The Cosmos gathered at Granite Regional Park Saturday morning.

Estevan filled in for Arturo on Saturday.  In game #1, the Cosmos faced the Gryphons White.  We were without Fia and Julia, who didn’t make the trip, but we had two guest payers, Melanie and Kristen from the Storm.  The game was scoreless midway through the first half, then Annie’s thumbnail ripped off during some contact.  She was bleeding and really in some pain.  Rheya was summoned from the bench to fill in.  I tried to calm Annie down, but she was really upset and said she couldn’t go back in.  Sometime during our conversation, the Gryphons scored.  Before Annie went back in, she told me she might not play her best, but I was proud she got back in there.  The second Gryphons goal came on a mis-communicated play between Peyton and Lauren late in the second half.  The guest players played well, especially Kristen who worked hard all game, but overall the Cosmos really were not mentally ready to play.   The Gryphons eventually won 2-0.

In game #2, the Cosmos faced Castro Valley United.  During pre-game warm-ups, Lauren got some dog-poop on her ball and she asked me to take care of it.  Julia arrived in time to play, and she really helped our midfield play.  The game was close for much of the game.  Eventually, the Cosmos really stepped up the level of play.  After Annie, Izzie, and Julia scored to put the Cosmos up 3-0, Estevan moved players around liberally.  G played forward, where she played inspired soccer, taking several shots on goal.  Amber moved out to midfield, where she was able to handle the ball on the field.  The game ended 3-0 in the Cosmos favor.

That night, the team swam for about an hour at the pool, and then went to Outback Steakhouse.  We all sat outside under the heat lamps.  Julia was teaching the girls a silly song called, “Miss Suzy.”  We all ate well, a bloomin’ onion, potato bacon cheese soup, scallops, steak, etc.  The girls played truth or dare, and at the end of the night, the Avila’s generously picked up the tab.  After dinner, I head back to Redwood City to get Arturo for the next day.

On Sunday, Mia and Melanie were around to help us play against San Ramon Blue Crush.  Before the game, Annie and the team gave Arturo a Juventus necklace for his birthday.  I think he was choked up a little, and he said, “I have to wear this.”  In the game, the Cosmos went up on a goal from Melanie, but San Ramon eventually tied it at 1-1.  During a corner kick, Arturo told Lauren to get ready to shoot one in from 30 feet, and sure enough, the ball squirted out and she nailed it over the keeper’s head for the go ahead goal.  As the fans and team jumped for joy, Lauren  just stood there in shock.  Melanie, who was playing a fantastic game, scored again and the Cosmos won 3-1.  If it weren’t for a shot off the top post, she would have hat tricked in the game.

After the third game, the Cosmos made the Gold quarter-final bracket, with the sixth seed out of the sixteen teams in the grouping.  We were set-up to face Santa Cruz Breakers in the afternoon game.  Melanie had to take off, but Julia and Mia were able to help out in the final game.  Santa Cruz was physically big, and there girls had big kicks.  The game started out pretty ugly, with plenty of out-of-bounds, and it stayed ugly until the Breakers went ahead 1-0.  Julia eventually tied the game on just a tremendous effort to skip past a defender and sail one in over the keeper’s hands.  She also hit the top post on a shot that might have won the game.  With the game tied 1-1, and only a few minutes left, Peyton was called for a foul just in front of the goal box.  The Breakers skipped a ball past Amber and won the game.

It was a successful showing in our inaugural Norcal State Cup.  We had a good trip, and it was good to see the team pull out a few wins.