Sunday's 4-1 loss gave me some positive and negative impressions of the team. I feel that due to the intense heat, long half's and relatively large field the boys showed good heart throughout and kept running for the most part right until the final whistle. This is a huge positive. Some players must however realize that when the chips are down and not everything is going our way we ALL have to demonstrate this trait. This will be a valuable life lesson for the boys going forward and something I will insist upon. At this age I will aim to shape the boys attitudes as well as improve their skills.
In terms of the soccer that went on there were some things to build on. The Goalkeeping was excellent throughout. The boys competed well but must be a little more aggressive when challenging for the ball in and around our own penalty area. As the boys started passing the ball into space we began to create goal scoring opportunities. This must be a lesson. The boys tried to play the correct way but must keep their shape a little more as a team. The wide players worked tremendously hard and this was very noticeable from the touchline.
As we get players back into the team I anticipate a very strong season for the Leopards.