2-1 loss for us.  We felt good going into Sunday morning that we could win our semi-final game to reach the final, a rematch was in the horizon. The morning match was a sloppy defensive showing by both teams with numerous goals, some magnificent, but in the end Cobras were toying with Coliseum United out of Utica, NY. Final score was a wopping 8-4. The rematch was built up with all the hype from the first game, an intense scoreless first half ended with a upside down ride for the ages.

After the Cobras took a 1-0 lead with 15 minutes remaining all looked good for another championship title. But a BYSA player, speedy on a break, split through the defense and the Cobras keeper was caught holding a shirt of the opponent in the box, the player fell to the ground as defenders cleared the ball away. The referee justly called a penalty kick for them, but included a red card to our only keeper which seemed a little harsh for a well played game by both sides at that point. This call ruined the game, which the referees could have save if not for the red card assessment. When a referee makes a call like that, he really needs to think about the integrity of the game, not the specific incident. The Goalie was not the last man as the defense was close at hand. Going down to 10 men and no goalie, really put the Cobras in a bind and we were fresh meat to the local spectators and piranhas at hand. In the end, the local team won with a little help by the men in stripes, but the Cobras tournament team took it in stride and class. Fun weekend for all involved. It's funny when you take a bunch of kids that have never really played with each other, get them together for a weekend to play a sport they all love, and in the end experience something wonderful. I guess that is what soccer is really all about, the experience and the memories. The funny thing about this tournament is that the field where we played on, I played on first, almost 28 years ago when I was a youth. This brought back great memories of my youth playing days.  Our Gates Roadrunners team won the State Cup back then on that same field. Hopefully our boys when coaching or watching thier own kids someday will remember that old Cobras team back in 2013, that played some really wacky games and enjoyed some great times with kids that shared a similar passion.  Soccer is life and may the memories live on forever.... Coach Mike

 

 

Cobras Tournament 2013- Historical Finally

Once again the boys take home a tournament championship in style and grace. From a dramatic come from behind tie against our counter part Canadian Cumberland Cobra brothers, to a revenge blow out of our Blackwatch Expressway League revivals, to a physical battle with the Buffalo Northtown Arsenal semi-final, was just some of the highlights of the weekend.

The grand finally was against the Oshaswa Rage the team we played against last year in the final, when we had a last minute penalty kick to close out the Boys U16 2012 Cobras Championship. The team was back and ready to avenge the title that slipped away last year. These guys were hungry. The initial fight came before the game even started, when the referees were unsure which team needed to change their shirts. We did not want to wear our black uniforms in the 90 F degree weather, they did not want to wear their dark green shirts. We were the away team they were the home in tournament standings. The referees ruled that the home team needed to change. They were not please, they even made a smart comment to the linesman, nice host team. Well when I heard that, I said OK we will wear black and be the gracious host. This added fuel to our teams fire and the coaching staff made it known to the boys that we willingly changed. The Cobras came out fired up and slipped in a goal in the first ten minutes, the game went back a forth for the next 40 minutes with opportunities at both ends. The Canadians were forceful and outright trying to get back in the game. This paid dividends as they equalized with about 15 minutes left in the game. Our team could not be denied, many of them have played in this tournament with my team for years and some since they were 8 year olds. We won it as Boys U11 and went 5 years without smelling a title, until last year. Many knew that for most this was the last time they would play in our home tournament as a Cobra.

With three minutes left we took the field determined to not to go into the  automatic penalty kicks, which basically would have been a flip of a coin to the winner .

Our game winning goal came in from a vicious attack to get the job done, and the Cobras Trophy was ours for the third time in team history. Great work team and thank you all for volunteering and support throughout the weekend..........Coach Mike

Niagara Pioneers 2013 Boys U19 Champions

There is a saying that boys win matches, but men win championships.  Well our young men yesterday won a championship.  You might say, big deal it’s only a soccer tournament, I tend to differ.  I’ve been associated with many soccer events throughout my 44 years, both playing and coaching, and this weekend I experienced something I have never experienced in my life.  The emotions throughout the games were amazing. 

From losing a heartbreaker first game, when all was said let’s just have fun and take it a game at a time.  Then winning our second game, with a glimmer of hope for Sunday morning.  The last minute heroics in our third game when we actually thought we had moved on to the final.  To suddenly having someone say,” No we are out; we did not get the help we needed from the other game.”  We actually took our team picture thinking we were going home.  If you notice there was still all smiles on the faces of the boys in that picture.  Shortly after we were notified we were in, the other game ended in a tie and jubilation broke out.  At that moment I don’t really think the kids cared about winning the final game.  The journey to the final was all the experience they needed. 

Winning the game against the team from Ohio that walked on the field thinking they had it, they were undefeated and thus far dominated the tournament, playing a high school team with a bunch of kids, was such a great joy to me and a bonus to the team.  Most of those boys were college soccer players and technically sound.  On top of everything we were down 1-0, only to come back and take the lead, and then holding on to grueling defensive stand in the last 20 minutes.  What a win, what a weekend!!!

For you history buffs, I was told by a tournament official that they needed to move this tournament up two weeks because they are celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the end of the war of 1812.  The usual weekend they hold the tournament is typically the same weekend as the Cobras Tournament.  I told the official before our first game thanks for moving it so we can enter. Ironically the last minute goal, that got us to the final, was against the Niagara Pioneer eldest U19 team, aka the host team.  It might have been our destiny that our boys were faced with such a battle throughout the weekend. A real testament of the character our kids and team possess.

I never thought this weekend would be such a roller-coaster ride for the ages. I hope all the families and players had a great time.   I know the boys will talk about this for a long time.  It is a great story that illustrates  what heart, determination, teamwork and faith can do when playing a sport, as well as what it could do in life.   Congratulations once again Cobras FC boys……..Coach Mike

 

 
                                                                                     Niagara Tournament Finals vs. Rockers (Ohio)